Online Agent vs Traditional Agent?

You have decided that you would like to take on the challenge to climb Mount Everest, potentially one of the most treacherous and hazardous challenges on earth with potential pitfalls at every turn (sound familiar?)

You have done all your homework made the necessary preparations and you feel you have got all the right equipment.

You now know it is essential to get the right Sherpa guide to navigate you through the difficult ascent to the summit and then plan and execute the potentially more difficult descent and bring you back safe and sound to base camp.

Option 1.

Sherpa Guide – He’s online and charges lower up-front fees and has little knowledge of the Mountain.

The first meeting with this guide is at Base Camp, he warmly greets you, shakes your hand, points towards the top of the mountain, gives you rudimentary instructions of how to get there and how to get back.

He then takes his payment for his services; you reluctantly pay him, he pats you on the back and wishes you luck.

You ask the question “Are you not coming with me as I have never done this before?”

He smiles and says, “No, but I may be here when you get back as I have an appointment with another client; that is if you manage to get back, let’s say in a couple of weeks?!”

Option 2.

Sherpa Guide- He’s the Traditional no-climb-no-fee, pay me on results Sherpa and has an incredible amount of knowledge about the Mountain.

Your first meeting with this guide is two weeks before you arrive at Base Camp, he checks all your equipment is in order gives you advice and instructions which prepare you for the Challenge.

When you both arrive at Base Camp you are feeling confident and reassured, further planning takes place and everything is checked.

You both set off on your journey and at every step of the way pitfalls are seen and avoided where possible and dealt with where appropriate; it is tough but you are enjoying the experience, you reach the summit together and rejoice together.

A reassuring voice reminds you that you still have the potentially treacherous decent to navigate!

You gather your thought and prepare yourself, you feel safe as you are attached by a rope to your Guide.

The weather takes a turn for the worse, but you batten down the hatches and let it blow over.

You eventually reach Base Camp safe and sound and over joyed by the experience.

Your Guide then takes you further down the mountain to complete safety.

You Pay your Guide for his services and wish each other well and hope that your paths will cross again in the future.

The question is; Which one would you choose?