They got back a fortnight ago, and you never asked
The welcome home call is one of the best things an independent agent does. It tells the client you care about more than the sale. It surfaces problems before they become complaints. It is the natural moment to ask for a review and to plant the seed for the next trip.
It is also the first thing to slip in a busy week. Return dates are in bookings, not in your diary. The clients who have not travelled yet are demanding your attention. A fortnight passes, and calling now feels awkward. Reviews do not get asked for, and the family who loved their trip tells their friends but not the internet.
Why after-trip follow-up slips
- Return dates are not turned into tasks.
- Pre-departure work always feels more urgent.
- Asking for reviews feels awkward without a natural moment.
- Feedback about hotels and suppliers is heard but not recorded.
- Problems mentioned in passing are not followed up formally.
What a missed welcome home costs
Reviews are how new clients choose an independent agent, and the ones you did not ask for are the ones you do not get. Small problems left unacknowledged turn into grumbles or poor reviews. Feedback about a hotel that disappointed is lost, so you might sell it again. And the easiest moment to talk about the next trip passes.
A follow-up that starts from the return date
- Every trip's return date creates a follow-up, timed a few days after the client gets home, at an interval you choose.
- The client receives a welcome home message in your voice, with a short feedback form: overall rating, each hotel and service, and a free comment.
- Clients are invited to leave a review on the platform you choose, such as Google or Trustpilot, with a direct link.
- Clients who report a problem also trigger a prompt for you to call them, with their comments in front of you, so you can put things right.
- Ratings and comments about each hotel and supplier are saved, so when you next quote that hotel, you see what past clients said.
- A 'next trip' note is recorded if the client mentions plans, feeding a future reminder.
| Client response | What happens next |
|---|---|
| Very happy | Thank you and review link |
| Happy with a small issue | Review link, issue noted against supplier |
| Problem reported | Call prompt for you, issue logged |
| No response | Gentle reminder, then a call prompt if you choose |
Review platforms have rules about how reviews may be requested. Several, including Google, do not allow you to invite only the clients you expect to be positive, so the review invitation is not filtered by feedback score, and it never comes with an incentive.
Every trip ends with a conversation
Every client hears from you after their trip, even in your busiest week. Clients are asked for a review while the memory is fresh. Anyone who had a problem also gets a call from you, which is often what they wanted most. Your supplier notes build into something valuable: a record of which hotels delight clients and which ones disappoint.
Picture a family returning from a Canaries holiday. Three days later, they receive your welcome home message. They rate the hotel highly but say the transfer was late. You see the comment, send a note to the transfer company and thank the family. The message also carries the review link, and they leave a review mentioning you by name. The transfer comment sits on the supplier's record for next time.
Is after-trip follow-up slipping?
- You rarely manage welcome home calls in busy periods.
- You do not ask for reviews consistently.
- Feedback about hotels is not recorded anywhere.
- Problems mentioned after trips are not followed up.
- You have sold a hotel a previous client disliked.