Kevin Rose · Oct 23, 2024 · 9:49 PM
Outbound · 11:29 · Planner: Pam Chavez · +17752246283
“She said I could if I didn't book to her my trial advisor would answer all my questions. So yeah, I just curious if the hotels at a decent rate or if they're gonna rate me over the co.”
Follow up within 48 hours with confirmation of the $2,039.70 deposit transaction. If possible, check with Viking on pre-cruise hotel options and airport transfer pricing, and send Kevin a summary of what's included vs. what he'll need to book separately, since he expressed interest in these details despite deferring the decision.
Full analysis
What happened
Kevin called to book a Viking River Cruise to San Juan and process a deposit. He had already done preliminary research on the website and received a brochure call from Viking, but encountered gaps: the pre-cruise hotel and airport transfer pricing were unclear because a Viking rep told him those details must come from his travel agent. Kevin asked Pam about airfare and hotel rates, Pam acknowledged she didn't have current information on some items, and Kevin decided to book his own airfare and not worry about pre-cruise details for now. He obtained spouse Carrie's approval, provided credit card details, and authorized the $2,039.70 deposit to move forward. The call also included extended discussion of prior cruises (Scenic, Viking Elba, Viking Rhine) and future bucket-list destinations (Africa safari, Galapagos, New Zealand, South Pacific with Windstar).
Emotional read
Kevin is relaxed, conversational, and pragmatic. He uses casual language ('shit,' 'god damn') and laughs about logistical challenges without frustration. He's enthusiastic about cruises based on positive prior experiences, and comfortable making a decision despite some unanswered questions about hotel and transfer details. His tone is friendly and collaborative with the agent—no edge or impatience.
Emotional arc through the call
Kevin remained steady and conversational throughout—relaxed and pragmatic at the start, stayed engaged during the longer story about prior cruises, and ended with gratitude and readiness to proceed.
How customer sees Pavlus
- neutral · Customer noted that Viking rep instructed him to ask his travel agent about hotel and transfer details, suggesting he was familiar with the model of delegating those questions to Pavlus.
- neutral · Customer accepted Pam's explanation that hotel/transfer information isn't yet available in her system, without complaint.
- positive · Customer said 'I appreciate it' and thanked Pam by name at the end of the call, indicating comfort and basic satisfaction.
Process friction
- Pre-cruise hotel pricing and details not available in agent's system; customer had to follow up on incomplete information
- Airport transfer cost/availability not specified; customer deferred and decided to arrange independently
- Agent acknowledged unfamiliarity with booking airfare through Viking; customer opted to handle independently
- Payment processing required agent to send a payment link rather than processing directly; agent noted this is 'very very interesting' and unusual
Value perception
Kevin did not explicitly state a view on Pavlus's value vs. booking direct. He appeared willing to use Pavlus for the cruise booking and deposit, but defaulted to handling airfare himself because the agent acknowledged limited experience with air bookings for Viking.
Customer behaviors
Doing preliminary research on cruise line website before callAsking agent to fill gaps left by cruise line's brochure processDeferring low-priority decisions (hotel, transfers) to focus on deposit and bookingConsulting spouse for major purchase approval before committingOpenly sharing prior cruise experience to inform future planningComparing costs of flights vs. alternative travel (cruise repositioning to New Zealand)Comfortable taking action despite incomplete information on secondary items
Topics & signals
| Topics | Viking River Cruise bookingPre-cruise hotel arrangementsAirport transfersAirfare strategyDeposit payment processingPrior cruise experiencesFuture destination planning |
|---|---|
| Destinations | San JuanElbe RiverRhine RiverBerlinEuropeEast GermanyJapanNew ZealandAfricaGalapagosSouth PacificLondonAmsterdam |
| Cruise lines | VikingViking River CruisesWindstarScenic |
| Buying signals | Discussed trip with spouse Carrie; she approved and said 'let's go do it'Provided credit card information to process $2,039.70 depositExpressed excitement about new ship and included perks (drinks, internet, tips)Named multiple travel companions planning to attend San Juan tripCommitted to moving forward with deposit despite information gaps |
| Objections | Pre-cruise hotel pricing unclear; Viking representative deferred to travel agentAirport transfer costs not specified in initial package materialsConcerned about hotel pricing vs direct booking; wants to avoid overpayingHesitant about booking airfare through Pavlus; prefers to handle independentlyNew Zealand flights prohibitively expensive; exploring cruise alternative instead |
Analyzed 2026-05-25 02:07:40 by claude-haiku-4-5-20251001. Confidence 0.82.
Transcript (14,243 chars)
Customer: Ma'am, how you doing? Agent (Pam Chavez): I'm doing okay, thank you. How are you? Customer: Good. Hey, I never dealt with Wednesday, obviously. Some good dumb questions, like airfare and pre cruise hotels and airport transfers, and Diday Aty. Agent (Pam Chavez): Mm-hmm. Agent (Pam Chavez): Yeah, let me I don't know here hold on. Customer: No, it's too far out for airfare obviously but on the website, it said something about to use the Sherian I think I was on the website. Agent (Pam Chavez): Yeah. Agent (Pam Chavez): Well, let me look here, cause I can probably look at it I've got here. Customer: Yeah, that's cool. Yeah. Okay, sure. Yeah. Agent (Pam Chavez): Not a bad deal, huh. Customer: No, I like it number one cause it's a new ship and I also like it when they throw in the drinks and internet and the tips and on that cock Upp. Yeah, which is good. Yeah, I'm on the website now and it says they use the at a pre hotel. It says the Sherita hotel casino Santu. Agent (Pam Chavez): Nice, thc, exactly. Agent (Pam Chavez): Mm-hmm. Customer: I didn't know what these guys charged. Yeah, curiosity. Agent (Pam Chavez): Available. Customer: Sit, I mean, I know it's way too far out. Agent (Pam Chavez): Yeah I don't know, I can, I'll call him and ask him how much they charge for that hotel. Customer: Oh, no, I don't, don't worry about it's way but yeah, I actually, they actually called me this morning cause I requested a brochure and they, some lady called me from Florida and I and she goes you gonna questions and I said, hey, you know I'm thinking of the Sanjuan trip and she said that as of right now they don't have the hotel booked I mean locked in. But the website says it's the Sheridon and I ask her how much that cost and she goes if you're going through a travel a. And you're gonna ask you travel ag. And I said, oh, well then apparently, they, yeah, I know then the same thing with the airport transfers, like if they pick you up, she said, oh, you have to ask your trial advisor. So that's like, alright, so. Agent (Pam Chavez): Oh, uh-huh, oh, okay. Agent (Pam Chavez): Mm-hmm. Agent (Pam Chavez): He brother. Agent (Pam Chavez): Mm-hmm. Agent (Pam Chavez): Whatever. Oh, my gosh. Customer: I know but yeah, cause I was, you know, she said I could if I, if I didn't book to her my trial advisor would answer all my questions basic. Agent (Pam Chavez): It's like. Agent (Pam Chavez): Yeah, well, yeah, I will yeah, I just I'd have to basically call them and ask them because I don't really know. Customer: Basic. No, I know but it's. Yeah, I know. Don't we don't worry about it now, I just curious if the hotels at a decent rate or if they're gonna rate me over the co for we using that cause they don't, they don't provide a transfer. She said from the hotel there, the ship you have to, you can pay for it but it's not part of the deal. Agent (Pam Chavez): Yeah. Yeah, I have to, they don't, they can't, they're not giving me any information, usually, I'd be able to go in here and just tell you how much it is and stuff, but there's no information on it yet. So that's probably the reason why shortly. Customer: Yeah. Customer: Yeah, got it, yeah, same with have you, have you ever dealt with them on airfare or is it just better to do my own gig? Agent (Pam Chavez): Probably do it or I can do it for you. I mean, I've never really done air, I've never really done air with them. We'll be honest cause I don't book a whole lot of them. Customer: Do my own? No, I don't mind getting. Customer: Okay, no me either. I just yeah, I asked her the question and she said all that stuff will be available and that's all the grow it safe say now I'll just do my own airfare I can, it's too far away to book it but united flies out of Denver non-stop so. Agent (Pam Chavez): Mm-hmm. Agent (Pam Chavez): Oh, yeah. Agent (Pam Chavez): I'll do that, okay. Customer: Yeah, yeah, they do. Yeah, then when I go, there'll probably go a day or too early just to get acclimated and make sure I'll miss the freaking ship. Alright, so, what do we got to do to make a deposit for this thing you want some money, man. Thank you. Agent (Pam Chavez): Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Agent (Pam Chavez): Yeah, I can just make it a buzz and when you're ready to it, to do it. Customer: I think, yeah, I showed it to car and she said, let's go do it. She loves the, so this. Agent (Pam Chavez): Oh, that's cool. Customer: So that, yeah, a lot of snorkel in. Well, somewhere on here I saw the deposit and it one of the attachments it maybe guest form. Agent (Pam Chavez): Here it is. Deposit is 203,970¢. Customer: Yeah, if you want to do that you got my credit card. I'm assuming they take credit cards. I'm how they pay, okay, alright, cause I, Viking is a goofy thing with the when I give you a discount if you use your, you got my credit card on file. I think you do. Agent (Pam Chavez): Mm-hmm oh, gotcha. Yeah, that's definitely. Agent (Pam Chavez): Yeah, yeah, let me make sure that, I wanna make sure that everything is still right on it expires 4:29. Customer: Yeah, ends in 5331 yeah, do you need the code? Agent (Pam Chavez): I have it 385. Customer: That's it, yeah. Agent (Pam Chavez): Alright, now, how was you guys did a, you did just did a race cruse did you? Customer: Yeah, we did the tow switch one which is the coolest thing we've done in a long time than we did the, then we did the Viking, we, Viking Elba and the Viking Ry, we've done the re before but she wanted to take your kids on that, so we did it again and then. Agent (Pam Chavez): Really I? Agent (Pam Chavez): And he was. Agent (Pam Chavez): Yeah, I saw, I remember that the kids were going and stuff. Customer: Oh, there's too many people. Yeah, when her sister Wendy took her new gentleman friended and we went with John Kayler and his wife then carrie's son and his wife and his, her daughter. So, ten people too much it really is, trust me it's just, yeah, it is, I mean, you just can't, you can't get, you know, she's trying to range seats and when you go to the bar or you just, you know, you can't, it's too much, that's all I say, yeah, but no, it's fine. The elbow was interesting, we've never done that, we're glad we did it. We won't, we don't, won't do it again obviously, but it was nice to see you. It's a lot less crowded in the Rine river so, yeah, it's pretty cool. Agent (Pam Chavez): En, uh-huh uh-huh. Agent (Pam Chavez): Oh, that's right, that's right. Agent (Pam Chavez): Oh, my gosh, on a it on a river cruise. It is kind of, sort of, yeah. Agent (Pam Chavez): Yeah, I got it. Yeah. Agent (Pam Chavez): That's what I was, that's what I was. I'm gonna ask you about Lo because I just booked somebody else on it and I mean, they're, I think they're anxious and everything. Customer: Yeah, the deal is, is in. Oh, god damn. I can't think of what town messing or one of those towns. They had a big bridge collapse in the middle of the river. So, you had to swap, you have to swap ships. I mean, they knew that, yeah, cause the bridge went down and then, I mean, it's, it just blocks the whole river. So, you, we were two days on one ship and then, we had to switch and we were three days on another. So, it's the one thing about that is we never unpacked the suitcase because. Agent (Pam Chavez): Oh, uh-huh. Customer: We're in a hotel and product for two nights. So I'm not gonna unpack for two nights. And we're on the first part of the cruise for two nights. And they were, the last part of the cruise for three nights on a different ship. And then we were in Berlin for two nights at hotel. So it wasn't worth it the, you know, unpack my suitcase, we just pull out where we're wearing that day and, and close it up. Yeah, yeah, but I mean, it's nice to say, yeah, definitely different than than the rest of Europe. Because it's still part of what used to be east Germany. So, yeah, well, a lot of cool museums and little villages in towns. But it, yeah, it wasn't exciting as the other one but we knew that going in. Yeah, but that. Agent (Pam Chavez): Mm-hmm, right. Agent (Pam Chavez): Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Agent (Pam Chavez): We. Agent (Pam Chavez): We did my husband and I just got back from join Ts it's called hidden waterways of and Flanders or something like that started, started, it was good, it was good, you know honest and all in all reality it was a little cold. Customer: Yeah, I've seen that. How did you like it? Customer: Yeah. Customer: Yeah, when we were over there it rained almost every freaking day. Wendy went and she's living in Mexico now. So she shows up with, you know, a, a light shirt and a pair of jeans and Tennessee. It's like shit girl. It's freaking 55 degrees and rainy. Yeah. Yeah. So we. Agent (Pam Chavez): It's pretty chilly, yeah, it was, it was pretty darn chilly. Yeah. Customer: Yeah, we carry know, you know, we always pack for, for anything from ninety degrees to thirty and I mean, we had gloves, and the beanies on. And the one day we were doing the Phoenix, San, on the rin we were doing the morning and it was so cold and we were, they start saying like, at eight in the morning and, and, and, and, you know, they show the castles for like three hours. And we were the, at the very car, and I was only two people. UpTop is that freaking cold? Agent (Pam Chavez): Oh, yeah. Agent (Pam Chavez): Right. Agent (Pam Chavez): Because you, because, because you were the only one that had appropriate closing. Customer: Oh, shit. We had a t-shirt a shirt, a jacket of a a rain jacket then we got some blankets, some downstairs and and gloves, in a and, and freaking being caps and everything. Oh yeah, you know, for September it was pretty wild but. Agent (Pam Chavez): Oh, funny. Agent (Pam Chavez): Yeah, what even, yeah, even just going out, even just going out to any of the excursions, you know, just a walking or excursions and stuff. I had my, like a like a lighter sweater type thing, you know. And then I had my jacket, and then I had my rain jacket, and I'm like, I'm like, love like, thank goodness that. Customer: Yeah. Customer: Oh, yeah, yeah, yup, yup. No, I know we, yeah, we were, we. Yeah, no, I hear you. We had our, we always take kinda like boots or because, you know, it's a lot of rain and, you know, what, you know, your Tennessee to get wet and all that other shit so, but the two switcher one thing is really cool, I mean, if you ever get a chance, oh, yeah, that was just wild the way the places they take it and it, you know, it was the first-class deal. Agent (Pam Chavez): What's that? Agent (Pam Chavez): Mm-hmm mm-hmm, yeah, I know a lot of people have actually done that and stuff and yeah, it's supposed to be pretty. Customer: And. Customer: Yeah. Yeah, going into glaciers and when they take it the ice bar and just you know, the rides and the, and the trains and oh, it was yeah, it was. Yeah, we really enjoyed that so, we'd love to do another and we just don't know where, excuse me, we want to go you know if get. Agent (Pam Chavez): Mm-hmm. Agent (Pam Chavez): Yeah, yeah, Japan have you been to pan. Customer: Yeah, when we're in the military I would want to do it but curious, she was over there on a, on a temporary assignment so she was that I don't want to go to Japan. I'd do an RP cause I think it'd be cool but. Agent (Pam Chavez): Mm-hmm. Agent (Pam Chavez): Yeah, I think you kinda be really cool. Customer: And I want to do New Zealand but god, dang the flights are just. Agent (Pam Chavez): Oh, man. If you want to go business class you're talking about $14,000 for a, for a, yeah, that's ridiculous. Customer: I know it, I know what, it's just as cheap to take a freaking cruise over there, you know, you could. That's what people do, when they go to Europe, sometimes they take that reposition, and, you know, for fifteen days, and it you get a free ride or whatever, so, yeah, mate, yeah, I didn't even think about that but yeah, no, I know it, it's, I looked at it and it's like way too much, yeah. Or I don't want to spend that much and I want to do a tala safari to Africa, but the, you know, what kind of did you get your sister? Good. Airfare, are you looking at it? Agent (Pam Chavez): Mm-hmm. Agent (Pam Chavez): Mm-hmm. Agent (Pam Chavez): We can't look at, we can't look at it until November 14th I think is what I told her. Customer: Yeah. Right now are you is she gonna go stay over in Europe someplace for a couple of days? Or. She gonna go, not stop. Agent (Pam Chavez): You know I'm gonna, I think I'm gonna try to talk them into that because I think that might be a better way to do it. Customer: Yeah, cause it'll kill you. Customer: I know, I, that's what I was going to do. If I was going to do it I see they're gonna go to like London or amp or dam. It's been, you know, two or three days. Just doing whatever and before I flew, you know, into town wherever you're going. Yeah, that's on our buckets we wanna do safari and we wanna do the GABA goes and obviously some other stuff but. Agent (Pam Chavez): Mm-hmm. Agent (Pam Chavez): Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Agent (Pam Chavez): Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Customer: And I want to go to south Pacific maybe with Windstar too seeing how this one goes. Yup. Cool, yeah, do it. Agent (Pam Chavez): Yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna, I'm gonna go ahead and make your deposit now. I have to go through a whole process here. It's kind of a little weird but yeah, it's like a, a. Customer: No, god. Yeah, I didn't know how hard it was to do this. Yeah. Agent (Pam Chavez): Yeah, no it's, I mean, it's fine. I just never have done it where they actually send me. I have to send, they have to send me a link and I have to make payment on the link, it's like very very interesting but yeah, I'm in the middle of doing it so I'll take care of it right now and I will send an invoice. Alright, thanks Kevin, have a good day. Customer: Yeah. Customer: Oh, geez yeah. Customer: Yeah, yeah let's do it. Cool. Alright sounds good Pam. I appreciate it. Yeah, and if you get, whenever you get a chance if he can ask him about the hotel it's no big deal because I'll probably just get my own but if they, alright. Hey, I appreciate it. Alright, talk to you later. Bye! Agent (Pam Chavez): Yeah, I will. Okay, thanks. Bye bye-bye bye.