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The four questions to ask before you quote a trip

Most quotes that miss do so because a question went unasked: the children's ages, the departure city, whether they meant a 4-star or a 5-star. Four questions cover almost every trip, and asking them in the right order makes the conversation feel easy rather than like a form.

Planning a trip on a paper map

1. Where, and how flexible

Start with the destination, and whether it is fixed. "Dubai" and "somewhere warm in December" lead to very different conversations, and the second one is an opportunity to suggest a package rather than price a single city.

2. When, and for how many nights

Dates decide the price more than anything else. Ask for the travel dates and the number of nights, and whether they can move a day either way. A flexible date can be the difference between a quote that fits the budget and one that does not.

3. Who is travelling

Adults, children and the children's ages. Ages decide the room type, the child fares and which activities belong in the plan. "2 adults and 2 kids, 8 and 5" is a complete answer; "a family of four" is not, and the gap shows up later as a rebuilt quote.

A quote built without the children's ages is a quote you will build twice.

4. How they want to travel

A budget or a hotel class, and the city they fly from. Many travellers will not name a figure but will say "4-star near the beach" straight away, which narrows the options just as well. The departure city settles the flights.

Ask one at a time

On WhatsApp, four questions in one message read like a form, and forms get saved for later. One question per message reads like a conversation and gets answered in seconds. It also lets you skip what they have already told you: if the first message said "Dubai, 14 to 19 Dec", the next question is who is travelling.

This is exactly what Socavi's Enquiry Agent does: it answers in the traveller's language, asks only what is still missing, and passes the Quote Agent a complete brief. The quote comes from your own rates, and your team approves the price before it is sent.

Questions

What do you need to know before quoting a holiday?
Four things: where, when, who is travelling and how they want to travel. Destination, dates and nights, the number of adults and children with the children's ages, and a budget or hotel class with the city they fly from.
Why ask the children's ages?
Because ages change the room, the flights and the activities. A family room, child fares and an itinerary with Ferrari World in it all depend on them, so a quote without ages is a quote you will rebuild.
Is it better to ask for a budget or a hotel class?
Ask for either. Many travellers will not name a budget but will happily say 4-star near the beach, and that narrows the options just as well.
Should all the questions go in one message?
No. One question per message reads like a conversation and gets answered. Four questions in one message reads like a form, and forms get left for later.

Watch an agent qualify your enquiries.