In previous blog posts, we’ve covered the value of travel insurance and why travel agents should always offer it to their clients. Getting to know our partners in travel insurance will help you stand out to your clients, and demonstrate your commitment to their vacation investment.
Our contact with TravelSafe Insurance is Bonnie O’Neill, Director – Midwest Region. She is a travel industry veteran with more than three decades of experience under her belt. Her career began in 1974, with Avis reservations in Chicago. She enjoyed her time at Avis, and was promoted twice while working there.
She has been with TravelSafe since 2003. While travel insurance may not be the most exciting product, she says it’s rewarding because she knows she is providing a valuable service to both agents and consumers.
“Travel agents can get in big trouble by not offering insurance to their clients,” Bonnie adds. “And without insurance, clients can be forced to mortgage their homes to pay for a medical evacuation should they become seriously ill during travel. So, my product keeps agents from being sued PLUS pays an average 25% commission.”
Even though she’s been doing it for years, Bonnie still loves making face-to-face sales calls and working at trade shows. Seeing those that she’s worked with for nearly 30 years is a great way for her to stay connected and keep up with what’s happening in travel.
TravelSafe Insurance has been one of our Preferred Suppliers since 2008, and Bonnie has a long history in working with home-based travel agents. She understands and values your businesses!
“KHM Travel values their supplier partnerships and they only work with the best,” she says. “And they have provided me and TravelSafe with excellent advice on how to best promote our product to their agent members.”
Bonnie says that KHM Travel Agents have the advantage of working with a corporate office staff that cares about one thing — the financial success of their agents!
Knowing the benefits of travel insurance and how to explain it to clients is important to an agent’s success too. When it comes to TravelSafe, Bonnie says that it’s important to remind clients that their vacation is an investment, and without insurance, they could lose up to the full cost of their trip.
“Refer clients to their U.S. passport, where they will find a strong warning that citizens without insurance outside the U.S. will have to pay upfront for medical expenses. Medical care is very expensive overseas,” Bonnie says. “Agents should use waivers for clients who refuse to buy insurance to cover them.”
The TravelSafe Insurance Waiver and more details about TravelSafe can be found in the Portal. Thanks to Bonnie for sharing her experiences and insight!
Want to work with travel industry’s leading suppliers, and earn commissions as a travel agent? KHM Travel provides our home-based travel agents with the connections and tools they need to succeed!
Learn more about getting your travel career started by downloading our free Travel Agent Information Guide. Just fill out the form on the right side of the screen or call 1-888-611-1220 to request it.