By Les-Lee Roland
Owner of The Package Deal

Damage Control, Surveys & Insurance

What a Month This Has Been

First, I found myself running damage control with my clients after Costa's tragedy. Then, Princess had an outbreak of the norovirus on two ships. The calls from clients asking the same questions, making the same comments, became very tedious. I was feeling like a robot defending the cruise industry, giving clients answers designed to reassure them so they would still make bookings.

Yes, the demise of the Concordia is so unthinkable, but the media did not emphasize enough that over 4,000 people were rescued with the help of the crew. (And that didn't come from a press release from Carnival).

I don't know if the people that didn't make it out were the ones who had just boarded and their muster drill was set for the following morning, which was their policy. I do know that on a large ship, must people don't find themselves oriented until the second or third day. And the darkness was a big factor. Remember the captain's words when ordered to go back to the ship - "It's dark out there."

Then the TV reports of the virus onboard the ships. I tell my clients that the virus has nothing to do with the ship — there's a 99.9% chance it was spread by a passenger who came on board with it — perhaps knowingly.

If that were the case, most likely the person didn't fill out the form at registration asking if they had any symptoms. Who would? It means you are not allowed to board. In addition, crew members are not allowed to work if they have the virus.

My clients are surprised when I mention that this is normally a 24-hour virus and only cruise ships are mandated to report it — not hotels, not airlines, not resorts. Las Vegas hotels hold more people than the cruise ships. All it takes is one guest with the virus touching elevator buttons, slot machine buttons and everything in sight in common areas, and within a couple of days, hundreds of people may have symptoms.

The difference here is that Vegas visitors usually don't stay more than three days, so if they return home, they blame their illness on something they caught on the airplane.

Now, I'd like to move to another topic — surveys. Cruise lines, some hotels, and tour operators all ask you to fill out forms. Don't you just love it when the choice of answers doesn't allow you to state your true feelings? 

What a surprise I had when three employees of the cruise line contacted me separately about the survey I filled out on a recent cruise — to ask for more specific info, to offer apologies for any problems and to share the praise for the good remarks.

Two of the three callers did not know I am a travel agent, so I was not picked out for that reason. Guess there is a cooped up office in Miami where they read thousands of these every week — and more importantly, they act on them! Kudos!

I wish a prominent travel insurance company would have sent out a survey rather than the letter I received. Yes, me, moi, the one and only Les-Lee Roland got a letter from Access America stating they were deleting me as a travel agent selling their product starting in February. If I did want to process policies from them, I would receive only a $5 marketing fee.

I admit, they were not my preferred supplier. But when they offered policies that fit my clients' needs, like their family plan, I did quote their rates to my clients. And I don't think I had any claims processed through them. In fact, the day I received the letter, I did process a policy.

This week, I contacted them, and explained the situation that because of family illness, I took a few months off from actively selling travel, attending shows, etc. and asked to be reinstated.

The answer I got from a nice phone reservations agent, Ashley, was that once the decision was made, it cannot be reversed. "What's the reason?" I asked. She said it has to do with the state — in my case, Florida.

That was not an acceptable answer to my thinking. In fact, I did call the State of Florida's office, and they said they knew of no reason for Access America's actions.

I asked to speak to a supervisor, and was told that couldn't be done. I then asked who the head of the company was and how I could reach him. His name is Ricky Horowitz, and he doesn't take phone calls. The only way to correspond is to send Ashley, the phone agent, an E-mail, which she would then give to him.

With all respect, Mr. or maybe it is Ms. Horowitz, I have called the White House and spoken to many different offices. I can, and have called, the CEOs or presidents of airlines, cruise lines, and tour operators; my state senator, Buckingham Palace, the Vatican, and Donald Trump's executive secretary to get a quote confirmed. I have the gold-embossed stationery signed by Mr. "You're Fired" himself, thanking me for the phone call. Guess Ricky Horowitz marches to a different drummer.

I did receive a call from a Daniel Durazo at the insurance company offering me his sympathies for the family illness, but telling me "no" to ever selling their product again unless I wanted a $5 marketing fee, or a referral fee — they don't use the word commissions.

I asked why, if my sales were practically non-existent, they didn't have a rep call me in advance and try to pump up some future bookings. Well, he said, my rep had left the company - and they just don't do that.

Thank goodness there are other very reputable companies we can deal with, as well as the companies affiliated with our suppliers. Five dollars is an insult, when we can make 20%-60% with other companies.

Whether you are an occasional user of Access America, or a constant user with perhaps many claims, you, too, may get a letter. Wonder it they'll blame it on the State.

I remember a couple of years ago, I got a letter from Access America saying I had to pay them to be registered and update my license in Florida. When I called Tallahassee to ask about my license, I was told there is no renewal fee, and my license was active. I relayed that info to Access America and they dropped the billing fee. I then wrote about it in a column to warn other agents who may be charged incorrectly.

I would be interested if anyone has had similar problems with ANY travel insurance company. Contact me at packagedeals@comcast.net