Dear BBers,

Thank you for those who took part in our latest Tour Director question and answer session.

Please find below Paul's answers to those questions asked.

This thread will now be a 'read only' forum but we look forward to running a similar session again in the future.

Kind Regards
John
Moderator

Paul Fisher...

Most of us on this BB know great things about you as a TD.

Q: In 2009 what tours are you doing as TD?

Cat's Inheritance

A: We do not know which individual tours will be allocated to TDs until nearer the travel date because the full season picture of TD availability only unfolds as the year goes along. There are a variety of reasons for this, including sickness, compassionate leave, extra departures, and so on. Early allocation is unfortunately usually not possible!

John, thank you for this chance to ask questions directly of a tour director.

Paul, What are your top 2 or 3 priorities as an Insight Tour Director? And, Is there one or two things that we, as passenger's, can do to make your job easier or smoother?
BTW, I have taken 9 Insight tours and have never had a bad or incompetent TD.


Happy Trails!!

A: My top two or three priorities as a TD……to do a good job in looking after the client’s interests, the interests of the company and also of those companies and individuals who supply services to Insight , such as local guides, hotels and venues. For a tour to work we have to act as a partnership, sometimes in areas which would not at first seem obvious; for example with TDs from competitor tour companies. Insight competes vigorously in the marketplace, not “on the road”. If I come across a broken down Globus coach, I offer help as they would to me. It is in the interests of everyone in the industry that ALL guests have a great holiday, and there is no room for cheap point-scoring.
As regards what clients can do to help us…in a word TRUST US and relax. We do know what we are doing, and we make decisions for the benefit of the tour with regard to timings, choice of route etc. Our job is to provide our friendship and skills for your service, so please use them for your enjoyment and comfort.

Paul, I got a little insight from Raymond Row (TD for European Explorer) about the work that he does in preparation for a tour.

Q: Can you tell us, from a TD perspective, what's involved in putting a tour together?

Also:
Q: We know that TD's must have incredible patience to deal with so many different people. Apart from the perpetually tardy, what characteristic about passengers is most annoying to TDs? (What should we NOT do? )

A: Regarding putting a tour together, you will appreciate that the core structure is arranged by Insight, and it is the TD’s remit to operate the tour so designed. Tours are all about balanced itineraries, sensible allocation of time, the ability to contract appropriate hotel space at the prices which make coach tours so cost effective, and also of course to present the tour in a way which makes it marketable. We can all sit down and design wonderful tours, but they are not much use if no-one buys them. The truth is, certain destinations are easy to sell, others will be impossible no matter how intrinsically good they may be. For example in the British Isles, anything with” Irish” on it sells, whereas “Welsh” doesn’t. The market is a strange beast!
You ask about “annoying” aspects of clients’ behaviour. It is hard to use the word ‘annoying’ – perhaps ‘frustrating’ is better! Seriously there are really very few occasions one can apply this as guests rightly need to adjust and get their bearings in the first instance of appreciating something new. I guess the biggest adjustment to make is the acceptance that things are different in Europe and standards or attitudes from back home may not apply – in other words accepting that in other countries people do things in a different way to one’s own. It is not wrong, it is different. Very occasionally, travellers will lose some of the wonderful experience of travel by not ‘going with the flow’.

Hi Paul,
Q: After a recent trip in Italy it became quite apparent that our tour guide was getting some serious kickbacks from the operators of the optional tours or places that we stopped on route to places. It seems that the optional tours that were chosen by our guide were not chosen in the best interests of the group but instead were chosen according to the best kick backs. Is this the case??? also if this is so, why the need for tipping because he seemed to do quite well whenever we shopped in a store he recommended etc


A: All additional experiences on tour are selected by Insight to make sure that they not only deliver the expected standards but also that we have back-up and guarantees in the event of something going wrong – either in the quality of a purchased item, or with insurance, etc. (e.g. at a venue in the event of an accident). Every venue chosen, vetted and contracted by Insight accordingly so that we have good service and recourse for our customers. Tour Directors are instructed to work within that framework and must not step outside as guarantees would otherwise be null and void. Guests all receive what we internally call the” Blue and Whites” pamphlets. These come with your documents before departure and detail the day by day itinerary, lists the optional excursions etc. (they self destruct over a couple of days!). Shopping venues usually appear in the ‘Before You Go’ booklet – they are well established and in the rare case of a client having a problem there is the reassurance that the company can give backup even if the tour has ended and the client is home many thousands of miles away.

Hi

Q: I am interested to know if tour directors are paid a wage commensurate with the job they do or are they reliant on tips to earn a reasonable income.

Tipping, if every tour participant contributed at the recommended rate would mean quite a tidy sum for the tour guide - which makes me think they are possibly only on a retainer or minimum amount and must make up the difference through tipping - would this be a correct assumption?

If paid only a minimum wage or a retainer then I can understand why tipping would be necessary but not if they are already being well paid for the job they do.

A: This subject has been covered exhaustively on the BB over the years. My position is that the gratuities are an important part of a TD’s income, and Phil’s posting on this Q&A session explains our situation perfectly Gratuities are referred to in Insight’s main brochures, in the pre tour documentation and on the “Blue and White” daily itinerary, so it cannot come as a surprise….but tips are earned, and are a way of ensuring quality of service.

Hi Paul,
Q: Are all the tours and guides offering these options?
We have travelled with Insight before (Romantic European 2007)and we are looking to travel again but do not wish to see some of the "included highlights" for the second time.
Is it an easy process for the tour director to organise different excursions for us?
Thanks.


A: As explained above, the TD cannot deviate from the basic itinerary laid down, unless of course there is force majeure…..we have all had to reroute from time to time due to road closures, traffic accidents, ferry cancellations and so on. TDs will always offer all reasonable help and advice on non-company features so please do ask if there is something special you wish to see! The only caveat to this is that we don’t know everything of course! Sometimes we may need to refer you to another source to find train times or certain venue details. On certain itineraries we now offer ‘Independent Options’ – these are not included but it is where we will offer assistance in arranging tickets/facilities if you wanted to do something on your own. For example, if you have been to Paris many times you may instead wish to take an independent audio visit of the Musee D’Orsay, or in Swtizerland, a leisurely hike instead of the Mt Pilatus excursion. Just ask when you are on tour as these are not pre-booked. Other times we will introduce you to the hotel concierge, often friends of ours, and they will many times be able to assist.