Transitioning your travel agency to a new system can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. In a recent Lucia livestream, Grace hosted Katie Williams, Co-founder and COO of Tern, to discuss the essentials of setting up a travel agency using Tern's innovative platform.
This blog post will delve into the key takeaways from their conversation, providing you with actionable insights on how to effectively utilize Tern to streamline your agency’s operations.
This blog post will delve into the key takeaways from their conversation, providing you with actionable insights on how to effectively utilize Tern to streamline your agency’s operations.
Understanding Tern: An Overview
Katie Williams began by sharing her background and the journey that led to the creation of Tern. With experience at Handshake and Signal Advisors, Katie gained valuable insights into the challenges of scaling tech companies and delivering effective products. It was during the pandemic, as travel regulations rapidly changed, that Katie and her co-founders recognized a significant gap in the travel industry—particularly in the tools available to travel advisors.
We were commiserating about all the things happening with travel regulations and realized that travel advisors were the ones responsible for keeping up with these changes. That’s when we started digging in, and it became clear there was a desperate need for better technology in this space.
— Katie Williams
This realization led to the birth of Tern, a platform designed to provide travel advisors and agencies with seamless workflow tools that cater to their specific needs.
Key Features of Tern’s Agency Product
Tern's agency product, launched recently, is a culmination of extensive research and development. Katie outlined the three core components of the agency product:
1. Team Management: This feature allows agency owners to create and manage teams, set permissions, and configure the agency’s branding. It's a foundational aspect that sets the stage for all other operations within Tern.
2. Collaboration: Recognizing the collaborative nature of the travel industry, Tern has built robust tools that enable easy sharing of itineraries, workflows, and templates between advisors and agency owners. This feature is essential for ensuring that everyone within the agency is on the same page and working efficiently.
3. Commission and Reporting: One of the most time-consuming tasks for travel agencies is managing commissions. Tern simplifies this by integrating commission tracking with the itinerary building process, ensuring that all relevant data is captured and easily accessible for reporting and reconciliation.
Katie emphasized that these features are designed to eliminate redundancy and streamline operations, allowing travel advisors to focus more on delivering exceptional service to their clients.
1. Team Management: This feature allows agency owners to create and manage teams, set permissions, and configure the agency’s branding. It's a foundational aspect that sets the stage for all other operations within Tern.
2. Collaboration: Recognizing the collaborative nature of the travel industry, Tern has built robust tools that enable easy sharing of itineraries, workflows, and templates between advisors and agency owners. This feature is essential for ensuring that everyone within the agency is on the same page and working efficiently.
3. Commission and Reporting: One of the most time-consuming tasks for travel agencies is managing commissions. Tern simplifies this by integrating commission tracking with the itinerary building process, ensuring that all relevant data is captured and easily accessible for reporting and reconciliation.
Katie emphasized that these features are designed to eliminate redundancy and streamline operations, allowing travel advisors to focus more on delivering exceptional service to their clients.
Demystifying the Setup Process
One of the biggest hurdles for agencies when transitioning to a new system is the perceived complexity of the setup process. Katie acknowledged this concern and provided a step-by-step guide to help agency owners navigate the transition with ease.
1. Create Your Agency: The first step is to set up your agency within Tern. This involves entering basic details such as the agency name, accreditation, and branding. Katie demonstrated how simple this process is, emphasizing that it can be completed in under a minute.
2. Invite Your Team: Once the agency is set up, the next step is to invite team members. Tern allows agency owners to manage permissions and roles, ensuring that each advisor has the appropriate level of access. Katie also highlighted the flexibility of the platform, which accommodates both paid and unpaid seats, depending on the agency’s needs.
3. Collaborate and Share: After setting up the team, the final step is to start collaborating. Tern’s platform allows agency owners to share templates, itineraries, and workflows with their team, ensuring that everyone has the tools they need to succeed from day one.
1. Create Your Agency: The first step is to set up your agency within Tern. This involves entering basic details such as the agency name, accreditation, and branding. Katie demonstrated how simple this process is, emphasizing that it can be completed in under a minute.
2. Invite Your Team: Once the agency is set up, the next step is to invite team members. Tern allows agency owners to manage permissions and roles, ensuring that each advisor has the appropriate level of access. Katie also highlighted the flexibility of the platform, which accommodates both paid and unpaid seats, depending on the agency’s needs.
3. Collaborate and Share: After setting up the team, the final step is to start collaborating. Tern’s platform allows agency owners to share templates, itineraries, and workflows with their team, ensuring that everyone has the tools they need to succeed from day one.
Overcoming Common Challenges
Grace and Katie also discussed some of the common challenges agencies face when switching systems. The biggest hurdles often include managing the timing of the transition and dealing with the complexity of migrating existing data.
It’s important to sequence the transition and not try to do everything at once. Prioritize the most critical tasks first, such as migrating trips that are scheduled to happen soon, and gradually build out your templates and workflows.
— Katie Williams
Katie also stressed the importance of leveraging available resources. Tern offers an implementation package to assist with the migration process, and there are experts, such as Lucia CoPilots, who can provide additional support.
Preparing Your Agency for Success
Before diving into Tern, Katie recommended that agency owners take some time to prepare. This preparation involves understanding your current systems, exporting data, and cleaning up your existing processes. By doing so, you’ll be better equipped to make the most of Tern’s features and ensure a smooth transition.
Take a step back and document what’s most important. Focus on the reasons you wanted to switch to Tern in the first place, and let that guide your setup process.
— Katie Williams
Taking Advantage of Support
Katie concluded the session by encouraging agency owners to take advantage of the support available through Tern. Whether it’s using the built-in help tools, watching training videos, or reaching out to Tern’s support team, there’s no need to navigate the transition alone.
“Don’t put pressure on yourself to be the first line of defense for your advisors. Let us help,” Katie emphasized.
“Don’t put pressure on yourself to be the first line of defense for your advisors. Let us help,” Katie emphasized.
Simplifying the Transition to Tern
Transitioning to a new system doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right approach, tools, and support, setting up your travel agency in Tern can be a seamless process that ultimately enhances your operations and service delivery. By following the steps outlined by Katie, you can demystify the transition and set your agency up for long-term success.
If you’re considering making the switch to Tern and want to ensure a smooth transition, explore how Tern and Lucia can support your agency’s needs today. Whether you’re looking for additional guidance or hands-on assistance, the resources are available to help you every step of the way.
If you’re considering making the switch to Tern and want to ensure a smooth transition, explore how Tern and Lucia can support your agency’s needs today. Whether you’re looking for additional guidance or hands-on assistance, the resources are available to help you every step of the way.