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 am a full service travel agency accredited with ARC and IATA. I had my own office for over 15 years and moved home base apx 6 years ago. At that time, I felt I wanted to team up with a host agency and decided to go with Cruises & Tours unlimited. A choice I've never regretted. They really do care about their agencies and offer great training. It has been a pleasure to be associated with Cruises & Tours Unlimited. Wonderful people and wonderful support! Oh and yes, they do pay their commissions on time :-)
This is a great way to get started in the Travel Industry. With Outside Agents, there are no upfront fees, and the support you receive is first rate. Outside agents will always answer your questions within 24hours and help you succeed with your business. I highly reccomend Outside Agents!
I knew nothing about the travel industry except that I love to travel. I actually just wanted to monetize one of my websites that was offering some travel information, so I called different agencies for help. After several machines and recordings or 'online forms' with other places, I was able to talk to a real person at Outside Agents. In fact, I ended up talking for a long-time to one of the owners, Chad about how the business and industry worked. I signed up that afternoon, even though I had heard about all the scams, and didn't have high expectations, I figured, "What the heck, it's free."
Fast-forward 9 months later:
I have almost finished my CLIA ACC,
I have access to all the training I could ask for, plus some,
I have a great support team at Outside Agents,
I have 3 cruise GROUPS scheduled this year,
the other OA Agents don't feel like competitors, in fact we are always on the forum helping each other with tips, hints about great locations, and questions our clients have about locations that we don't know the answer to, PLUS
I know if I have any questions, the staff and owners, Steve and Chad, are only a phone call away;
and better yet, I don't pay a dime if I don't make money since they only get a small percent of our commission.
I am thrilled I stumbled into this career and working with Outside Agents. It is like any other business, you get out of it what you put into it, but I would recommend OA if you want to really get into the travel industry.
can you join without having passed the tap test?
I have worked for more than 5 years under Cruises and Tours Unlimited. There are no monthly fees and no start-up fees. They also provide a great deal of training and personal assistance. You are even given the cell phone of one of the owners to assist you at times when the office might be closed for the day. All in all, Cruises and Tours is a great host agency.
The Vacation Stop has had a hosting arrangement with OutsideAgents.com for at least 5 years. Their staff has always been very helpful on the few occasions that I have needed it. Chad Burt in particular has been very helpful with the technical end of things such as integrating booking engines into websites. I have been happy enough with OutsideAgents.com that I have recommended them to many other agents, at least 3 of which I know are current affiliates. The attractiveness of no monthly or annual fees along with a generous commission split and the helpful staff makes it an easy decision to stay affiliated with OutsideAgents.com.
I have been Outsideagents.com for over a year and just Love the support they all provide. I was with one other Host agency and they did not compare and they were costly! There is a large member base to run ideas off of...and get other agents opions on what works best and how to grow your Business! They made everything as simple as they could if you are not as season of an agent as you would like, There offer advanced training! I can't imagian working with a more professional group of people!
Gloria Darni
Expert Travel Now
Great agency to work with! Lots of support, great forum structure, NEVER had problems with commission pay out. Anytime you have a question it is answered in a very efficient manner. 80% commission with possibility to earn 90% and 95% is amazing!
Great people to work with, glad to be a part of an amazing team!
We have used a couple other host agency's in the past. Outside Agents has been, by far, the best host agency we have been with. They are always there to answer question, support us in any way needed and are prompt in paying commissions. We plan to stick with this agency until we retire!
Hi Karen,
Thank you for providing a great review! Just one question, why did you rate them at 4-1/2 stars, instead of 5 stars?
Thank you ~ A
This is Great Company to be a part of and I have been a part of for many years. They are efficient,helpful,courteous and most of all they are always looking out for the Agents. Encouraging them to be the best they can be. I give them (5)stars because the whole team deserves that.
This is a great host agency, I was with another host agency that fee'd me to death, i did all of the work and they took most of the money, not to mention i spent alot of time running down my commissions. Outsideagents.com is not at all like that, it is user friendly with all of the training you can want, they respond back in a timely manner and with them they assist you in reaching and developing your goals as an agent. do yourself a favor try this host agency they are a breath of fresh air.