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The travel agent's role is dissimilar to that of most other retailers, in that agents do not purchase a product for resale to their customers. Only when a customer has decided on a travel purchase do agents approach their principal on their customer's behalf to make a purchase. The travel agent does not, therefore, carry "stock' of travel products. This has two important implications for the businesses of travel distribution. First, the cost of setting up in business is comparatively small compared to that of other retail business, and second, agents are not seeking to dispose of products they have already purchased, so will therefore display less brand loyalty towards a particular product or company. However, in the past few years negotiations between principals and agents have led to higher commissions being paid to agents who achieve target sales, and this is causing agents to become more commercial in their approach to sales.

Visitors can find almost any kind of restaurant in most of the large cities in America. The telephone book lists restaurants for each city according to name, area of the city, or kind of food. Restaurants in large cities vary greatly in price. Many restaurants post their menus in the window so you can have some idea of the price and kind of food before you enter. If the menu is not posted, and you are uncertain about how expensive the place is, ask to see a menu before you are seated at a table, or else just ask about the price range. Appearances from the outside can be misleading- -what looks like a small, informal restaurant may rally be very expensive, and what looks like a large, expensive restaurant may be very reasonable.

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