It has been a year since I signed up with OA. Now is a great time to share my experience with you if you looking for a new host ( like I was) or are a new agent looking to join the tourism trade.
OA is a GREAT host. No doubt. Before joining them, I simply picked up the phone and called them to speak with the owner. I had zero expectation of this actually happening but was pleasantly surprised when Chad Burt came on the line and spent a good half an hour speaking with me and answering all my questions. I signed up the same day. It didn't take me much time to understand their systems and if I had a question, the OA staff was very quick with their email replies. Best way to communicate with them. They have brilliant internal systems set up for just this purpose. Agency staff and higher-ups are almost always available for insight and help as and when needed. They are highly professional ( yet super funny on socials). I had a chance to meet most of the staff at one of their TA conferences and the vibe is that of one big family. For new agents, they have mentors for initial support. Though I have industry experience, I still set up a call with a mentor just to test the new waters. It was a lovely call.
They have great contracts with vendors, resorts, and consolidators across the world. Their payment system is top-notch with very little room for confusion. Payments have been on time on expected dates. The split is also one of the best ( that I know of) ( Ex host had a terrible split and I wish I had known of OA before).
All in all, I highly recommend Outside Agents. It has been a great year with them.
Happy Travel!
I moved over to OA after being in the industry for over 6 years and am so glad I did. I have been with OA for 3 years now and have watched my business grow in many ways. They provide amazing training opportunities, help you develop relationships with industry partners, and provide many valuable tools to aid in your success. OA is a family and is built on mutual respect and passion for the travel industry. They care about their agents and each member of the team is supportive and encouraging so you can be a successful business owner.
I have tried other host agencies and none of them compared to OA. I can talk to Chad or Steve on the phone and if I email them I get an answer back. The staff are super helpful and always there to help you. You get a CRM that is really good plus a separate support staff that is always helpful. The innovations they are coming out with like AI is amazing. I think they are the best.
Despite the constant barrage of emails promoting other Host Agencies, I never consider leaving Outside Agents. For the years I have been with OA, my sales have increased while the number of hours I work have decreased! From technology to customer service, this company offers the best in back office support. They take the adage "work smarter, not harder" to heart. I've never been associated with a company that offers so much training that is practical and easy to use. As a home-based agent, you can't go wrong with Outside Agents!
I love being a part of Outside Agents! They have great education & support! They also have great resources to help you succeed in your travel business! I would recommend them to new travel agents or anyone needing extra resources or support! Plus they offer website and an easy to use website builder.
I have been a home based agent since 2008. For the first 10 years,I was with another agency and eventually knew it wasn't the right fit for me. I did some serious researching and decided on Outside Agents. I am so glad I did. They are so supportive and helpful with any and all questions I may have. Never have to wait very long for help.
They offer live workshops and training.Their website is amazing .I have learned so much more in the past year and half with them,then I had in my 10 years with the other host.
My only regret?? I wish I joined on with them many years sooner.
I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a host agency.
I don't even really know where to start in describing how inept, rude, pointless and ultimately self-serving this operation is... But if you read the direct responses from the comically sensitive, and defensive Co-Owner, he says more in his replies than any negative review ever could.
I laughed out loud when reading his comments to the poor fellow that was not able to make it to a workshop! The smugness and audacity of his denial of the refund is just next level!
Remember folks. Florida. The scam capital of the US.
Now on to my personal experience.
Travel agent host sites are a joke in general and if you are considering signing with any of them, don't. It is utterly unecessary and you are only adding a middle man who wants a cut of the money. Just book things for people and charge them a fee for doing the work for them. Simple.
I signed up and decided to book a trip to Puerto Rico with my girfriend and mother. I first wanted to see how things worked before I embarrassed myself with a paying customer.
We booked tickets in September for a trip in April.
The flight booking software was beyond lame and ended up only getting me an email saying that I am not supposed to book a trip for myself until I have sold "X" amount of bookings or whatever. They made it sound like I was using them for some kind of discount, when in reality, I would have saved around $300 dollars just booking the damn tickets from Kayak or some other sensible place! I paid more for the stupid things, but thought it would be good a experience.
Now for the worst part! They sent the wrong d@*n itinerary after trying to insult me with discount nonsense!
I saw, in another review, that he accused another agent of using it as a discount club... LOL, What discount Chad!?!
So, now I've booked rental car arrangements and hotel arrangments with the wrong itinerary. The only way we were able to get the correct flight schedule, was from my mothers credit card statement!
It ended up costing us several hundred dollars to make alternative arrangements in order to not be screwed on arrival/departure.
This BS is exactly why I wanted to try it out myself first, but these people wanted to try and shame me for doing that!
Bedsonline was also a waste and saved nothing. The price on Booking.com or Hotels.com/Expedia whatever, is the same except maybe you get your $12 pittance for booking it. Pffttt.
The tickets to the Bioluminescent bay are the same as booking directly throught Viator or any other legit and direct to customer site. Absolutely no need for a host site.
I would have dumped them as host agency months ago, but now I'd bought the tickets and didn't dare stir the pot; knowing I'd likely get screwed over entirely.
Horrible experience.
I feel really bad for the decent and perhaps naive other folks out there who just have a passion for travel and want to try and make an honest buck doing it as a profession.
This is not how you do it.
Sell your talents and experience in booking travel yourself. You don't need these people.
I look forward to an absolutely hilarious reply from the muppet Chad, in regards to whatever the devil it is I must have done, blah blah blah, that makes it all my fault, or any other poor saps fault. Bring it on little fella. I need a laugh after all this stupid waste of my time.
Sincerely,
Brian Glaze
(PS Puerto Rico was amazing!)
Hi Mr. Glaze,
In your verification process, did you mention that you were permanently banned from my company as a result of breaching our agreement and abusing our staff? The abuse is well illustrated by our need to secure a restraining order against Mr. Glaze. Of course, this most recent unprovoked communication to an innocent employee further illustrates Mr. Glaze’s vitriol:
----->I just wanted to take a moment and thank you. Especially Becky and the many other [vulgar explicative] that work for this [vulgar explicative] miserable operation. Please take a moment and reflect on the fact that you work for two of the most pathetic and [vulgar explicative] clowns in the industry, and the trickledown effect of their shameless self-indulgent [vulgar explicative] sniffing, leaves little for you to snarf up in the pig slop bucket of life. A company that treats people like [vulgar explicative], treats you like [vulgar explicative]. I am certain your time would be better spent working for anyone other than this.<----- Due to a tirade of vulgar language, physical threats, sexual misconduct, and an imminent restraining order, many of the words used by Mr. Glaze have been redacted below to meet HAR’s policies.
Mr. Glaze, we are a family company and will never allow our crew to ever be abused by anyone, for any reason. Period. This public post shall serve as a Notice to Cease and Desist all contact with my company and anyone associated with us except through Steve or I, the owners.
Now to clear up the misinformation you've provided: Host agencies are not discount clubs. We're business incubators. You did no trainings at all and booked your first trip for yourself, which is against our policies. I'm sure you, of all people, can understand how letting people sign up for $21 so they can make a personal booking, get their commission, and quit the following day is a bad idea. Afterall, that’s what Mr. Hancotte did to your friend, isn’t it? So, when we pointed out the problem to you, you changed the name of the 1st passenger on the booking in an attempt to get around our policies. All you wanted was a discount in the form of commission, and you were willing to deceive and abuse anyone to get it. Shame on you.
That's what happened with Billy-Joe Hancotte, Mr. Klien's agent, whose post elsewhere I suspect elicited this tirade.
In regard to discounts, we provide extensive training on how to deliver the best value for clients. We wouldn't be a Billion dollar company with thousands of agents supporting hundreds of thousands of clients if we didn't. Unfortunately, you simply didn't follow instructions or even ask for help, likely because you were trying to stay under the radar.
Folks, at the end of the day, you're main goal is saving some money on a couple of trips for you and friends now and again, please use your Costco membership. If your goal is to build a thriving travel business that is fulfilling and makes you happy, OutsideAgents.com is where you need to be.
It has been said that a bride knows "the dress" the moment she puts it on. She may feel beautiful in many of the other dresses she has tried; however, the moment "that dress" is put on, a bride just knows it is the right one. I believe that is the best way to describe how I feel about Outside agents.
The moment I decided to make a change to Outside Agents, I had that feeling it was the right move for me. The training, resources, and ability to be independant and build up my brand were just what I wanted. The right mixture of being myself with tons of support. The tools are there and it is how you make it, big or small. It is an investment in yourself, and just like any business, you need to do the work. With that being said, I believe that Outside Agents provides amazing opportunities and resources to invest in oneself. I found a home here, because it fits me and my perspective of how I want my business to become. I will continue to grow with them, and can't wait to see what they have coming for us agents in the future.
Hi Toni!!
Thank you so much for the kind words! We appreciate each and every one of you. I relate to the feeling of trying your wedding dress on and knowing it's the right one, that's exactly how I felt when I started at OA.
We are here for YOU! Thank YOU!
Isabella
Outside agents is the best of both worlds. You can earn almost all your commission when you build your sales, pay a low fee and have support, but you get to run your travel agency your way and have independent branding. The buying power and name of Outside Agents gives us great standing with suppliers and the support and training is fantastic.
Hi Nicole!
Thank you truly for the kind words! We appreciate your support!
Thanks,
Isabella
My previous agency sold the business 2 weeks before covid hit in 2019. I continued with the new corporate owners until the end of 2021 then decided to go out on my own. I did my due diligence and determined OA offered the technology and support I was looking for. I make good quality bookings and get paid every Wednesday. Everything is transparent. I've already been invited to several FAMS. I recommended 3 other ex colleagues to OA and they have signed up too. Thank you OA for your support.
Dear Ian,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a lovely review! It truly means a lot to us that you enjoyed your experience with us and we are thrilled that we were able to meet your expectations.
We are always striving to provide the highest level of service and quality, and your kind words reinforce our commitment to excellence. We couldn't be happier that you found Outside Agents to be exceptional, and we appreciate your recommendation to others.
Please know that we are always here to assist you in any way possible, and we look forward to providing all the support for you!
Thank you again for your kind words and for choosing us as your host agency.
Warm regards,
Isabella with Outside Agents
I began my journey with Outside Agents in 2021. I had been with 2 other host agency's before joining Outside Agents, I am "home" now. My business has exploded since I made the change. I took advantage and participated in two trainings that changed my business! Their group training was excellent! Outside Agents truly cares about their agents and goes to great lengths to help us succeed, if we reach out to them.
The commission scale and negotiated commission with vendors is excellent! They don't nickel and dime you with fee's either. I appreciated that there was no "sign up" fee, they allow you to start your business without getting in debt to get started. As I stated before, I am home! Thank you Outside Agents for all you do, it is much appreciated!!
Dear Donna,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experience with Outside Agents. We are delighted to hear that you had a great time working with us and that we were able to provide you with the services you needed.
At Outside Agents, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional service to each and every one of our clients, and we are thrilled that we were able to exceed your expectations. Your kind words are greatly appreciated and will inspire us to continue delivering top-notch services to all of our clients.
If you have any future needs, please don't hesitate to contact us again. We are always here to help and would be more than happy to assist you in helping you plan your client's next adventure.
Thank you again for choosing Outside Agents and for sharing your positive experience with others. We truly value your feedback and look forward to serving you again in the future.
Best regards,
Isabella with Outside Agents