Getting your first negative review feels a bit like having an unexpected fall—it takes you by surprise, stings pretty bad and take a hot minute for (our egos, in this case) to heal. And though garnering negative reviews of any kind are never the desired outcome, how you respond to them could steer you in a more positive direction and might even change the mind of the unhappy client in question.

People across all industries are setting their sights on expanding their businesses or pivoting to offer something new to match our ever-changing world. Group travel professionals are no exception! One such area of expansion worth considering is student travel, as the market is seeing fast-moving recovery and schools and educators are itching to get students back out on the road.

As difficult as it may sometimes be, there are times when you simply have to draw a line in the sand when it comes to ending a client relationship.

Whether the parting of ways is mutual, born out of a misalignment of expectations or otherwise, it's never a pleasant step to have to take. Thinking about breaking up with a client? Here are some considerations that could help inform your next steps.

If you had to have surgery, would you rather go to the most skilled surgeon or the nicest surgeon?

I was at a party the other night and someone I met shared his opinion of the difference between a good doctor and a great doctor. A good doctor makes you well. A great doctor makes you well and calls you the next day to see how you're doing.

Sometimes a customer asks a question, and then either doesn't understand or like the answer. And sometimes, it's more than just a misunderstanding or a breakdown in communication. Maybe it's because the employee doesn't want to take the time to answer the question correctly. Or sometimes employees are asked the same question so many times that they get sick and tired of customers asking, and it shows in the way they respond and act.