When DMCs go quiet, choose a follow-up system you can trust

During a busy booking window, a quiet destination management company can create two delays at once: the supplier decision and the client’s next update. The practical question is not whether to chase. It is how to make the next step visible, timely and still under your control.

There is no single best system for every agency. A solo advisor with a handful of open supplier questions may need only a reliable inbox routine. A team handling many active trips may benefit from a shared tracker or software that prepares follow-ups. The trade-off is between setup and oversight: more automation can reduce repetitive work, but it does not replace judgment about what to say or when to escalate.

Start with a chase cadence, not a tool

For each supplier request, record the date sent, what you need, who owns the next action and when you will follow up. Set a cadence that fits the request and the supplier relationship. A rooming-list question before a deadline may deserve a different response time from a general request for options. Avoid treating every silence as equally urgent.

When a supplier misses the agreed response window, send a concise, courteous nudge. Restate the request and any relevant deadline. If the answer affects a client decision, give the client a useful update rather than promising a supplier response you do not control. If a second chase is needed, set a new date and identify when you will try another contact or discuss alternatives with the client.

This simple structure is also a defense against duplicate messages. In a busy inbox, two people can chase the same DMC unless ownership and the last contact are visible.

Compare the common approaches

Inbox flags and folders

Flags, labels or a dedicated folder are a low-friction choice for advisors who already work from Gmail and have a manageable number of open requests. They keep the original conversation close and require little process change. The weakness is that a flag does not always say what is missing, who owns it or when to act. It also depends on someone reviewing the queue consistently.

A spreadsheet or shared task board

A tracker can make due dates, owners and escalation points visible across a team. It suits agencies that need a simple shared view and are willing to maintain one. Its cost is duplicate entry: staff must update the tracker as the email conversation changes. If updates slip during peak periods, the board can look current while the inbox tells a different story.

A CRM or agency workflow system

A broader system may suit an agency that already manages client and trip work there, especially when several people need to coordinate supplier follow-ups. The value depends on how well the team uses it and whether supplier conversations remain easy to find. Before adding another system, check whether it reduces missed actions or simply creates another place to update.

Drafting assistance inside Gmail

Holidr is one option for advisors who want some back-office work handled within Gmail. It drafts follow-ups for unresponsive suppliers and DMCs, and requires explicit approval before sending any email. That keeps the advisor in control of the wording and the send decision. Holidr operates inside Gmail; it is not currently an Outlook option, according to its site.

That is a different fit from a standalone tracker. Holidr may suit an advisor whose work and supplier history already live in Gmail and who wants drafts ready for review. It is not a reason to stop setting priorities or checking whether a chase is appropriate. Its published details do not establish a configurable sending schedule, so agencies should define their own cadence rather than assume a draft will be sent at a chosen time. Holidr offers a 90-day free trial with no credit card required.

Keep client response times separate from supplier response times

Clients do not need a promise that a supplier will reply by a particular hour. They do need to know that their request is being handled and what happens next. A useful update can say that you have contacted the supplier, name the next checkpoint and offer a practical alternative if timing matters. That preserves trust without suggesting you control a vendor’s queue.

During peak periods, review the chase list at a fixed point in the day. Sort by travel date, decision deadline and client impact, not just by how long a message has sat unanswered. Keep a clear record of the last contact and the next action, whether that record is in an inbox, tracker or workflow system.

For a more detailed framework for setting follow-up rules and keeping approval in the loop, see this guide to building a supplier chase workflow with approval built in.

Choose the lightest system your volume can sustain

Manual flags are reasonable when one person can reliably review them. A shared tracker helps when ownership and handoffs are the main problem. Gmail-based drafting can reduce the effort of writing routine nudges, provided an advisor reviews each one. In every case, the essentials stay the same: a clear owner, a sensible next-contact date, a polite message and an escalation plan when the supplier remains quiet.

The best system is the one your team will keep current when bookings pile up. Automation can prepare the next step. The advisor still decides what the client should hear and when a supplier delay calls for a different plan.