Thank those that go above and beyond

I have been out of the office taking a break and haven't had time to really do the blog thing. I received an email that sparked my interest and thought it would be really appropriate to post it here. The thing that got me is that we rarely take the time to thank those that have done something good for us. Whether it is a server at a restaurant or a customer service person at Dell, it still means so much to the world that we all recognize the efforts of others. It seems that a lot of people just aren't very complimentary anymore. I always have good intentions when someone goes above and beyond but I never seem to take the 5 minutes required to call a supervisor or to write a letter or email. Here is an example of how we should all be:

Dear Mr. Tom:

My name is Madeline S... and I recently purchased an all inclusive vacation package to Jamaica for me and my family. This was the first time I had ever purchased a vacation package online and the first time I ever used your agency. I was very nervous and anxious about doing so, since there are so many horrible stories you hear in the news about fraudulent companies stealing from innocent consumers especially on the internet.

My travel agent for this trip is Ms. Kelly Reid. I was compelled to write you and tell you how pleased I am not only with your company's service but more so with the excellent, expedient and committed work of Ms. Reid. Throughout my transactions online with booking this trip, I had questions and concerns, and emailed Ms. Reid with them. She always responded to all my emails in an expedient manner and always provided me with all the answers I needed to my questions and concerns.

I would like to take this opportunity to personally say what a wonderful employee she is and how proud you, as her Supervisor, and allinclusiveoutlet.com as a company to have Ms. Kelly Reid represent your company.

Thank you for the time you have afforded me in reading my message and I hope to be able to use your services again in the future. Remember, word of mouth is the best advertisement a company could get! I will be spreading the good word about your company.

Thank you.

Sincerely,


Ms. Madeline C S...

I am sure this made Kelly feel great and is motivation for her to continue helping others. If you only ever hear from the negative people in this world, it really does begin to bring every one down. I had a really trying dining experience the other night, but we did not complain. I have become much more patient and understanding than before. I really didn't see the point in loading more negativity onto people who were obviously short staffed and overwhelmed. Do you know the result? The owner noticed we had been waiting forever and she bought us a round of drinks on the house. Nice touch. Well, the people next to me were complaining like mad and you guessed it. They did not receive anything but continued waiting. I was very courteous with the owner and told her I understood that they were doing the best they could do with the situation. Miraculously, our food showed up before the others :) And we will definitely go back now.

You know what? I bet that Kelly is willing to go the extra mile for Madeline if anything ever pops up on a future vacation. She will remember the kind email and know that this client is forever VIP. If you treat others well, then others will treat you well. Hmmm? Seems like a phrase I remember. It really is simple, but most of us don't do it. We are too worried about being inconvenienced or not getting our "fair share". Or we have better things to do.

Be kind to others. Thank those that do nice things for you. Hold a door open for the next person. Say "excuse me" when necessary. Apologize when you have inconvenienced others. Do something nice for those that go "above and beyond". Do these things and I guarantee your life will be easier. And BETTER.

Til Next Time,
Tom

Mexico and VIP Treatment - Now Is the Time

Amazing. That is what one of my good friends from college just said about the El Dorado Royale. Yeah. That one. The one in MEXICO. And he is there NOW. With his bride of less than 24 hours.

You see. He is one of those that chose to go to Mexico, in spite of all of the wild stories of death from the "dreaded" flu. Lucky him. He is now in a PRESIDENTIAL suite. One that I have never even had the pleasure of touring, because they are always OCCUPIED. Steve told me that he has a couple of BUTLERS. A COUPLE! That means more than 1!. They drive him and his new bride around the hotel grounds and cater to their every whim. I wish I was there :) Only with my wife and the same lack of crowds. Steve said there aren't many people around anywhere. Not at the airport. Not at the resorts. Hmmm?? Does this make sense?

We haven't heard much about the dreaded flu in recent days, but people still equate Mexico with "death". Duh! I equate it to a Presidential Suite now. My connections at the resort say they have never upgraded someone to a Presidential. I believe them. If you really want to know, Steve paid for an Individual Casita Suite. This is a pretty expensive option, but worth every penny. BUT. And here is the big BUT. He got upgraded because of a unique situation. It seems most of you are afraid to go there. A BIG DUHH! From what Steve says, EVERY person that is there is receiving the best service EVER. Even if they are in a lower level of room or suite. This is the BEST time to ever go to Mexico. Have you ever dreamed of a great vacation with exceptional service, at a GREAT price? Well, this is the time. And you might get something nicer than what you paid for :) I have been giving serious thought to another Mexican vacation.
Even though I am in debt to my Jamaican friend to make a visit there.

A friend of mine who works in Mexico says that Cancun is "deserted". WOW. Time to go there. She and her husband were going to put in some vacation time to go up and hang out on the beach at some nice hotels. Why has the world gone mad? I dunno but I am glad. Because some of us need to get in a much needed vacation without all of the hustle and bustle. You know what I am hearing? The Mexican tourist industry is so happy to see tourists that they are going way beyond what is necessary to make people feel welcome. Sometimes service in the US sucks. It never has in Mexico. I can only imagine how great it is now. Dang! For every person that shuns this place, it just makes it better for those that go there.

Ever wanted to feel VIP? Maybe you are a VIP. Mabye not. BUT. This is your chance. Mexico is world-renowned for its hospitality and unbelievable service. Now you can take it to the next level. Just like jumping from high school to the NBA. Sometimes an opportunity presents itself. This is yours.

Til Next Time,
Tom

Brazil: Exploring South America

In my quest to find more exotic destinations to quench the thirst for ecotourism, I look to Brazil. I recall a conversation that happened with a friend from Variety Magazine and a Latin American film producer over lunch. We were beachside at the ME Cancun and I just listened as they spoke about a variety of subjects. One such subject was South America and the fact that this area was one of the few on earth that had the natural resources for sustainability. According to Wikipedia, sustainability is "the ability to maintain balance of a certain process or state in any system. It is said that for humans to live sustainably, the Earth's resources must be used at a rate at which they can be replenished. This film producer stated that he and others believed that most of the world is consuming at a rate that can never be replenished. This led him to the idea that South America would eventually be one of the few sustainable regions left on earth. I had never pondered this possibility.

With the recent emphasis on the Green Movement and environmentally friendly consumption, it is clear that a number of you are concerned about preserving the world we live in. This might be the reason that a huge increase in ecotourism and "green" hotels is being witnessed.

Brazil is at the heart of sustainability in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area and is slightly smaller than the US. Rio De Janeiro is probably the most famous destination in Brazil. Carnaval in Rio is one of the world's most famous parties. This city is nestled amongst lush, forest-covered mountains and amazing sandy beaches. Brazil is famous for beautiful people and you will definitely find them here.

Moving around Brazil, the world famous Iguazu Falls is a sight to behold. It could be compared to Niagra Falls in the US and is said to be more impressive. This waterfall system is made up of 275 falls. Several big-name movies have filmed here.

The Amazon Rainforest is one of the world's greatest wonders. Brazil is fortunate to be one of the encompassing areas. Several organizations have set up shop here to aid in preventing deforestation of the rainforest. The Amazon is home to hundreds of thousands of plant, insect and animal species.

Brazil has little bit of everything. Ecotourism is big. Nightlife is grand. Sheer natural beauty is abundant.

Now for the resorts. All inclusive ones. It seems that the Salvador/Bahia area is home to most of the all inclusive resorts in Brazil. Breezes Costa Do Sauipe, the Costa Do Sauipe Golf & Spa Resort and the Costa Do Sauipe All Inclusive are all located in the Salvador area. In Bahia, Iberostar Praia Do Forte, Iberostar Bahia and the Starfish Santa Luzia round out the all inclusive offerings in the area. Breezes Buzios is the next resort set to open in the region.

Iberostar Grand Amazon is an "all inclusive" cruises that leaves the Manuas area for a cruise along the Negro and Amazon Rivers. This ship stops in different locations along the Amazon jungle. Perfect for exploring the dense vegetation up close. Aventure awaits with this unique offering.

There you have it. A new destination to consider. And your chance to swing down to South America to see the one place in the world that my film producer friend says is "sustainable".

Til Next Time,
Tom

Panama- A New Destination

Big discovery today! I just figured out our newest addition to our product offering. Panama. No, not the Van Halen mp3 version. Panama, the country. I guess I have always associated Panama with the Canal. Seems like this is all they used to say about the area. Well, I just found three all inclusive hotels that might have to be investigated. Costa Rica gets all kinds of interest from US travelers. It is the "hip" place to go in Central America. Yeah, I wanna go there too. But. Panama is something cool to do that not many others have done.

The combination of mountains, beaches, rainforest, world historic sites and the Canal are all pretty intriguing. The Melia Panama Canal is located on the Caribbean side of this country and near the Atlantic entrance to the Canal. It doesn't seem to be near the beach, but it is situated on Gatun Lake. Here you can do a zip line over treetops over the lake and take in some all inclusive kayaking.

Over on the Pacific side, the Royal Decameron Beach Resort features 1,100 rooms on a nice stretch of beach that is about 2 kilometers long. Nearby, you can go river rafting and rapelling. A visit into Panama City means great shopping or a visit to the Panama Canal. At Anton Valley, they have a canopy tour and much more.

The brand new Breezes Panama is opening in October of this year and promises to be a great all inclusive resort.

Panama just seems to be one of those places that misses the list when picking where to go. From the client phone call we received the other day, it should be on my list and yours.

If I ever make it there, I will be sure to tell you my experiences. If you have been there, drop me a note with travel tips and I will be sure to share.

Til next time,
Tom

It's Safe To Travel. And It Always Was.

Panic. Mass hysteria. "I'm gonna die from the swine flu". Need to get some hand sanitizer. Where is a mask? Gimme a mask quick! Did that person cough? OMG! Quarantine them. Did that person just touch the door knob? Great, if I could only open the door with my foot :) Sound familiar?
Well, I recall listening to a ton of people that were saying the most outrageous things. Joe "Foot in Mouth" Biden took top honors this past week.

If you read my blog, you will remember that I posted, on the Sunday before last, about "What are the odds?". It seems that we never learn from the last big "scare". Now I know that this is not over yet and there could be a resurgence in the future, but when are we going to stop worrying overtime? It really is nuts. Egypt ordered the slaughter of 300,000 pigs. The European Union head said to avoid travel to the US and Mexico. THE USA. Home to 300,000,000 people and location of 1 death because of the "swine" flu. This is a reason to stop world trade? It has been widely reported by medical professionals and the CDC that 36,000 people die in the US every year from the "regular" flu. I can't understand why that doesn't scare you. Most people I know don't even get the annual flu shot that you can have for a mere 20 bucks. It seems to me that the media energizes the latest catastrophe and the public buys into it. EDUCATION. That is the key. As soon as this thing blew up, I decided to educate myself on the emerging virus. I went directly to the CDC and the World Health Organization websites to familiarize myself. I avoided all of the "doomsday" headlines of the mainstream and "fringe" media, while getting real information from the medical field.

Now we find ourselves in this predicament. Mexico, already reeling from a fragile economy, is set to lose billions and may need to tap the International Monetary Fund. We have deprived ourselves of much needed beach vacations along with supporting a global economy. Joe Biden "inadvertently" caused the airline industry to suffer another crushing blow. I think it is only a matter of weeks before another "bailout" of the airline carriers is requested. The end result of a media-generated "global panic"? Less fun for you and me. You see? The endless worrying about the next crisis is taking all of the fun out of our lives. A conspiracy theorist might say that this was a part of the terror campaign against the West. Just like 9/11 took away more of our freedoms, the latest "pandemic" has in a round-about-way, forced you to have less freedom. Scared to get on a plane? Afraid you will get quarantined in Mexico? Don't want your work to force you to take days off when you return from Mexico? (Believe me! Some employers are doing their own quarantine) Man, this is worse than 9/11. Guess what? It's safe to travel. And it always was.

In my opinion, freedom of travel is an inalienable right for all Americans. What better way to exercise your freedom than to move about at your own will. Now that Mexico is easing back into "business as usual" in Mexico City, I feel that the media owes us that side of the story. I have spoken with several clients that have traveled to Cancun/Riviera Maya during this "outbreak". They expressed to me that everything was normal and they had a great time. Even if there were less people. Too often, we associate a country or and island with some negative event. Aruba tourism was basically non-existent for months and months while the Natalee Holloway story was in the news. If you don't remember, this story revolved around the disappearance of Ms Holloway. While tragic, I don't feel that this should have taken such a toll on an otherwise friendly island. I hope you won't react the same way to what is unfortunately not the fault of Mexico. It has been reported that the swine flu may actually have originated in California. Yes, that California. The one in the US of A. Since they have the swine flu here in Kentucky, I guess I should be looking for another place to go. Oh, I forgot. Most of the states in this country have a case or 2 themselves. Oh, what to do. What to do? I guess I will refer back to my older post:
What are the Odds? I feel better now. I think I can sleep well knowing that I have that less than 1% chance of getting it. And so do you. Time to hit the beach. Mexico is cheap. And I can have it all to myself. That is until you think it is safe. And it always was.
Til Next Time,
Tom

Swine Flu and Mexico Travel

I just spoke with a client staying at the Wyndham Cozumel. They rented a jeep today and drove the island. This couples states that they are having a great time and would recommend the resort to anyone. They did say that the occupancy is lower but that they did enjoy having the privacy. The downtown craft vendors were suffering because of the lack of cruise ships. My clients are returning home tomorrow on their scheduled day of departure. This is good news for those that have upcoming trips to Cozumel.
Hopefully, the cruise lines will come to their senses and start visiting when the smoke clears.
Til Next Time,
Tom