An Interview By: Joanie Ogg, Co-Founder and Editor – Travel Professional NEWS
Interviewing: Debra Kerper, Owner – Cruise Planners / Easy Access Travel
First off, thank you very much for the time and for sharing your story with your fellow Travel Professionals.
I remember when I met you in Fort Lauderdale a few years ago at the GTM event and honestly; I consider it such an honor and a privilege to have had the chance to get to know you. I remember we sat together on the way to an event and you had such a profound and positive impact on me that day. Your story of perseverance in the face of many challenges and your amazing success both personally and professionally will be a gift to our readers as it has been to me.
Before we get into some questions, maybe you could share some history with us about your travel business and how you became interested in focusing on special needs travel.
My career in travel just kind of “happened” without a lot of thought in 1992. I had just been through a very serious flare up of lupus and was told I should not have a full time job. I was bored and signed up for a class at our local community college that lured me with promises to “see the world”. Sitting in that first class, I was surprised to learn that it was actually the beginning of a two-year curriculum to become a Travel Agent. The teacher asked everyone to share theirreasons for being there and by the time it was my turn to speak, I had formulated a new plan for myself. I too wanted to change direction, work part time, have the ability to work from home and be able to travel. I had been living with Lupus since 1970 and became an amputee in 1979. I used a wheelchair frequently and a mobility scooter and was often challenged by the lack of accesswhen I went out. So, I decided to specialize in meeting the needs of travelers with disabilities and special needs. I had done very little travel at this point but had been on two cruises with no accessibility to speak of.
I made a conscious effort to do everything I could to learn about this market and to be very careful about not overstepping my scope of knowledge when helping others. I was very excited about finding a purpose! A career in travel for persons with disabilities was the perfect marriage of my two loves; people and research.
When did you start with Cruise Planners and what was the impetus to choose them as your travel-selling partner?
I joined Cruise Planners in July 2012 after three years of soul searching and research into host agencies, franchises, etc. After narrowing my search down to three possibilities, I selected Cruise Planners as a result of conversations with two travel industry professionals whom I respect and admire and had known for many years. I had decided that it was time to be able to offer more to my clients and to myself. It was the best business decision I ever made and I never looked back.
They are an amazing company and are always on the cutting edge of technology to empower their franchisees. What are your favorites and why?
Cruise Planners is amazing on so many levels. I believe their technology is the best in the business. As a “baby boomer” I did not grow up with technology and I’m basically self-taught. Knowing that I was able to quickly learn CP’s systems says a lot about how easy they make everything. Cruise Planners makes their agents look so good and professional. I love sending invoices and Cruise Sheets to my clients. The triggered emails which thanks clients for booking, welcomes them home, sends out reminders to check in online and much, much more are just incredible. I could never remember to do all of this on my own! I also love the reports that I can check anytime, anywhere to see how I’m doing and know exactly where I stand. I always know when payments are due, what travelers are currently traveling and more.In fact, there are so many fantastic features, I’m constantly trying to find time to take advantage of them all.
In addition to the first class technology, I must mention the first class team that makes Cruise Planners the best in the industry. From the executive team and the home office staff to all my fellow travel agents, I cannot say enough about this amazing group of people and how special they make us feel. The support and friendships have enabled me to get through some tough times the past three years. I am so proud and honored to be a part of Cruise Planners.
I have enjoyed researching your website and notice that you offer some great group sailings and tours. Do you escort all of these events yourself? If so, why do you feel that is important? I have always felt if possible, it is a sure-fire way to a successful event.
To date, I have escorted all of my groups except a few times due to unexpected events. Once when my mom passed away in 2015, again when I had my second leg amputated in 2016 and then when I fell and broke my hip in 2017. I was very fortunate to have family members and friends pitch in to help. I broke another hip in June 2018 but managed to join everyone on the Alaska group in August. I do several groups each year so I did go on all the others. People will ask me why I escort all of these groups. I believe my presence is the “secret sauce” to the success of my groups. I have become my clients’ safety net and the catalyst that enables them to travel almost worry free. I always tell them that I am there for them, it is not my vacation (although I have a great time!). If they have a problem or issue, I encourage them to let me know so I can handle the problem and they can continue to enjoy their trip. I’ll stand in line for them or deal with whatever I need to in order to insure a wonderful experience for them.
I make sure that first time participants get to know repeat travelers and feel welcome and included from the start. I love getting to know everyone and am blessed by the friendships I have made. A real highlight of doing these groups is observing the relationships that my clients have made with each other. Many of my trips now are like big reunions!
Disabilities and chronic illnesses are a great equalizer. Disability has no boundaries regarding economic status, race, religion or profession. It is the common bond that brings us all together and I absolutely swell with pride as I observe everyone enjoying each other’s company. They may feel different when they are home, but when they are traveling in one of my groups, they are the same as everyone else.
I have seen that you participate in a variety of consumer travel shows throughout the year. If you were to suggest to another travel professional the most effective way to garner attention to your booth, what might that be?
I believe it is very important to make your booth “POP” from afar. On that note, I use an 8×10 pop-up wall as a backdrop and make the booth look professional. Everyone working the booth dresses in Cruise Planners gear. We take turns being in front of the booth greeting guests. Enthusiasm is important, but is very easy as I love meeting new people and talking to them about travel and the possibilities that are available to them despite their challenges. We don’t talk about what they cannot do, we talk about what they can do and explain that we “just do it differently!”
Following up after an event is so important. What have you found to be an effective way to keep that engagement and interest from potential clients alive?
We collect names and emails of people who visit our booth and attend our workshop on traveling with special needs. Our lists are permission based and they sign up themselves. This is for our monthly newsletter that is generated through Constant Contact. I send out a “Thanks for Visiting Us” email about a week after the show and then they receive our newsletters andoccasional email blasts after that. I get outstanding feedback on these newsletters. I list current groups, talk about issues relevant to traveling with a disability, TSA updates, etc. I believe these newsletters are a huge contributor to the success of my business.
If you were able to share 3 things about setting goals that have helped you find your tremendous success, what might those be?
So, this is the most difficult question. I think my goals are internal and not something I can list on a piece of paper. They are definitely not financial although the numbers I have reached and the income generated has been a huge boost to my economic well being. If someone had told me prior to 2012 that this was a possibility, I never would have believed them.
I attribute my success to my desire to always be professional, my ability to listen to my clients and discern what may be best for them, my love of what I do each day and feeling very blessed to have carved out this career for myself. I believe my main goal is to always do the best job possible for my clients and my reward is when they have an excellent experience.
I remember you sharing this phrase with me and honestly you probably have no idea how much it helped me get through a rather dark time when my son was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa. You told me having a disabling condition makes one “Just Do it Differently”. As I have watched him deal with his challenges, I try to remember this phrase because it holds such meaning.
You certainly epitomize success and perseverance at every level and are an inspiration to me personally and so many others that have the joy of knowing you.
Thank you for sharing your story of success and your passion for life with our readers Debra.