Foot traffic, Google search, word of mouth & social media – the way in which consumers connect with Agents is quite diverse, but an entrepreneur says he’s found another avenue to bring them together.
Rogan Carroll launched his brainchild, Going Expert, last month after seeing a gap in the industry for an easy-to-use online platform that acted solely to pair holidaymakers to the ‘ideal Agent’.
Carroll told KarryOn that unlike aggregators or existing company search functions, which focus on distance, Going Expert is all about linking travellers to consultants based on their destination expertise.
He explained that although the Internet has made travel information more accessible, it can often be too overwhelming for a traveller to sift through all the data.
That’s when they’ll turn to someone who knows the destination or as he likes to call them, ‘been there’ agents.
“It’s not about using a brochure or looking something up, it’s about getting real expertise from an agent that’s travelled to that place.”
Rogan Carroll, Going Expert Founder
“The travel agent doesn’t have to be or probably won’t be in the traveller’s neighbourhood.
“If someone here is looking to go to Greenland and there’s an agent in Brisbane that’s been there, then this will connect them.”
So how does it work?
Travel Agents create a profile page, which includes a short ‘About Me’ summary, details of their destination expertise, a brief travel journey, contact details plus any special offers they have running (this will have to be updated regularly).
A traveller will then log onto the website and use the homepage to type in their destination of choice. The website will then sift through all the Travel Agent profiles on file and present them with three matches. The holidaymaker then selects the one consultant they want to connect with and the website will give them access to the agent’s details. Consultants will also receive contact details of the person looking to book for any follow up.
While there’s an initial free trial period, there will eventually be a $25 per contact fee applied when the traveller chooses to connect with agents.
“It’s really simple to use and it’s set up as well.”
Rogan Carroll, Going Expert Founder