Sabre Travel Network Honors Connecticut Travel Agent for Focus on Personalized Touch and Customer Experience
March 26 2007 - 9:59AM
Business Wire
Sabre Travel Network, the world's largest and most rewarding
marketplace for buying and selling travel, today announced travel
agent Yannick Gonzalez of Luxury Travel and Vacations as the winner
of �The Power of You� Award, an awards program created by Sabre to
recognize exceptional travel agent performance. Gonzalez, based in
Connecticut, is a 31-year industry veteran and is described by her
colleagues as the essence of the ideal travel agent. �Yannick
Gonzalez is the epitome of what every agency wants working for
them. She goes above and beyond for her clients,� said Elissa
Fallo, owner, Luxury Travel and Vacations. �She is truly an example
of dedication and passion, and she deserves to be rewarded for all
the time and dedication she puts into her job. She doesn�t just
book vacations � she books experiences and memories for her
clients.� Starting in February, travel professionals nominated
other industry veterans who personify a commitment to excellence,
dedication to client service, a deep well of travel industry
knowledge, and, above all, a passion for travel. Judges looked for
a nominee with customer service that garnered loyal customers, use
of innovative technologies to bring quantifiable benefits to the
agency and customers, and leadership among peers leading towards a
shift in customer perception. �I am very honored to have been
nominated for this award,� said Gonazalez. �This is very meaningful
to be recognized this way. What an unexpected surprise! I am truly
blessed to be doing what I love.� Some specific examples of
Gonzalez�s dedication include: Developing creative solutions like
individual luggage tags and travel packets to make clients happy
and better meet their needs. Coming in every day urging co-workers
to consider what the agency can do to better serve clients and
drive business to the agency � actions that result in potential
clients seeking Gonzalez based on word-of-mouth recommendations.
Getting up in the middle of the night to make a last minute change
to bookings and remaining connected with clients and their travel
needs even while on vacation. �Yannick exemplifies all the
characteristics it takes to succeed in the ever-changing travel
marketplace � drive, dedication and embrace of change and
technology. We�re proud to recognize and celebrate her commitment
to her agency, customers and the travel industry,� said Chris
Kroeger, senior vice president of Sabre Travel Network. Other
nominees also showed dedication, creativity, and, most importantly,
a customer-focused approach. Below are just a few of their
examples: One agency cited an agent�s resourcefulness and vast
experience as the only reason the company survived the recent
changes in the travel industry. When a wholesaler failed to get a
customer's airline tickets to the office in time, a nominated agent
arranged for courier delivery to the client at the airport. When
this failed, the agent relentlessly tracked the package to cargo at
the international airport, collected the package, and personally
presented it to the customer at the check-in counter. The customer
was absolutely blown away at how far above and beyond her duty the
agent had gone to ensure no further disappointment was associated
with the situation. Another agency cited one of its agent�s
customer dedications by noting that she behaves in a way that leads
her co-workers to believe she would change weather patterns for her
clients if at all possible. While planning a vacation for a couple
who wanted to go to South America, a nominated travel agent dealt
with her client�s indecision on the exact destination by immersing
herself in information on tour companies and sightseeing tours for
each considered destination. Once the destination was settled, the
agent pulled together a travel kit for the clients including often
forgotten items like a pen, travel first aide kit, journal,
disposable ponchos, photo album, flash light, whistle, mosquito
bite medicine and translation book. Yet another agent was cited for
the fundraising travel programs he offers to non-profit
organizations. In one year alone, the agent raised $75,000 through
his program. �These examples from the nominees of �The Power of
You� award is another way Sabre is constantly expanding our
commitment to building a better agency community through knowledge,
networking and fun,� added Kroeger. Sabre Travel Network announced
the winner of the contest during Kroeger�s keynote speech at the
American Society of Travel Agents� (ASTA) International Destination
Expo on March 25 in JeJu, South Korea. Prizes awarded to the
winners include a trip voucher for TripTailor, Travel Institute
training dollars, an office lunch, and a one-year ASTA membership.
About Sabre Travel Network Sabre Travel Network, a Sabre Holdings
company, provides the most comprehensive end-to-end solutions for
corporate and leisure travel. The Sabre GDS is the foundation for
these solutions, providing a ready-built efficient marketplace that
connects travel suppliers, including hundreds of airlines and
thousands of hotels, with more than 50,000 travel agency locations.
Key brands of Sabre Travel Network include GetThere, for corporate
travel reservation technology; Jurni Network, a consortium of
leisure travel agencies providing marketing and promotion services;
Nexion, a host agency; SynXis, for hotel reservation management,
distribution and technology services; and TRAMS, mid- and
back-office solutions and marketing services for travel agencies.
Sabre Travel Network also markets TripTailor, a
travel�wholesaler�providing dynamic packaging for the travel agency
marketplace. Sabre Holdings (NYSE:TSG) connects people with the
world�s greatest travel possibilities by retailing travel products
and providing distribution and technology solutions for the travel
industry. More information about Sabre Holdings is available at
http://www.sabre-holdings.com.
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