Why Sell Travel Insurance?

According to Kevin Herlihy, national sales manager for Travel Insured International, based in East Hartford, CT, “Selling travel insurance completes the package of professional services you as a travel professional provide for your clients.” In this interview with Home Based Trade, Herlihy tells why home based agents should sell travel insurance, why their clients should buy it and what type of coverage Travel Insured offers.

Home Based Trade: Tell us a bit about Travel Insured’s Worldwide Trip Protector and why home based agents should offer it to their clients.
Kevin Herlihy: Travel Insured International’s Worldwide Trip Protector is committed to protecting all aspects of a client’s trip. We offer competitive pricing, comprehensive trip protection and an outstanding reputation for service. Travel professionals should offer travel insurance to all of their clients to protect the investment that clients have made in their vacation. Unforeseen circumstances can prevent them from going on their trip. These include death, injury, sickness of a family member, business partner and/or domestic partner. Travel protection also includes lost or damaged luggage upon a client’s arrival; a plane delay resulting in additional expenses; medical assistance if a client becomes ill or injured abroad, and medical evacuation. It also includes termination or layoff from one’s place of employment, terrorism, bankruptcy and default.

HBT: What are the benefits to the agent of offering travel insurance to all who buy travel?
Herlihy: There are three main benefits:
1) If the clients end up needing travel insurance, they surely will be clients for life. However, if insurance isn’t offered and the client ends up needing it, the client may go somewhere else to book their next vacation.
2) It helps the agency to protect itself from lawsuits. If the client buys insurance and has to cancel, the insurance company will pay the valid claim. If the client declines to buy insurance and the agency obtains a signed waiver, this will help in the event of lawsuit.
3) The final reason is money. Travel insurance still pays one of the highest commission percentages in the travel industry. If the agent is selling an insurance product offered through the cruise line or tour operator, 10% is typical. With a third-party insurance company, like Travel Insured International, the typical commission can start at 20% and go up from there.

HBT: What is Worldwide Trip Protector’s “Ten-Day Advantage”?”
Herlihy: There are several facets of The Ten-Day Advantage, which I’ll summarize. The first deals with the Pre-Existing Condition Waiver. Many people have pre-existing medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart or diabetes. What if they have a flare-up while traveling? Clients who purchase Worldwide Trip Protector within 10 days of their initial trip payment can have the Pre-Existing Condition exclusion waived, as long as they meet some basic criteria. Bankruptcy and Default coverage, as well as Terrorism Protection, is also available.

HBT: Many agents tell us, “I don’t want to be an insurance expert, I just want to sell travel.”
Herlihy: Travel Insured wants them to do what they do best — sell travel. We give the travel agent an 800 number for their clients to call. The number goes directly to our customer care department. There is also a free look period, so if your client purchases the policy and does not wish to keep it, their money will be refunded. Worldwide Trip Protector happens to have the longest in the industry at 20 days.

HBT: How can a home based agent get started?
Herlihy: Choose a single product and familiarize themselves with it. Again, we just want them to feel comfortable with what they are selling. Travel Insured will go to a home based agent’s house to train or meet for a cup of coffee and train. We also can do WebEx training. Our agent site, www.travelinsured.com, includes many training tools for easy reference.

HBT: How can home based agents sell more insurance?
Herlihy: Offer it to every client who books a trip, no matter how big or small. Don’t be misled by the client’s age. I am in my very early 40’s and in great health. An agent might think, “No way is he going to buy travel insurance.” However, many people my age have aging parents and kids who could have an unforeseen incident, which will stop them from going on their trip.

“Affiliated agents get real advantages — in education and training, marketing and technology and management tools — that give them a competitive edge and help them to build viable businesses,” he said. “No independent can beat CVC’s pricing advantages or duplicate the resources available to them through CVC.”
Kivet noted the changes underway in the cruise industry. “Increasingly, cruise lines are rewarding performance, professionalism and productivity. They are asking travel agents to work with them on marketing programs and to use more efficient technologies that cut booking costs. CVC Affiliates will be at the forefront of these changes.” The key, he argued convincingly, is the motivation and commitment of the CVC Affiliate.

Kivet invited travel agents to explore the options and opportunities available to them with CVC’s Affiliate program by contacting Anthony Amato, at (800) 231-7447, ext. 193 or via E-mail at aamato@cruisevalue.com. CVC is a member of Ensemble Travel, ASTA, CLIA, NACOA and NACTA.