We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chris Grum. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chris below.

Hi Chris, thanks for joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Four simple concepts can sum up what I think it takes to be successful: Commitment, knowledge, attention to detail, and perseverance.

Commitment – You’ve got to give your idea, company, or concept time to grow. It is rare to immediately be successful and most “overnight successes” have been at it for years before finding that winning formula. Certainly there are times where you must make changes or adjust the course, but success takes time and usually cannot be rushed. Stick with it and good things will come.

Knowledge – Know your products and services. Commit to continual learning. Customers will appreciate someone who is confident in their understanding of what they are selling.

Attention to detail – Sadly this is lacking in many areas these days. You will stand out from the crowd if you pay attention to the little things. Proofread emails – mistakes make you look bad. Make sure the customer’s name is spelled properly on the invoice or reservation. Keep your promises and honor deadlines. Read all of the email and answer all of the questions. These may seem like simple, obvious things to do, but many people don’t.

Perseverance – There will be tough times and frustrating times, but you have to find a way through those. Stay confident and continue to offer your best and the hard times will pass. Don’t give up.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I spent over 25 years in the broadcast industry as a radio personality on stations in Houston, Las Vegas, and Boston, among others. In 2010 I transitioned from radio to the travel industry by opening my own agency, Premier Custom Travel. Our agency specializes in cruises, theme parks, the Sandals & Beaches resorts, plus guided and independent tours to virtually everywhere around the world.

The most important thing I’d like potential customers to understand is that our agency does not charge any fees and that you will always get the best available pricing with us, sometimes even better than booking directly. The minute you become our customer, you also have our cell numbers and direct emails, unlike dealing with a call center or website. Many people believe using a travel advisor is expensive and, at least with our company, it doesn’t cost you anything.

Watching this company grow has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done and I’m incredibly proud of the results of our hard work. We would not be here without our fantastic customers who return again and again for new adventures and I’m especially grateful for their referrals – the highest compliment they can give us. I am also incredibly honored to have been inducted into the CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) Hall of Fame earlier this year as their Elite Cruise Counsellor of the Year. It’s a tremendous honor to be selected from the thousands of potential candidates and to be forever enshrined with some of the most influential people in the history of the cruise industry. Fun fact: The Love Boat cast is also in the same Hall of Fame.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

It may seem like a cliche answer, but I truly believe it is our level of customer service, attention to detail, and our knowledge.

We often hear from first-time customers that they reached out to several travel agencies but we were the only one to call or email them back. By doing what I think is an obvious task, we are immediately more trusted than the others. Then we have to work to maintain that advantage.

Not only do we communicate quickly with our customers, but we also keep our promises, something I find lacking in many places these days. We never set a deadline we cannot meet or tell a customer we’ll deliver a quote by a certain date unless we are certain we can meet that goal. We are also incredibly detail oriented, perhaps a bit too much. But I’d rather over-explain something to a customer than have them be surprised later.

One of the most frequent compliments we get is about our level of knowledge about our products. We work incredibly hard to stay up-to-date on the latest products and services within our industry and the brands we represent. Our customers know they can get accurate answers to their questions and in the rare instances where we don’t immediately have the answer, we have contacts within the industry that can provide a reliable response.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Like many companies, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to realign our business and make some difficult choices.

In the first two months of 2020, we were on a pace to triple our best year ever. Then March hit and in the next two months, we had refunded over a year’s worth of revenue. As a company that relies entirely on commissions, this was a huge hit to take. Most of our industry was shut down for a year or more, meaning we were earning no income during that time. Thankfully, we are a home-based business so the overhead is lower than it would have been with a brick-and-mortar store. I’m not sure we would have survived had we owned a storefront.

One major pivot we made during the pandemic involved the brands we choose to sell. We learned very quickly which brands were being customer-friendly and which ones were not. I’m pleased to say that many of our suppliers, especially the cruise lines, were incredible to work with both from a customer and agency point of view. They made very generous offers to our customers while also doing whatever they could to help us stay afloat during the lean times. Unfortunately there were a few companies that didn’t have very consumer-friendly policies during the pandemic and made it difficult for customers to get refunds or credits. After much consideration, we decided to no longer offer those brands as part of our portfolio. We’d rather be an expert in a few areas of travel than the typical “Jack of all trades – master of none.”

I’d also say that creating this company was a major personal pivot for me. I went from radio to travel, two industries that really don’t have a lot in common. It was a thrilling and scary change, but I am so glad that I did it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.premiercustomtravel.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/premiercustomtravel
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/premiercustomtravel
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-grum/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/customtravels
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/premier-custom-travel-iowa-colony