Time/Day Zones
One of the most important factors of handling travel to another country is the time difference. As you may remember from your geography classes, in addition to the world having 20 individual time zones, we also have the International Date Line (IDL) to consider. It’s very important when a traveling client crosses the IDL to make sure the arrival date is correct in the order to your affiliate.
It’s entirely possible for a client to leave the United States on one date, and land in another country on the next day or even the day before. Always confirm the exact date and time of arrival for international travel. Also, if you are working with a smaller operator in another country, you might want to check their local time before calling them at two o’clock in the morning when it’s the middle of your business day.
Currency Conversions
Make sure when you obtain a quote it’s expressed in USD (U.S. Dollars) to avoid any confusion. For instance, if you request a quote for a local airport transfer from an operator in Mexico City and the quote you receive is $2,606 (MXN), it might seem a little high for a 45-minute ride. However, that amount would equal about $140.
The conversion rate fluctuates. You can verify the exchange rate using one of many online exchange rate conversion sites. You should also check with your credit card company who would most likely tack on a foreign conversion fee to the transaction.
Customs and Cultures
While it’s quite common in the U.S. for operators to add a gratuity to the total, if you try that in Argentina, you would be breaking the law. Tipping is prohibited there. Do you want to add a 20% gratuity for your client in Japan? Wrong again! While not illegal, there is no tipping in Japan.
It’s best you research this matter before trying to book service in another country. You could anger your savvy client if you try to add a tip to his travel in Japan when he knows it’s not customary. While you could ask the affiliate in the other country for guidance, unless you actually know them, they could rip you off simply because of your lack of knowledge.
Insurance Matters
We all know having $1.5 million in liability coverage is almost a nationwide standard here in the U.S. However, it may not be so in another country, and your affiliate may not even carry insurance absent any requirements. Don’t assume your client is covered. Ask!
If you have doubts, contact your own insurance agent to ask what type of protection your policy would offer for the traveling client. You may have to purchase a separate policy for this trip, and the cost of it could make you rethink your decision to accept the job.
Farm The Farm
While it’s normally considered a taboo situation to have a job farmed through multiple affiliates, international orders may be the exception to the rule. You might want to consider farming the order to a partner who truly handles worldwide transportation and has expertise in this area.
Although many companies include the word “worldwide” in their name, they don’t truly have the experience necessary to handle worldwide travel. If worldwide travel isn’t part of their weekly routine, consider using a company which maintains offices in multiple countries.
Smooth Operations provides a broad range of information focused on new ideas and approaches in management, human resources, customer service, marketing, networking and technology. Have something to share or would like covered? You can reach LCT contributing editor and California operator Jim Luff at Jim@LCTmag.com.
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