There is a question that comes up a lot from people thinking about starting a travel business. It is not about commissions or suppliers or booking systems. It goes something like this:
“What happens when something goes wrong? What if a client is unhappy? Can I actually handle that?”
It is a fair question. And it deserves a straight answer.
Complaints are part of the job. Not every week, not every booking, but they happen. A hotel room that does not match the description. A transfer that turns up late. A flight delay that throws a whole itinerary into chaos. When those moments arrive, your client turns to one person. You.
The good news? Handling complaints well is a skill. It can be learned. And when you get it right, it becomes one of the most powerful tools for building a loyal client base.
The Quick Answer
- Yes, as an independent travel agent, you are your client’s main point of contact from enquiry to return.
- The myth: That you are on your own when something goes wrong.
- What matters: Staying calm, knowing who to call, and acting fast.
- The JLT reality: Agents are trained, supported, and never left to figure it out alone.
You Are the Middle Person. That Is a Good Thing.
When a client has a problem, they do not want to ring a call centre. They want someone who knows them, knows their booking, and genuinely cares.
That is you.
One of the JLT agents described handling a highly complex group booking where the situation went sideways more than once behind the scenes. The client had no idea. They came home saying it was one of the best trips of their lives. That agent turned the whole experience into repeat business.
Being in the middle means you have the relationships to make the right calls. You can contact a supplier directly. You can escalate quickly. You can reassure your client while you sort it. That combination is something an OTA or a call centre queue cannot come close to matching.
What Handling a Complaint Actually Looks Like
Step one is listening. Not defending, not explaining, not fixing. Listening first.
Most clients want to feel heard before anything else. A quick, warm acknowledgement that something was not right goes a long way. It does not mean you are accepting blame. It means you are taking them seriously.
Step two is gathering the facts. What happened, when, who was involved, what they were promised versus what they received. This is where your booking records and supplier communications matter. Good record-keeping is not admin. It is protection.
Step three is acting. That might mean contacting the supplier, raising a formal complaint on the client’s behalf, requesting a refund or goodwill gesture, or advising on whether ATOL or Package Travel Regulations apply to their situation. JLT agents are trained on all of these.
Step four is following up. Once the issue is resolved, a brief check-in from you means a lot. It closes the loop and shows the client that you were with them the whole way.
The Legal Side: What Agents Need to Know
This is where training makes a real difference.
UK agents working under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations have clear responsibilities. When a package holiday does not go as described, clients have rights. Understanding those rights means you can advise properly, respond correctly, and avoid making promises that are not yours to make.
ATOL protection, trust accounts, and supplier liability are not scary once you understand how they work. JLT’s academy covers all of it in plain language so agents know exactly where they stand. Knowledge is confidence. Confidence is what your client needs from you when the situation gets complicated.
What About the Really Tough Situations?
Sometimes complaints are bigger. A medical emergency abroad. A supplier going into administration. A trip that had to be cut short. These situations are rare, but they do happen.
This is where being part of a community like JLT makes all the difference.
No agent should be navigating a serious situation alone. Having a support team behind you, other agents who have been through similar moments, and access to supplier contacts and escalation paths changes everything. You are not a one-person operation trying to reinvent the wheel. You have backup.
Harri, one of JLT’s agents, put it well. She said the community gave her both the belief and the tools to handle whatever came her way. That does not mean every booking goes smoothly. It means that when the situation gets complicated, you have people cheering you on and helping you find the right path forward.
Why This Matters
Complaints, handled well, build trust faster than a hundred five-star reviews.
Any agent can look good when everything goes perfectly. The agents who build lasting businesses are the ones who show up when it gets hard. Who answer the call. Who stay calm. Who find a way.
Clients remember that. They come back. They refer their friends. They trust you with their most important trips because they know you will not disappear if something goes sideways.
That is the kind of agent JLT is building. Not perfect. But present, trained, and supported.
If you are wondering whether you are the kind of person who could handle the tricky moments, the answer is probably yes. Especially with the right foundations around you.
