Once in awhile, a prospective client will ask me if I can match an offer made by one of the prominent big box stores that offers travel. In fact, I might have sent you a link to this article because you’ve asked me this question.

There are more than one of these types of retail warehouses or sales clubs out there. For the sake of this article, let’s call the travel department at these stores, “The Big Box Travel Company.*” When I’m asked if I can offer prospective clients the same price that “The Big Box Travel Company” offers its paid members, the answer is almost always a resounding “no.” There is really no comparison between the service I provide and the service they provide.

Here’s why.

“Why can’t my travel agent price match with The Big Box Travel Company?”

The Gift Cards

“The Big Box Travel Company” offers discounted rates to its members because, much like the toilet paper on their shelves, they buy in bulk. Then they offer up the commission that is paid to them by the travel suppliers as gift cards to their members. Why do they do this? They sweeten the deal by offering gift cards in order to make sure its members come back to the store to buy their goods.

Maybe you didn’t know this, but travel advisors are in the business of sales, and for most of us, we earn commission on our sales. By asking your travel advisor to match an offer from “The Big Box Travel Company,” you’re unintentionally asking that travel advisor to give up his or her commission on your booking and work for free.

The Membership Fee

You pay a membership fee in order to have access to the goods and services that are offered by “The Big Box Travel Company.” There is no membership fee involved in having a travel advisor help you plan your vacation.

The Big Box Travel Company offers travel services as its way of ensuring its members return to purchase items in person. “The Big Box Travel Company” is buying its members’ loyalty, while your travel advisor works to earn your loyalty by providing an exceptional level of personalized service.

The Selection, or Lack Thereof

“The Big Box Travel Company” does not offer a full selection of travel destinations and resorts that are available. Let’s say you want to book a vacation to Jamaica. A travel advisor will be able to consult pricing and packages and resorts across all of Jamaica for you, while “The Big Box Travel Company” would only offer you a small selection.

The Big Box Travel Company are NOT Travel Specialists

“The Big Box Travel Company” will sell it all to you, and specializes in none of it. Travel advisors are typically specialists in certain types of travel. For example, I specialize in selling the Disney Destinations, Universal Orlando Resort and cruises. I’ve spent years developing my knowledge and expertise on these destinations, and my clients benefit from this knowledge and expertise. I’m part of an awesome team of specialists, in fact, and we help each other provide fabulous service for our clients. On the other hand, it’s no secret that “The Big Box Travel Company” will also sell you the winter tires for your car, a giant bag of bird seed or ahome entertainment system.

Do You Value Customization and Personalization?

There are a lot of moving parts to a family vacation, and when you need assistance, finding knowledgable help will ultimately be a real challenge at “The Big Box Travel Company.” On the other end of the line, you’ll be speaking with a call center worker, not a travel advisor. Not someone who knows your family’s priorities, needs and vision for your vacation. Not someone who’s gotten to know you and taken the time to craft a vacation plan for you that matches your budget, your kids’ favourite Disney movies or your mother-in-law’s dietary requirements. “The Big Box Travel Company” doesn’t care about those details. They care about getting you into their stores to spend more money.

“But Everything is So Expensive These Days!”

I certainly understand the need to save money these days, I do. After all, I have my own family and our household and lifestyle expenses have gone up, just like everyone else’s. In my opinion, this is all the more reason why I would advise entrusting your vacation planning to someone you can have a warm, professional relationship with. It’s all the more reason why you should not risk thousands of dollars of your hard earned money in exchange for gift cards.

It really boils down to the words of one wise travel advisor I enountered on social media: “I can’t match their prices and they can’t match my service.”

*The Big Box Travel Company is a fictitious name I invented for the purposes of this post and does not reflect any specific travel agency or agent, to the best of my knowledge.