Many have tried to answer some of my questions on my end of the year entry. To be honest, most of the answers were not helpful nor convincing. There are two or three biggies out there that really deserve a response. I post this again at the risk of people saying I am repetitive, but maybe if the answers were not the same old stuff, we could move forward. For those that have trouble discerning what I feel are important points, I have made them bold!
- Why a compensation plan takes 12 pages to define. (Giving up on this one. It just does.)
- How YTB arrived at $226 Million in travel sold for 2006. (Still waiting.)
- Why so little of the "training" at the annual convention was for travel. (OK, YTB only believes in training at other meetings. We can let this one go.)
- How nearly 150,000 RTAs can pay in the course of 9 months $79 million dollars in website sales, fees, and training; and receive $9.3 million in return. (This is huge...anyone?)
- And for those that say I don't get the math, I did not learn how nearly 150,000 people paid in $79 million dollars and only got $64 million in return. (Hello? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?)
- Why it is a good thing to have your top executives selling off stock. (There were no takers on this one, so I am gonna assume that it probably is NOT a good thing as everyone initially thought.)
- Why a 3:1 split was a good deal when two of the three shares are worthless. (Thanks to Doug for the most reasonable explanation of this. The split may have been a good deal but with the current value of the stock, it is anyone's guess.)
- Why employees at YTB could not sell me a cruise on November 9th. (Still no answer on this one yet other than they don;t do anything till an RTA sells it. Well, the YTB site said to call them. Coach in an interview was touting how the res center is all staffed with professional agents. So, why is it that they cannot sell me a cruise, and how is it that they do not know that cruises do not depart from Phoenix?)
- Why when presented with facts and figures, the argument mysteriously turns to "you don't understand". (This is another one that we will just have to say...because that is the way it is.)
- How many RTAs drop out in a month...a year..... (This number I fear will NEVER be known.)
- How long does an RTA continue to pay the fee before canceling. (Answered. They continue to pay as long as YTB continues to charge them and they jump through the hoops to get them to stop.)
- How it is a misunderstanding with IATAN and Royal Caribbean. (Answered. It apparently was NOT a misunderstanding and RCCL called a spade a spade and it is what it is. YTB has moved on and said they would never do business with RCCL again.)
- How the air gets booked -- through a YTB ARC number or a Travelocity number. (This is the biggie. No answer other than the errant dribble from a director about it being a cruise misunderstanding. When a RTA sells an airline ticket, who's ARC number does the sale get attributed to when processing via IAR...is it a YTB number or a Travelocity number?)
- What exactly the insurance covers that YTB claims covers all of the RTAs. (Still iffy. Apparently there is some insurance with an E&O ring to it, but no one seems to know what it specifically covers. If I can get an answer to the question above, I might have a better understanding on this one.)
- The number of RTAs and Reps that actually comply with local business licensing regulations. (We will let this one go. They cannot control what they say, or their press releases, so why would I be so naive as to think they could control that they abide byu any local laws and statutes? I am going to assume that most attempt to fly under the radar here. In all honesty, I probably would as well. Why invest more money being bonded and registered and in compliance when you are seeing so little in return? It can always be written off as a hobby rather than a business I suppose...hmmmm imagine that...a hobby??)
- The number of RTAs that comply with the Seller of Travel laws in the states that have them. (See answer to question above.)
- Why there have been no updated RTA earning reports since July 2007. Never mind I know--too embarrassing. (Answered my own question.)
- How a company can offer health insurance and not have the people classified as employees. (No answer on this one either.)
- Why all Reps and RTAs are afraid of divulging a ballpark figure of their earnings for fear of the SEC coming down on them. (Answered, because the "Coach" did not call that play. Reps and RTAs must clear all statements through YTB, except some must have special dispensation to spew crap at will--you guys know who you are, no need to name names.)
- Why, out of over 300,000 views of my column, was not one single RTA able to step up to the challenge and prove that they are earning a living selling travel. (Good question.)
- Why people involved in one MLM that did not work for them, seem to gravitate toward another. I smacked my dog in the nose enough times and he knows not to pee on the carpet. (Dogs are smarter than a lot of people that become involved in these type of programs.)
