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Serving the Travel and Tourism

Customer

Course eTextbook

International Travel and Tourism Training Program

NOTICE

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Serving the Travel Customer Course eTextbook

Material No: 8212-00 ISBN 978-92-9233-647-9 © 2011 International Air Transport Association. All rights reserved.

Montreal—Geneva

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Serving The Travel Customer OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................... 1 1 Customer Service In The Travel Industry ........................................................... 2

1.1 Overview ........................................................................................................... 2

1.2 The Role Of The Travel Professional ............................................................... 2

1.3 What Do We Mean By Customer Service? ................................. ..................... 3

1.4 The Importance Of Customer Service Skills .................................................... 5

1.5 The Influence Of The Internet .......................................................................... 6

1.6 Summary ........................................................................................................... 8 2 Communicating With Customers ....................................................................... 9

2.1 Overview ........................................................................................................... 9

2.2 Verbal Communication ..................................................................................... 9

2.3 Non-Verbal Communication ........................................................................... 15

2.4 Communicating By Telephone ....................................................................... 18

2.5 Summary .................................................................................. ....................... 24 3 Customer Service And Technology .................................................................. 25

3.1 Overview ......................................................................................................... 25

3.2 Customer Expectations ................................................................................... 25

3.3 Available Modes Of CommunicatIon ............................................................. 28

3.4 Automating Customer Communication .......................................................... 31

3.5 Embracing New Technology To Serve Travel Customers .............................. 36

3.6 Unit Summary ................................................................................ ................. 46 4 Winning Customer Loyalty ............................................................................... 47

4.1 Overview ......................................................................................................... 47

4.2 Four Steps In Delivering Exceptional Service ............................................... 47

4.3 Provide After Sales Service And Support ....................................................... 51

4.4 Protect Customer Interests .............................................................................. 53

4.5 Competing With The Internet ......................................................................... 55

4.6 Summary ................................................................. ........................................ 58 5 Handling Difficult Customers ........................................................................... 59

5.1 Overview ...................................................................................... ................... 59

5.2 Why Customers Get Upset ............................................................................. 59

5.3 Responding To An Upset Customer ............................................................... 61

5.4 Calming Customers On The Telephone .......................................................... 63

5.5 Calming The Customer: Do’s And Don’ts ..................................................... 64

5.6 Dealing With Unreasonable Demands ............................................................ 67

5.7 Keeping Self-Control ...................................................................................... 68

5.8 Summary .......................................................................................... ............... 71

i


6 Coping With Work Stress ........................................................................................................... 72 6.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................ 72

6.2 Sources Of Stress In The Workplace ......................................................................... 72 6.3 Coping With Stress .......................................................................................................... 73 6.4 Summary............................................................................................................................. 76

Glossary ....................................................................................................................................................... 77 Further Reading ...................................................................................................................................... 79

Review Questions .................................................................................................................................. 80

Answer Key ................................................................................................................................................ 86

Review ........................................................................................................................................................... 88

ii

SERVING THE TRAVEL CUSTOMER

LEARNING OUTCOMES • Understand the role of customer service in the travel industry

By completing this Course, and how as a travel professional can you succeed in this

you will learn to: business. (Unit 1).

• Know effective communication skills that will help you engage

in positive interactions with travels customers. (Unit 2).

• Be familiar with the technology used to stay in touch with

travelling customers and collect market intelligence. (Unit 3)

• Realize the benefits of customer loyalty and know how to

strengthen the loyalty of your customers. (Unit 4)

• Know how to handle upset customers. (Unit 5)

• Develop strategies to cope with the workplace stress. (Unit 6)

Overview Travel professionals work in one of the most dynamic industries.

Their role is challenged by constant innovation in technology and

higher customer service expectations. Travel consumers have

access to a vast amount of information online. The Internet offers

travellers competitive self-service options to purchase travel. In this course, we will examine what is meant by customer

service in the travel industry and its importance in retaining

current business while attracting new business. We will also

look at the fundamental communication skills leading to

positive agent-customer interactions. We’ll examine ways to

stay in touch with customers while they are travelling and how

to win customer loyalty. Handling difficult or upset customers is challenging for

anyone working in customer service, and the travel industry is no

exception. We will provide a model to practice when confronted

with angry customers. Finally, we will discuss the reality of

stress in the workplace and suggest coping strategies for travel

professionals.

Serving the Travel Customer 1


1 Customer Service in the Travel Industry

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By completing this Unit,

you will be able to:

1.1 OVERVIEW

1.2 THE ROLE OF THE

TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL

• Identify the role of a travel professional. (Unit 1.2) • Define what customer service means. (Unit 1.3) • Describe the impact of delivering good customer service.

(Unit 1.4) • Describe why the Internet is a growing threat to the

travel industry. (Unit 1.5)

In this Unit we will review the main areas of responsibility for travel

professionals. We will then focus on how customer service plays an

important role in the travel agency’s business and what customer

service means. You will discover the benefits of providing good

customer service and why it is important for your job. Finally, you

will learn how delivering travel services over the Internet influences

the travel customer’s perception of the industry.

Travel planning can be a time-consuming and frustrating activity.

Business and leisure travellers rely on travel professionals to help them sort out their travel options and make the best

possible arrangements. Travel professionals – also called travel

agents, travel counselors and travel consultants – provide advice

on destinations and make all arrangements for air

and land transportation, hotel accommodations, tours, and

recreation. They provide information on tourist attractions,

restaurants, and weather conditions. Additionally, for

customers who travel internationally, they inform them about

important customs regulations, required travel documents, and

currency exchange rates. As a travel professional, you might work in a retail or

wholesale environment. You may work in a call center where

customers are served by phone or email - or in a travel agency

where some walk-in customers are served face-to-face. In either

case, the daily responsibilities of a travel professional include

arranging for business or leisure travel. The latter often

involves tailoring holiday packages to the specific needs of the

customer and selling any additional travel services requested,

such as insurance. Travel professionals commonly engage in promotional

activities. You may promote travel packages offered by major

cruise lines, resorts, and specialty travel groups, or you may even

promote your services using the Internet, direct mail campaigns,

or telemarketing.

Customer Service in the Travel Industry

2


Ultimately, the travel professional’s role is to satisfy

customer needs so that the customer has a stress-free and positive

travel experience. Customers expect the travel professional to

take care of their every need, correcting errors and solving any

problems related to their travel plans. Therefore the job

description of the travel professional can be summarized as

consultant, advisor, coordinator and problem solver.

Key Learning Point The travel professional’s role is to satisfy customer needs

so that the customer has a stress-free and positive travel

experience.

1.3 WHAT DO WE Selling travel involves offering the products and services that meet

MEAN BY CUSTOMER customer needs and then making the necessary arrangements for

SERVICE? customers to carry out their travel plans. The goal of the travel

agency and its staff is to keep existing customers so that they will

return to buy again and send you their friends and relatives as new

customers.

There is no doubt that travel professionals must have certain

skills to deliver good customer service.

Customer Service

Product

knowledge

Operational Interpersonal

skills skills


3


• Product knowledge Product knowledge is essential. Travel professionals must

explain the features of each product or service offering. With

the vast amount of travel information available, you must be

able to locate the specific information that your customer

requires – information that is essential to them. Customers

want travel professionals to find the best price and value,

recommend products and services that are safe, help them if

something goes wrong while they travel, and clarify the fine

print on cancellation penalties and restrictions.

• Operational skills Travel professionals must be skilled to plan itineraries, reserve

flights and hotels, interpret fares and arrange ticketing. Travel

can involve simple trips or more complex journeys. Making

reservations and ticket arrangements will involve working

with various computer systems including global distribution

systems. The degree to which customer needs are met is as

important as the quality of the product delivered.

• Interpersonal skills The ability to deal with customers in a friendly and

professional manner is just as important as product knowledge

and operational skills. We call it “customer service”. Being

polite and friendly is the foundation for building excellent

customer service. It also involves the ability to communicate

effectively and to deliver service in a way that is customer-

centric, or centered on the customer’s needs. Customer service

is also about delivering what is promised and expected by the

customer. According to a various customer satisfaction

surveys, all consumers want to feel that their needs are

important to their service provider.

Key Learning Point Customer service is defined as the degree to which a

customer’s needs are met and the customer’s level of

satisfaction.


4


1.4 THE IMPORTANCE

OF CUSTOMER

SERVICE SKILLS

Key Learning Point

2. Excellent customer service involves which of the following? A. Delivering service that is customer-centric B. Displaying a polite and friendly disposition C. Arranging complex itineraries D. Demonstrating a high level of product knowledge

Paying attention to customer needs requires interpersonal skills.

Effective interpersonal skills will single out a travel professional

above others and may be the only reason why a customer would

choose one agency over another. Interpersonal skills are at the

heart of exceptional customer service. As a result, an agency may

be able to draw from a steady stream of repeat customers who buy

again because they are satisfied with the service they receive. Every contact between a customer and a travel professional is

an opportunity to deliver excellent customer service and

demonstrate customer centricity. Service may take five seconds,

five minutes or half an hour. Each time the customer is in contact

with and is served by the travel professional, the agency’s

reputation is on trial. The customer’s business can be lost or it

may be gained at each interaction with the travel agency’s staff. It is easy to lose customers, and very difficult or expensive

to replace lost customers. The Technical Assistance Research

Program (TARP) is a customer service research company in the

US that has measured the high cost of losing a customer for any

business. TARP reports that on average: • for every customer who complains, 26 other unhappy

customers remain silent • the “wronged” or unhappy customer will tell eight to

sixteen people • 91% of unhappy customers will not buy from the same

supplier again • if customer complaints are solved, at least 80% will remain

repeat customers • it costs five times as much to attract new customers as it

costs to keep old ones

Customer satisfaction is the best measure of the success of a travel

business. High customer satisfaction will earn the travel agency a

good reputation. Customers will tell friends and relatives about the

travel agency’s good reputation. Spreading the agency’s name by

customer word-of-mouth is a highly effective marketing approach,

one that does not cost any investment and guarantees to attract

new customers.

Each interaction with a customer determines whether the

customer’s business is secured or lost.

Customer Service in the Travel Industry 5


1.5 THE INFLUENCE OF Today’s consumers are better informed than ever before – one

THE INTERNET reason is because information is easily available through the Internet. Research in the travel industry confirms that consumer

use of the Internet as a way to shop for travel products and services

is growing. Customer who purchase travel on the online claim that:

• The Internet is an easy research tool: Customers view the

Internet to be an easy research tool. It allows them to quickly

compare different supplier products and pricing. Internet users

are satisfied with their Internet experiences and consult travel

professionals in “special situations”.

• The Internet is a convenient tool: Internet customers like the

fact that the Internet is available whenever they are free and

ready to make their travel plans.

• The Internet is ideal for arranging simple itineraries:

A high percentage of Internet users state that they use travel

professionals for more complex trip arrangements that takes

too much time to make online.

• Internet products and services are not always less

expensive: Internet users do not believe they always save

money in arranging their own travel needs. Nearly 4 out of 10

travel consumers believe that travel professionals offer deals

that are not available online.

What does this mean for customer service and the travel

professional? We can conclude the following opportunities

for travel professionals:

• offer services for “special situations” such as event planning • arrange more complex trips requiring more than point-to-

point transportation • secure preferential pricing or “deals” with suppliers which can

be passed on to customers


6


Travellers need the help of professionals to make travel

arrangements that are too difficult or time-consuming to

make independently online.

Key Learning Point Although consumer use of the Internet as a research and sales

tool for travel products and services is growing, there are

consumers who need the services and support of a travel

professional.

1

Applying Your Learning at Work

1) Observe or survey travel professionals on all their contact points with

customers. List the contact points from initial in-person greet-ing,

telephone call or email to the final contact following the customer’s trip.

How many times is there contact between the cus-tomer and the

agency? Write what could go wrong at each contact point that may

damage the relationship with the customer or lose customer loyalty.

2) Try to remember a recent experience in which you felt that the service

provider paid proper attention to your specific needs. Then think about

an experience in which you felt you were not served well. Compare

these two experiences, describing the impact on your feelings as a

consumer and your future interactions with that ser-vice provider.


7


1.6 SUMMARY In this Unit, you have studied the importance of customer service

in the travel industry. You learned that:

• The travel professional’s role is to satisfy customer

needs so that the customer has a stress-free and positive

travel experience. (Unit 1.2) • Customer service refers to the the extent to which

the customer’s needs are met. (Unit 1.3) • The customer’s business can be lost or it may be gained at

each interaction with the service provider. (Unit 1.4) • Public use of the Internet as a research and sales tool for travel

products and services is growing. (Unit 1.5)

Customer Service in the Travel Industry 8


2 Communicating With Customers

LEARNING OUTCOMES



2.1 OVERVIEW

2.2 VERBAL

COMMUNICATION

2.2.1 ACTIVE LISTENING

• Describe active listening techniques to make customers feel

important. (Unit 2.2)

• Identify effective questioning techniques to

determine customer needs and preferences. (Unit 2.2) • Recognize the non-verbal signals that express a customer’s

feelings and frame of mind. (Unit 2.3) • Describe how communicating by telephone has different

challenges from communicating in person (Unit 2.4)

The travel professional’s goal is to interact with the customer in a

way that creates a positive customer experience, bringing

existing customers back and some new ones too. Successful

customer service and sales calls depend on how well the travel

professional interacts with each customer. If the interaction is

positive then the customer’s experience is also positive. This unit focuses on the importance of verbal and non-verbal

communication skills with an emphasis on active listening and

effective questioning techniques. These are critical to the steps in

the model for Delivering Exceptional Service that we will present

in Unit 3 Winning Customer Loyalty. Additionally, this unit

presents some of the challenges of communicating with customers

by telephone. It also provides some basic “do’s and don’ts” when

talking with a customer either face-to-face or on the phone.

A good travel professional knows how to make customers feel

important. Customers expect travel professionals to be attentive

and friendly, listen effectively, deliver the services requested

and solve any problems. Meeting these expectations and giving

customers the attention that makes them feel welcome and

important will bring them back to the travel agency over and

over again.

Listening is an important communication skill. For those who work

in sales and customer service, listening is more important than

speaking. If you do not hear what the customer says, you cannot

recommend the service or product that will truly satisfy their needs

and preferences.

Listening seems to be a passive activity compared to speaking.

Wrong! Listening is active in communication. Active listening

is about interpreting the words heard, interpreting how the

words are said and then making sure you correctly understood

what you heard. To really satisfy customers you must listen

Communicating With Customers 9


actively. Listening actively means hearing what people say and

understanding what is said. To really satisfy customers you

must listen actively. If travel professionals listen for signs of what the customer

finds interesting, they can match them to special or unique services offered by the agency.

Active Listening Techniques Below are several techniques for listening actively. • Be encouraging - Use encouraging phrases to communicate to

the customer that you are really listening. Example: Yes...

okay.... • Reflect back feelings - Showing empathy for the customer

suggests that the travel professional is willing to help the

customer. People want to be heard, understood, valued and

acknowledged. Empathy means understanding and recognizing

the customer’s emotions. Empathy is shown in the way the

listener confirms that the customer’s needs are understood.

Examples of expressing empathy are: I understand; I would want

the same thing too; I would be excited too.

• Paraphrase - Restate the customer’s words in your own words

to confirm to the customer that you are listening, and

understand what they are trying to tell you. This serves to

discourage the customer from continuing to repeat the same

statement. At the same time, it encourages the customer to

explore and clarify what they want to say. Paraphrasing

usually contains four elements. 1. A sentence stem, such as: “It looks like....sounds

like.....are you saying that?....do you mean …?) 2. Repetition: Use key words used by the customer.

Repeating what the customer says allows the customer to

correct any misunderstanding of information. It is best to

paraphrase or to repeat the information in our own words. 3. Summary: Briefly recap what was said. 4. Accuracy: A question at the end of the paraphrase to

ensure you understood.

Some examples of paraphrasing phrases:

“To get back to what you were just saying ...” “If we concentrate on what you were talking about before

...” “You said at the beginning that ...” “In other words …”

Listening Face-to-Face: Best Practices The travel professional must consider the travel agency’s policies,

rules and standard practices when speaking to the customer. Here is

a list of “Do’s” and “Don’ts” when serving customers.



TABLE 2.1 ”Do’s and Don’ts” When Listening to

Customers Face-to-Face

Do Don’t

Do eliminate or tune out distractions Don’t make assumptions about a customer’s needs

Customers know when their service provider is It is easy to pre-judge customers’ preferences and needs

distracted. They interpret distraction as a lack of based on what you see, such as:

interest in their value to the business. To minimize • dress and appearance

distractions: • ethnic origin, race or religion

• secure the most private office area, away from other • gender

office activities and discussions Assumptions may lead a travel agent to offer

• mobile telephones should be turned off the wrong products or services and upsetting or

• incoming telephone calls should go to voice mail, to disappointing customers. Making assumptions about

be returned after the customer has left customer needs puts the rapport with customers at risk.

• close email applications so that incoming emails do It is better to ask questions than to make assumptions.

not pop up on the computer screen or ring

Do write notes Don’t think ahead of the conversation

There are risks in trying to remember the requirements When you are concentrating on what to say or ask

expressed verbally by customers. By writing key facts next, it affects your ability to listen. The result is that

and information expressed by the customer encourages you could miss key information from the customer.

you to be objective in the listening process and to

capture all information.

Do observe body language Don’t speak while the customer is speaking

The customer’s body language, tone of voice and facial It is natural to want to serve customers as quickly

expressions complement the customer’s words. To really as possible. Time is money and the more time spent

understand the customer’s needs and preferences, his serving one customer translates to less time serving

body language and expressions must align with what other customers. Productivity is an important job

he says. A customer responding “OK” with a shoulder performance indicator. But interrupting a customer

shrug to the suggestion of a river cruise package is who is speaking is impolite and may influence the

clearly stating that he is not convinced. Good listeners customer to stop talking. If the customer stops talking,

listen to what the customer is “thinking”. how will the travel professional know what the

customer needs?

There are ways to efficiently control a conversation

with a customer without interrupting the customer’s

effort to express what he or she needs.

Do show politeness and control your emotions Don’t use industry jargon in conversation

…even when the customer is rude or upset. It is The travel industry has a language all its own.

important not to take customer complaints personally. Language in the travel industry is full of acronym

An upset customer expresses dissatisfaction over a abbreviations, codes and jargon. Customers don’t

situation for which you are not directly responsible. A understand this language. Advising a customer that

response from a calm and polite travel professional will the flight “ETA” is at 3:30 PM will be confusing to

calm frustrated or disappointed customers. him. Telling a customer that a reservation is made on a

direct flight may be interpreted by the customer that it

is non-stop, while the flight makes a stop between the

flight’s origin and destination. It is important for the

travel professional to translate industry language into

plain easy language in conversations with customers to

avoid unnecessary confusion or misunderstanding.



Key Learning Point Good customer service begins with actively listening to

customers in order to accurately determine their needs

and preferences. Good listening skills help travel agents

understand and deliver what customers want.

2.2.2 USING APPROPRIATE After initial greetings and introductions, it is best to let the

QUESTIONING TECHNIQUES customer do the talking. Ask questions to keep the customer

talking and to create a rapport. Establishing a good understanding

with the travel customer as early as possible in the conversation

helps the customer feel comfortable. When there is good rapport

between the travel professional and the customer, the customer is

relaxed and open to help and suggestions.

To establish a good rapport with customers, the travel

professional will need to learn why the customer has contacted

him/her. The exchange of questions and answers will help in

deciding how to satisfy the customer’s needs.

There are two basic types of questions:

1. Close-ended questions: • Usually begin with where, are, do, would, will, if. • Give you facts. • Are easy to answer. • Are quick to answer. • Keep control of the conversation with the questioner.

2. Open-ended questions: • Collect opinions and preferences • Encourage a client to talk openly, thus providing

maximum information to help us determine the issue at

hand and assistance the client is seeking • Usually begin with what, how, why, describe.



TABLE 2.2 Comparing Closed and Open-Ended Questions

Closed-Ended Questions Open-Ended Questions

Used To collect • Facts • Feelings, beliefs, opinions

• Short answers • Longer answers

When To Use • To make discussions shorter and efficient • To continue the discussion

• To draw attention to a specific point • To widen the discussion

• To avoid discussing less important topics • To open new discussion

• To verify comprehension accuracy • To better understand the person’s needs

Examples • “What is your name?” • “What seems to be the problem?”

• “Where did you last vacation?” • “What are your future vacation plans?”

• “How long do you plan to travel?” • “What part of this independent tour

• “Do you like cruises?” interests you?”

• “Give me an example of activities you

like doing.”

Improper use of questions While asking questions is an important skill, it is important to

know when not to ask questions. Here are some guidelines to

help guide your use of questioning techniques. • Avoid bombarding the customer: Too many questions

will put your customer on the defensive or may limit what

you ultimately find out. “Why” questions, if improperly

asked, often cause individuals to become defensive.

Example: “Why can’t you leave a week earlier?” “Can’t

you move your vacation dates?” “Why don’t

you want to connect in London?” “Why will

you book your hotel on arrival?”

• Avoid using multiple questions: If your question contains

several questions, you may confuse the customer.

Example: “Will you be travelling alone and are you a member of a

hotel loyalty program?” “Are you interested in guided tours of ancient ruins and sites

or relaxing on a beach and perhaps taking in some sports?”

• Beware of using questions as statements: Avoid leading

your customer to accept your point of view by turning a

statement into a question.

Example: “Don’t you think it would be a better idea to tour

Boston instead of New York City?”



• Be sensitive to cultural differences: Rapid fire questioning

is not received favorably and can create distrust, especially

in individuals from non-western cultures.

Remember that the person who is doing the questioning is

in control of the discussion. Using questions appropriately is

important when serving the client.

Key Learning Point Use closed-ended questions to obtain facts; and use open-

ended questions to learn about the customers’ needs and

interests.



2.3 NON-VERBAL

COMMUNICATION

We communicate with much more than words. In fact, research

shows that the majority of our communication is non-verbal.

When we interact with others, we continuously give and receive

wordless signals. All of our non-verbal behaviors – the gestures

we make, the way we sit, how fast or how loud we talk, how close

we stand, how much eye contact we make – send strong messages.

Your ability to understand and use non-verbal communication will

help you express what you really mean, interpret what your

customers really mean and build rapport. Your body positioning, movements and facial expressions

send signals interpreted by customers. Your customers decide

whether or not you value their business through your non-verbal

communication. Non-verbal signals communicate your level of

interest, trust, and desire to serve. – else they communicate

disinterest or ignorance.

Types of non-verbal communication and body language There are different forms of non-verbal

communication. By becoming aware of how gestures, posture

and body movements influence the customer’s perception of

your skills and interest in their business, your interaction with

them will enhance your rapport. The following non-verbal

signals influence customer thinking and their conclusions about

your customer service skills. They will influence the customer’s

perception of your service level, determine their comfort level in

communicating with you and influence their trust.

Facial expressions: Your face is extremely expressive and can

display many emotions without saying a word. Facial expressions

are universal. The facial expressions for happiness, sadness,

anger, surprise, fear, and disgust are practically the same across

all cultures.

Body movements and posture: The way you sit, walk, stand

up, or hold your head tells a lot about your self-confidence

and professionalism.

Gestures: We wave, point, and use our hands without thinking

when we’re discussing or speaking. However, the meaning of

gestures can be very different across cultures and regions. So it’s

important to be careful to avoid those gestures which could

communicate the wrong message. Avoid gestures that might

offend the customer or make the customer feel uncomfortable.

Eye contact: Eye contact is a form of non-verbal communication.

The way you look at someone can communicate things such as

interest or disinterest, friendliness or annoyance, agreement or



disagreement. Eye contact is used to capture attention and

maintain a flow of conversation. Through eye contact you can

measure your customer’s reactions to your recommendations.

However, while direct eye contact helps communication in most

western cultures, it can be interpreted as rude in some eastern or

Asian cultures such as Japan, Korea or Thailand.

Handshake: We communicate through touch in a handshake or a

shoulder tap. A firm handshake in western culture is interpreted as

a sign of self-confidence while a light handshake is acceptable as

a form of greeting in Asian cultures.

Space: North Americans and most Europeans prefer to interact

with some degree of personal space. In some Asian countries

even more personal space is required. However, Latin American

and Middle Eastern natives tend to need little personal space

when interacting with each other. It is important to be sensitive to

the personal space required by customers when you serve them in

person because you want them to feel comfortable while you

interact.

Voice: Non-verbal speech sounds such as tone, pitch, volume,

inflection, rhythm, and rate are important communication

elements. When we speak, other people “read” our voices in

addition to listening to our words. These non-verbal speech sounds

provide subtle but powerful clues into our true feelings and what

we really mean. For example, tone of voice can indicate a variety

of feelings, including sarcasm, boredom, interest or confidence.

Key Learning Point Much of everyday communication is non-verbal. The non-verbal

signals you send can produce a sense of interest, trust, and

desire for a rapport – or they can generate disinterest, distrust,

and confusion in the customer.

Professional Appearance and Grooming We make decisions about people within the fi rst few seconds of

an encounter. The way we look and groom ourselves creates a

perception. It is important for any service provider to dress

appropriately so that customers perceive the image of an

experienced and credible professional. Dressing too casually may

create the impression that the travel professional has little

authority and has weak skills. Poor grooming on the part of the

travel professional can lead customers to equate it to poor service.

Customers tend to trust service providers who look professional.



Consider the expression, “You act the way you look”. If a

service provider dresses and looks professional, he/she will tend to

work professionally. Even when service is delivered by telephone

or email, the quality of your work and the service you deliver will

be infl uenced by your personal presentation, including how you

dress, an organized environment and your posture.

The following areas of personal presentation help create a good

first impression. • Clean and combed hair • Neat and moderate amount of cosmetics • Clean and pressed clothing in good repair • Clean hands and fingernails • Fresh breath • For men, clean-shaven face or neatly trimmed

moustache or beard • For women, stockings with no runs or tears.



2.4 COMMUNICATING

BY TELEPHONE

In today’s travel businesses, selling travel on the telephone is

likely more common than selling in person. Handling customer

telephone calls effectively is critical to the travel business’ success.

As we just learned in the previous section, people communicate

through verbal and non-verbal language. Travel professionals are

at an immediate disadvantage on the telephone as they are left to

measure customer satisfaction mostly by the customer’s verbal

signals. There are no visual signals such as body language to help

interpret what the customer feels or thinks about the service.

Travel professionals therefore must use active listening and

effective questioning techniques to determine what the caller is

trying to express. Calls coming into a travel call center or into a travel agency

must be properly managed. Each incoming customer call is

important because each one represents a potential sale and an

opportunity to make customers feel well served. There would be

no point to answering customer calls if there is no hope to make

or close a sale, even if a sale was closed in a previous call. If the

customer has called for clarification or information, it is an

opportunity to cross-sell other products or services such as

insurance, a rail pass or a car rental. If a sale is closed before the

call ends, it is the call owner’s responsibility to advise the terms

and conditions associated to the purchase, such as rules on

reservation cancellation or changes. Relationships with customers

must continue after the sale by scheduling an after-sales call to

see whether the customer is satisfied with the purchase. Delivering really good customer service on the telephone is

possible by following proven standard procedures. There are six

common steps leading to successful telephone interactions with

customers and several ways to develop effective “phone power”

regardless of whether customer calls are processed in a retail travel

agency or in a call center.

Six steps for successful telephone customer service:

Greet the

caller

Close the Determine

the owner of

call the call

Promise a Listen to the solution caller

Summarize

the call



Step 1 – Greet the caller

Answering a call with a welcome salutation such as, “Good

morning … good afternoon … thank you for calling”, creates a

good first impression. The way that a caller is greeted influences

the caller’s attitude and behavior. There is a good chance that

customers will be pleasant if their telephone call is answered in

a pleasant manner. Your voice and intonation must

communicate a “smile” to the caller. Identify the company name followed by your own name; for

example, “ABC Travel, this is John” or “Where to Go Travel.

My name is Cathy.” Lastly, it is important to offer help by asking, “How may I

help you?” or “How can we assist you today?” It is best to make a greeting sound as natural as possible and to

avoid repeating the same scripted message that sounds mechanical

to callers. Customer calls are business calls. It is important to

make the greeting short, maintaining a level of “professional”

friendliness.

Step 2 – Determine who owns the call The person who first receives the telephone call is the first “owner”

of the call and must listen to determine whether he/she is the only

owner. You must check and ask questions to confirm whether the caller should be redirected to a second owner. For example, by

asking, “May I tell Maria why you are calling?” or “Are you

calling about a trip you have already booked?” avoids sending the

caller to the wrong internal colleague or department. Most often, it

is within the first minute of the telephone conversation that the

first owner of the call learns whether the calling customer must be

transferred to an internal colleague or department. It is your

responsibility to either offer the solutions to meet the caller’s

needs or transfer the caller to someone who can. Write down what the caller says so that important details

are captured. Before releasing the caller to the next call

owner, introduce the caller to the new call owner. Customers must know that they are being transferred. They

must know who they are being transferred to and why they are

being transferred. In addition to introducing the caller, the first

owner must inform the second owner about what the caller needs

and then lets the caller know that the first owner will be leaving

the call and the second call owner will be receiving and continuing

the call.



Step 3 - Listen to the caller

Customers lose confidence in the call owner and in the company

if they have to repeat the same details or information. This

treatment gives customers the impression that the call owner is

not listening. Paying attention to important details and writing

down what the customer says prevents repetition for the

customer. Even when transferring the customer to another call

owner, delivering the customer name, account information,

reason for the call, and required or requested action to the next

call owner improves the service level received by the customer.

Apply the same active listening techniques that you would use for

a face to face conversation: use encouraging phrases, express

empathy and paraphrase what the customer says to confirm that

you are paying attention.

Step 4 - Summarize the call Repeat details of the call in your own words. Summarizing the

telephone conversation is a good way to verify your comprehension

of the customer’s needs. The action plan or steps that will be taken

to meet the caller’s need are also summarized in this step. By the

end of the telephone call, the customer must feel confident that the

travel professional has clearly understood the problem or need and

that he/she will be able to help the customer.

Step 5 – Promise a solution and deliver it After creating a friendly and caring impression, followed by good

note taking and confirmation that the customer’s needs are

understood, it is time to offer travel products and services that

will satisfy the customer’s needs. It is important to remember that

the travel customer has other options such as researching and

buying online or from a competitor agency. The customer who

telephones a travel professional for information expects accurate

information and good advice. It is always best to offer customers a choice of travel

products or services whenever possible. Offering a choice

involves the customer in the purchase process and makes the

customer feel in control of the purchase.

Step 6 - Close the call It is at the closing step of a call from a customer that the travel

professional must leave a lasting impression of good service. It is

important to thank the caller and to mention the travel company’s

name when closing the call. Sometimes, it is not possible to meet

the caller’s needs in the initial call. A follow up call or “call

back” is necessary to deliver the service. If the travel professional

promises to call the customer back, it is extremely important to

do so. This is good customer service and part of delivering what



is promised. Not only is it important to promise a call back, but it

is also important to advise when. Customers must be called back

on time, even if it is to advise that more time is needed to solve

the customer’s needs. Tracking scheduled call-backs through

electronic calendar reminders helps manage timely call-backs.

Key Learning Point Every customer call is an opportunity to make a sale. Delivering

customer service by telephone is involves greeting the customer

with a welcome salutation, recording important information,

redirecting the caller to the right department or colleague, paying

careful attention to what the caller says, accurately determine the

caller’s needs, promising actions or solutions, delivering the

service and closing the call politely. Equally important is to advise

the customer if and when a call back is scheduled.

Communicating with customers on the telephone :

Best practices The following are best practices for serving customers by

telephone. Note that these practices are almost identical to those

applicable to serving customers in person.



TABLE 2.3 ”Do’s and Don’ts” for serving customers

on the telephone

Do Don’t

Do eliminate or ignore distractions Don’t make assumptions about a customer’s needs

Eliminate potentially noisy distractions to focus on the There are risks to making assumptions about what

customer. For example, mobile telephones should be customers like or dislike based on the customer’s ethnic

turned off and block out office conversations. origin, race, religion and gender. Assumptions may lead

We are more easily distracted when the customer cannot a travel agent to offer the wrong products or services,

see what we are doing. Keep your work area clean upsetting or disappointing customers. Making assumptions

of flyers, newsletters, memos and any other piece of about customer needs puts the rapport with customers at

literature that could potentially attract your reading risk. It is better to ask questions than to make assumptions.

attention while you serve a caller. Turn away the computer

screen so you are not tempted to browse the Internet or

read an incoming email.

Do look and act professional Don’t think ahead of the conversation

Groom and dress for work as though you serve customers When you concentrate on what to say next, it reduces your

face-to-face. Practice good posture such as sitting ability to listen, missing important information from the

up straight at your desk and keep your environment customer.

organized or tidy. Although you may never sell travel

person-to-person, your personal service on the telephone

is improved when you look and feel professional.

Do record what the customer says Don’t Interrupt the customer

It is impossible to remember every detail expressed Don’t speak while the customer is speaking. Interrupting a

by customers. By writing key words and information customer who is speaking is not only impolite, but it forces

expressed by the caller, you will reduce the risk of the customer to stop talking. If the customer stops talking,

making assumptions about the caller’s needs. Customers how will the travel professional know what the customer

become frustrated if they are asked to repeat the same wants?

information in one call It is important to be objective

in the listening process and avoid listening only to

information we want to hear.

Do focus on the customer Don’t use one-word answers

Focus on the customer by consciously listening to more Customers who interact with you on the telephone do

than the customer’s words. Try to listen to what the not see you. Just as you focus on the customer’s words

customer means but is not saying – listen to their tone and voice to assess whether the customer agrees with

of voice, voice volume and pauses for clues about what your offering or advice, the customer is judging your

the customer thinks about your offer or advice. If the professionalism and the quality of your service by what

customer’s voice pitch suddenly is higher, then it can be you say and how you say it. Answering a question such

a sign that he/she is satisfied with your offer or solution. as “Is the hotel located near a train station?” with a

A pause can be a sign that the customer doubts your single word “Yes” is likely not enough information for

information or advice the customer. The customer may perceive short one-word

answers as impolite or uncaring. It normally takes at least

three words to make a sentence. A better answer that

conveys good service is “Yes, the hotel is walking distance

from Central Station.”

Do control your emotions Don’t put the caller on hold repeatedly or for long periods

Always show politeness and control your emotions, even of time.

when the customer is rude or upset. Never place the caller on hold without first asking the

customer’s permission. Always explain why you will place

the caller on hold. When the customer understands that

you need to leave the call temporarily to find the best air

fare, complete a reservation or research some information

about a product, the customer normally does not mind.

However, if the wait will be longer than a minute or so,

it is best to end the call with an agreement to call the

customer back within the hour or the same day.




1. Pay close attention to the next time a colleague is dealing with a

customer. List all the listening and questioning techniques being used

and compare it to the techniques covered in this unit. Include

examples of how each technique was used. Highlight any tech-niques

not used and determine whether these would have impact-ed the end

result. 2. Examine the list of listening and questioning techniques and select one

from the list that you do not use on a regular basis. Prepare how to use

this technique and then at your next opportunity, apply it. Once the

customer interaction is over, do a self-assessment to see how well you

used this new technique. Repeat for any unfamiliar techniques until you

are able to incorporate several during customer interactions.

3. Do the same as #1 and 2 above but for telephone communications.

2.5 SUMMARY In this Unit, you have explored the communication skills required

to effectively with travel customers. You learned that:

• Excellent customer service begins with effectively listening to

your customers. Good listening skills help travel professionals

understand and deliver what customers want. (Unit 2.2)

• Use closed-ended questions to obtain facts; and use open-ended

questions to learn about the customer’s needs and interests.

(Unit 2.3)

• Much of communication is non-verbal. The non-verbal signals

you send can produce a sense of interest, trust, and desire for

connection – or they can generate disinterest, distrust, and

confusion. (Unit 2.4)

• Listening to customers on the phone is more challenging

than listening to customers who visit face-to-face. The travel

professional must pay careful attention to what the caller says,

verify that s/he has understood correctly and avoid making

assumptions. It is also important to let the caller know that he/

she is listening. (Unit 2.5)



3 Customer Service and Technology

LEARNING OUTCOMES By completing this Unit,


3.1 OVERVIEW

3.2 CUSTOMER

EXPECTATIONS

• Identify the type of information needed by different

travel customers (unit 3.2)

• Describe common communication characteristics desired by

travel customers (unit 3.2) • Name modes of electronic communication to stay connected

with travelling customers and their practical use (unit 3.3) • Explain the practical aspects of communication with

customers via electronic channels (unit 3.3) • Define electronic channels for communicating with

travel customers (unit 3.3) • Identify GDS features that automate communication to travel

customers (unit 3.4) • Describe how social media websites are used to stay connected

with customers and collect market intelligence (unit 3.4) • Recommend travel apps for use with mobile devices to travel

customers (unit 3.5)

Customer service does not stop after a sale is made. After sales

advice and assistance is perceived by travel customers as the

most valuable service they receive. This unit shows how the level

of customer service can be raised through the use of automation

and mobile technology. You strengthen your relationships with

customers when you deliver convenient, beneficial and timely

communication of important information to travelling customers.

Different types of customers need different types of information

before, during, and after they travel. For example, information that

could be very helpful to a vacationer or a first-time traveler would

probably be unnecessary for a more experienced and frequent

traveler on a business trip. In the same way, information about

company travel policy and maximum spending limits would not be

suitable for the same business traveler who is traveling on holiday. The type of information needed by travel agency customers

depends on the following:

The type of travel Business and vacation travelers need to be informed of different

kinds of information. Other types of travel which requires a lot of

coordination, such as group travel or meetings and conferences,

require specialized or more information for the traveler.

Customer Service and Technology

25


The stage of travel

The information needed is determined by where the traveler is in the process of planning and completing their travel. For example, information about available flight options is necessary while planning the trip. But once travel has begun, information about flight delays or schedule changes affecting the traveler’s bookings is critical information the customer must have.

The role of the customer For agencies specializing in vacation travel, the customer is always

the traveler. For business or corporate travel agencies, however,

the customer is more often a company representative who contacts

the agency to arrange travel for the company’s employees. In this

case, the role of each customer ‘representative’ will determine the

type and scope of information needed by him or her. The

information needed by company travel arrangers, for instance, will

be very different than those of the traveling employee.

Type of travel

Stage of travel

Role of customer

Beneficial

Concise Timely

Relevant

There are common communication standards desired by

most travel agency customers. With the possible exception of

vacationers, most travelers do not want to read a large amount

of detailed information about their upcoming trip. Instead, most

travelers expect information that is:

• Concise – travelers prefer short communications but expect

enough information; for example, giving the customer his flight

number and departure time without advising a departure terminal

number may cause the customer to lose valuable time

• Relevant – travelers only need information and

notifications that affects them; they do not want to be

notified about a potential departure delay unless they are

travelling on the delayed flight • Beneficial – The communication must bring added convenience

to the traveler, or prevent inconvenience; advising


26


a travel customer of the hotel-airport shuttle bus service will be

helpful and appreciated • Timely – Customers want to be advised of important

information on time so that it is useful to them. Advising a

customer of a cancelled flight departure after arriving at

the airport is not helpful, especially if the customer must

return home to travel the next day

Meeting and exceeding customer expectations is a priority and a

matter of survival in every service industry, including travel.

Customers know what information they need and they want to be

informed instantly. The increasing popularity of the Smartphone,

the tablet PC, and other mobile devices, enables consumers to

receive timely, relevant and beneficial travel advice.

Key Learning Point Different types of travel customers need different information and

expect to receive concise, relevant, beneficial and timely

information.


27


3.3 AVAILABLE MODES There are many ways to stay in touch with customers who are

OF COMMUNICATION travelling. In addition to communicating by telephone, today’s traveler is receiving or searching for information through

electronic channels such as email and SMS messaging.

3.3.1 EMAIL Email is by far the most common form of electronic

communication used by travel agents to forward documents and

advice to agency customers. Travel agents email a variety of

information to their travel customers including detailed itinerary

confirmations, destination travel tips and en-route travel alerts

for flight delays, trip interruptions and schedule changes. Such

email communications can include an unlimited number of plain

text plus relevant graphics, document attachments and embedded

Internet links that can be helpful to the customer. Email may not be

the most effective communication method though to send an urgent

message to a travelling customer, especially if the message is about

an important change to their travel arrangements or about their

safety. This is because the customer in not aware that his or her

agent has communicated until they open their email mailboxes.


28


3.3.2 SHORT MESSAGE Short Message Service (SMS) is an instant text-based messaging

SERVICE TEXTING service to over one billion mobile telephone users in over 60

countries. Through SMS, a short message, using plain words and/

or numbers, with a maximum of 160 characters can be sent to and

displayed instantly on the screen of a mobile telephone. Typically,

an SMS text is sent from one mobile telephone to another mobile

telephone. The communication sender simply uses his or her

mobile telephone to select a mobile telephone number to send

a message to. Then the sender types a message of no more than

160 characters using the mobile telephone keyboard and sends

the message. The SMS message will be displayed instantly on the

recipient’s mobile telephone screen if the phone is active. Else,

the message will be stored for instant display when the receiving

mobile telephone is turned on.

Travel suppliers, such as airlines and hotels, and travel

agencies program their computers to send SMS communications to

their customers’ mobile telephones.

FIGURE 3.1 Sample text message

Through SMS messaging, a travel agent can communicate

important and time-sensitive alerts or reminders to their travelling

customers. Even though SMS can reach a larger mobile audience

than email, SMS text-based messaging has limitations because

they cannot include graphics or images and embedded Internet

links. In spite of these limitations, SMS readership is higher than

readership in most other forms of communication, simply because

text messages are faster to receive and read. For both reasons

mentioned here, SMS texting can be an ideal medium for urgent,

time-sensitive, messages to travelers, such as information about

flight delays, cancellations, and schedule changes.


29


Key Learning Point In addition to the telephone call, the modern traveler can receive

information electronically. Email is commonly used to

communicate reservation details and advice about an upcoming

trip or the trip destination. SMS messaging is another way to stay

in touch with the customer when urgent or time-sensitive

information must be communicated instantly.


30


3.4 AUTOMATING CUSTOMER

COMMUNICATION

3.4.1 GDS-MESSAGE

DELIVERY TOOLS

Staying connected with all travel customers before, during and

after they travel to inform them of potential changes to their travel

arrangements can be challenging. Delivering timely and beneficial

advice is critical. Customers measure service by how quickly,

accurately and effectively a travel agent communicates changes to

travel arrangements. Imagine trying to monitor every reservation

throughout its life so that each flight cancellation, schedule

change and other unexpected problem is notified to affected

customers? Imagine performing this service manually, without the

help of technology? Most travel agencies use automation to communicate standard

customer service information such as flight confirmations and other

important notifications. Automation monitors all reservations and

incoming notifications about reservations made by the agency from

suppliers such as airlines and hotels. Without technology and

automation, the agent would have to monitor all their reservations

and spend more time updating and communicating existing

reservations instead of chasing new sales. The only way to guarantee

that all agency customers receive high attention and service is by automating some common agent-to-customer

communications. Most business travel agencies, and many vacation agencies, use

third party-provided software applications and services to automate

many manual processes that would otherwise have to be performed

by travel agent staff. But the most common tool used by agents to

automate communication to agency customers is the GDS system.

Most travel agents use a Global Distribution System (GDS) system as

their main reservation tool. The GDS system conveniently works

from the agent’s PC or desktop computer. The automated customer

communication capabilities of GDS systems are the easiest tools

available to travel agencies. When a reservation is completed in the GDS system, an email notification is

automatically delivered to the customer with the

reservation information.

GDS agent-initiated information delivery GDSs can automatically forward reservation details to the travel

customer via email. Once a reservation is completed, the agent uses

a simple GDS command to generate a standard email

communication to the travel customer. The email communication

includes a link to a website maintained by the GDS provider. When

the customer receives the email notification and opens the link, he

or she can see the reservation made by the travel agent. The

reservation information displayed is customer-friendly and

sometimes is delivered in a number of languages. Customers are


31


not able to change any of the reservations. These GDS prompted

communications are in standard format designed to be customer

friendly. They are sometimes delivered in the customer’s own

language. Through the link, the customer can access the electronic

ticket, the itinerary, the invoice and highly relevant travel

information about his destinations such as

• weather forecasts • information or guides • maps with driving directions and proximity information

In addition, the GDS site provides these details in real time and

includes access to notifications should there be a flight delay or

a change of schedule.

FIGURE 3.2 Example of automated GDS reservation

information received by agency customers

3.4.2 GDS SCRIPTS Using the GDS system to make and update reservations (PNRs)

can be challenging because it requires some memorization of coded commands.

GDS users must remember to include optional elements such as frequent flyer

numbers or special dietary meal requests that can be important or beneficial to the

customer. GDS scripts simplify the reservation creation process with screen

prompts that guide users in the reservation creation process.


32


GDS scripts help users complete PNR fields with information

through a series of interactive screens. They ensure that the agent

has remembered to include all mandatory and optional

information about the customer. The plain language screen

prompts on the agent’s desktop computer interface with the GDS

terminal. GDS Scripts ensure quicker and more consistent PNR

completion, improving reservation accuracy. GDS scripts are

designed by the travel agency and its IT department, or outsourced

to a third party software company. Some are designed for functions that are not available by the

reservation system itself. For example, a GDS script can book

insurance. The script displays a list of available insurance

products, prompts you to enter the departure and return dates of the

trip, the destination, the passenger age, etc. When the user

completes all script requirements, the GDS script relays the

information to the selected insurance company to book the

insurance and returns with a confirmation number for the policy. Other GDS scripts simply reduce the need to memorize

complicated system formats. Users use scripts to create an accounting

line for a package purchased from a tour operator, to enter the secure

data information on a PNR, GK a hotel or car segment booked

directly with a supplier, etc. The ultimate purpose of the scripts in to

ensure that all information for the booking is contained within the

PNR so that when a reservation is created, it is complete and standard.

Some agencies use scripts as reminders to “complete” the PNR, such

as reminders to customers to review the reservation for accuracy,

reminding customers of necessary travel documents or advising the

baggage allowance for each carrier used. Agencies also program their

scripts to print the agency name or logo on ticket receipts and

printable itinerary records.


33


FIGURE 3.3 Example of a GDS script

All GDS scripts support emailing of itineraries and other

notifications, and some directly support SMS texting as well.

GDS scripts are used to formulate and instantly deliver email

notifications of schedule changes to affected travelers. Scripts can

automate the addition of large amounts of text for insertion into

itineraries, such as destination travel tips, embassy locations,

local emergency contact information, etc. Scripts include

valuable advice for the customer, such as messages to remind

customers to review the itinerary for accuracy, advice about

required travel documents, maximum baggage allowance for each

carrier booked, etc.


34


3.4.3 GDS PROFILES All GDS systems can record and store information about agency

customers, especially corporate customers, in GDS profile

databases. Such customer information includes customer address,

credit cards used, telephone numbers, frequent flyer numbers,

hotel and car membership numbers, seat preferences, special meal

requests etc. All or some of the information contained in these

profiles can then be transferred to a new reservation. Like the GDS

Script feature, GDS Profiles save the agent time when serving

repeat customers because there is no need ask for and record

the same customer information each time a reservation is made.

GDS Profiles improve PNR accuracy as the correct and complete

customer information stored in GDS Profiles transfer to the GDS

PNR during the reservation creation process. SMS and email

address information is routinely stored in GDS Profiles.

Once implemented by the agency owner, travel agents are able

to simply reserve the bookings requested by the customer, retrieve

and move the traveler’s profile into the booking record, and the

automation should be able to finish the reservation documentation,

prepare and deliver a confirmation email to the traveler, and

continue to monitor each reservation throughout the life of the

PNR to respond appropriately with messages to the traveler in case

of flight cancellations or schedule changes, etc.

FIGURE 3.4 Example of a GDS Profile

Key Learning Point Travel professionals use GDS script and profile tools to

improve the accuracy and completion of reservations and to

automate the delivery of relevant information and

notifications to travelling customers.


35


3.5 EMBRACING NEW Increasingly more travellers use technology to stay in touch with

TECHNOLOGY TO SERVE work and home. The modern agent explores new technologies to

TRAVEL CUSTOMERS communicate with their travelling customers so they can continue

to deliver good customer service after the sale. In this section, we

consider two new methods to deliver customer service through

technology. They are:

• Social Media Websites and

• Downloadable Travel Applications for mobile phones and

Smartphones

You have probably used the Internet from time to time, to search

for information about a business, a product or a service. To find

these businesses, products and services you may have used a

search engine, such as Google to locate their website. When you

did, you probably read company, product or service descriptions

supported by pictures. Perhaps you read some testimonials

provided by satisfied customers on the website. Having that

experience, you may not consider the Internet to be much more

than a giant, product catalog and phone book. While a website

is necessary and useful to promote and sell agency products and

services, the website alone does not help you ‘stay in touch’ with

customers after the sale. The ability to sell travel online does not

provide assistance or communication after the sale.

Customer Service and Technology 36


There is, however, a characteristic of the Internet that can

help the agency business stay in touch with customers, protect the

agency’s reputation, improve customer satisfaction, and maybe

even attract new customers. A new category of Internet websites

called ‘Social Media’ helps connect businesses with customers

round-the-clock.

3.5.1 SOCIAL MEDIA Using social media sites to communicate at large WEBSITES Social Media websites are different from standard Internet websites

because information stored on these sites is placed there by Internet

users called ‘Members’ rather than a website owner. Here, anyone

can publish information about themselves or their business,

including pictures and videos which are easily updated at any time.

Anyone can publish information or news on social media sites by

creating a “profile” and it costs nothing. On social media sites, such

as Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/) or Twitter

(http://twitter.com/), hundreds of thousands of user members update

their profile web pages, communicating news about their lives.

The term for placing and updating information on social media

websites is called ‘posting’. Some social media sites use other

terms for this type of activity. Although all social media websites

can be accessed by the public, users decide which information can

be viewed by the public or restricted to select members that the

user has labeled “friends or family”.

In addition to publishing information, comments, videos and

photos, social media websites enable users to chat with ‘friends’ in

public or in private. Members can post messages on each other’s

pages. The goal of all social media websites is to build social and

business connections. Through these online connections, user

groups or networks easily exchange ideas, opinions, information,

photos and other information.

Some social media website users have more than one public-

facing profile page, each with its own separate network of friends.

Users often have one that is used with business and professional

associates and another for personal friends and family. Social

network profile pages have become important tools for thousands

of enthusiastic users to stay connected with their network of

associates, friends and family. Posting on social network websites

enables users to share their thoughts and opinions with large

numbers of people at one time. Those who receive posts can easily

respond and ‘re-post’ or communicate the original message with

comments to their network of friends. Because of this, good or

bad messages can quickly be spread to huge numbers of people.

When a message is received by many people, and in turn, re-posted


37


to many more social networks, the message is said to be ‘going

viral’. The viral aspect of social networking sites makes them

very important to all types of businesses.

Key Learning Point The most cost effective way to instantly share information with

large numbers of people is by posting comments, information or

news on social media sites. For businesses like travel agencies,

the viral effect of communicating through social media can

greatly benefit or damage their reputation, depending on the

opinions and comments their customers freely post. Maintaining

excellent customer service standards is critical for travel

businesses that care what their customers say about their

service on social media sites.

“Listening” to Social Networks Most people to want to tell others when something makes them

happy, sad, or mad. Social network users can post these personal

comments to share with friends, family or business associates. The number of social media website users has grown very large.

Businesses have begun to realize that comments posted by users

can benefit or damage the image of companies or brands if they

become the subject of posts on social media websites.

Many large companies systematically monitor online

discussion postings (sometimes called “social chatter”) on social

media sites, looking for references to their company or brand

name. When appropriate or necessary, companies join the social


38


discussion to reverse or stop negative postings about their products

or services, or to encourage and spread positive postings. A customer who posts a negative comment about a business

or service can damage the business if spreads like a virus

through social network sites. One example of a social media posting that damaged business

image and ultimately created the impression of poor customer service

was a video created and posted by an airline passenger. The

passenger’s guitar was broken by the airline’s baggage handlers. The

posting was an overnight sensation and was viewed by over ten

million potential customers of the airline. The attention urged the

airline to publicly respond to the video, and launch a corporate-wide

campaign to improve its baggage handling service.

Some businesses also listen for the names of competing

products and services, to better understand consumer opinions

of competitive products. ‘Listening’ to social networks is an

important way for consumer-oriented businesses to: • Better understand the way customers view their product

or service and competitors • Improve their products or services to meet customer needs • Identify and correct service problems more quickly • Prevent unhappy customers from leaving


39


Key Learning Point By monitoring online discussions or “chatter” on social media

sites, an agency can gather important market intelligence. They

can learn what customers think about the products they sell and

which other travel products consumers prefer. But equally

important is listening for complaints about the agency’s customer

service delivery as well as complaints about their suppliers.

Listening to social chatter provides an opportunity to correct

service errors immediately and turn unhappy customers into

satisfied ones.

As a local travel agent, it wouldn’t make sense to try to monitor

public postings like some larger companies are doing.

However, you can use social media networks to:

• build and maintain relationships with existing customers • improve the level of customer service • spread the word about good service

Use social networks to reach out to consumers,

improve service or promote good service Social networking sites make it easy for individuals to interact with

one another. Most sites, like Facebook and Twitter, allow

businesses to create profile pages for their products and services. A

business profile page can search network sites for people by their

interests and social media site group membership and post news

and product offerings to those profiles. Today, most mobile phones can access and post some text or

comments on social network sites. Users receive posted

notifications or alerts on their social network sites through their

mobile phones in real-time. It is important to note that

communicating urgent or critical information to customers

though social network sites would not be effective if the customer

is not accessing his or her profile. Be sure to monitor your business profile page regularly and

often. It’s important to read customer postings and participate in

online discussions about topics that relate to your service or

business. Customers communicate their travel experiences and

needs through their postings. It is a way to determine if your

customer service level is below or above their expectations. If

customers are communicating that the service level is poor, it is

an opportunity to take immediate corrective actions so that you

can keep existing customers and prevent damage to your

professional reputation. But the objective should be to deliver

service excellence so that the only postings read on social sites

represent high customer ratings.


40


Key Learning Point Social network websites can lead to new sales and business

opportunities. They can identify an urgent need to solve a

customer complaint. However, they may not be the best

channel to communicate alerts and important notifications to

travelling customers.

Twitter and Facebook: Two Popular Social Media Sites

Twitter

Twitter is a social networking service that enables users to post

and read messages called tweets on their own or other user

profiles. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters. Through Twitter, companies communicate their products,

services and news with short messages posted to followers.

The messages appear instantly on followers’ home or profile

pages. Tweet messages link followers to the business’ website,

photos or videos where followers spend more time. Twitter tweets

can link followers to the business Facebook profile.


41


Facebook

A Facebook Profile is an account that summarizes who you are and

what you are doing. Profile owners freely connect with the public

or private friends to share their experiences.

A Facebook page is more for organizations and businesses to

promote their products and services. Facebook pages and profiles

tend to be more detailed than Twitter, with longer text descriptions

of products and services, including videos and photos. Destination

videos on a corporate Facebook Page can effectively promote an

agency’s travel specialties, featuring niche destinations or hotel

properties. Facebook pages include a blogging feature where

the public, and especially

agency customers, can display

testimonials and comments

for all to read. Facebook can

link back to the product’s

website and Twitter page.

It can instantly send out

reminders to followers or

members. Facebook promotes a

product in real-time and brings

customers in.

3.5.2 MOBILE APPLICATIONS The mobile phone is perhaps the most popular consumer product

ever invented. Researchers estimate that:

• there are more than five billion mobile telephone customers

worldwide

• more people own mobile phones than cars and credit cards

• 40% of mobile phone users access the Internet more often on

their phones than their personal computers

• there are more than 55 million smartphones in use and the

number is expected to double within a year

Source: 2010

Brushfire Mobile


42


Travellers are high users of their portable devices such as mobile

phones and smartphones. Mobile phones and smartphones are

portable telephones used to make calls or communicate by voice.

Smartphones are more than mobile phones because they combine

mobile phone and computer capabilities. Smartphones are like

mini computers that also make and receive phone calls.

Smartphones store information, send and receive email

communications and are used just like personal computers. Smartphones access software applications, also known as

applications or “apps”. Apps are accessed through the phone’s

connection to the Internet. When portable phones are programmed

with apps, they do more than make telephone calls – they become

computers for their users. Today there are more than 7 billion

software applications or apps for mobile phones. Many apps have

been developed for travel and they are extremely popular. There

are hundreds of travel-related apps available for download to

smartphones. One of the most popular travel apps is the GPS (Global

Positioning System). GPS apps are helpful to travellers by

showing their location or nearness to places or attractions or

facilities, such as a hotel, restaurant, or drug store. GPS apps

provide directions and guide travellers to local destinations.

Travel professionals can serve their travel customers by

informing them of useful travel apps. By researching the most

useful travel apps available and informing customers about them,

you help increase the services enjoyed by your travel customers.

Consider using social networking to recommend useful

downloadable travel apps that you have researched. When looking for appropriate travel applications, it is

better to focus on apps that have a narrowly defined purpose

which are easier to describe and promote via email and social

media networking tools.


43


Applications that meet traveler needs while they travel do not

compete with the services that your agency provides. !Emergency! is

one app that is simple to use and gives travelers a degree of security

that otherwise would be difficult to attain. It’s simple and serves only

one purpose by providing the traveler a way

to instantly use their smartphone to contact local police almost

anywhere in the world. Everyone knows how to contact the police

from their phone, when they are in their own home country, but it

is not so simple in an unfamiliar foreign country. By pressing the

!Emergency! button through this app, the phone will identify its

location and instantly dial the local police. The !Emergency! app

carries a database of emergency telephone numbers from around

the world. This app also helps locate the nearest embassy,

hospital or clinic. (Ref. http://emergencyapp.wordpress.com/).

There is an app available for every common traveller

need, from translation, to finding budget hotels, to reading

about destinations and attractions and more.

If the travel professional does his homework and recommends

helpful travel apps, customers will appreciate the extra service.

Travelers that follow and like their suggestions will likely

communicate them to others along with their praise of their travel

agent.

Key Learning Point Travel agents raise their value when they offer practical

recommendations to their travel customers. Today’s traveller is a

frequent user of portable devices and benefit from the many

travel apps available. The agent who is knowledgeable about

the most simple and useful apps and recommends them to their

customers is one who delivers a high level of customer service.


44



45


3.6 SUMMARY

In this Unit, we have explored how technology improves

communication with travel customers so that the travel

professional’s service level is enhanced and appreciated by

customers. You learned that:

• Different types of customers need different types of

information that is concise, relevant to their travel experience,

convenient and timely. They expect their travel professional to

use technology to communicate information in real time

(Unit 3.2)

• Email and SMS messaging are common forms of

communicating with travelling customers (Unit 3.3)

• Global Distribution Systems assist travel professionals by

automating communications to customers with accuracy

(Unit 3.4)

• Social media channels are effective ways to monitor your level

of customer service and take corrective recovery actions to

improve customer service (Unit 3.4)

• Travel professionals can provide added value that raises the

level of customer service by recommending to their customers

some simple-to-use and helpful travel apps (unit 3.5)


46


4 Winning Customer Loyalty

LEARNING OUTCOMES



4.1 OVERVIEW

4.2 FOUR STEPS IN

DELIVERING

EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE

• List and explain the four steps of delivering

exceptional customer service. (Unit 4.2)

• Describe the benefits of providing follow-up service

and support. (Unit 4.3) • Identify how travel professionals behave as advocates

for customers (Unit 4.4) • Describe how travel professionals can compete with

the Internet. (Unit 4.5)

To keep customers, a travel agency business must be attentive and

responsive to individual customer needs. Otherwise, customers

will take their business elsewhere – remember that customers

always have a choice. Their business goes to the agency that makes

them feel welcome, valued and well served! Customers who feel

well taken care of remain loyal to their travel professional. In the last Unit, you learned about the basic communication

skills that provide the basis for interacting effectively with

customers. In this Unit, you will build on these skills in

discovering how to win customer loyalty.

One way to win customer loyalty is to deliver exceptional service.

You will study a simple model involving four basic steps.

Following these steps will enable you to respond to customers in a

professional way that will bring them back for your services over

and over again.

To deliver exceptional service, a travel professional should:

1) Acknowledge the customer. 2) Determine the needs of the customer. 3) Identify a solution. 4) Deliver the service.

Let’s briefly examine each of these steps in turn.

Inden fy a solu on

Determine the needs of the customer

Acknowledge the customer

Deliver the

service

Winning Customer Loyalty 47


Step 1 – Acknowledge the Customer

Everyone wants to be noticed. Customers hate to be ignored,

whether they are shopping in person, by telephone or by email. An

existing customer expects the service provider to recognize

him/her by name and to remember their preferences. A new

customer generally decides whether they want to deal with a travel

professional within the first few minutes of their interaction. How

you greet and talk to the customer is a decisive factor in whether

they will do business with you. With first-time customers, there is

no second chance to make a good first impression.

Greet the Customer

What is said to a customer in the first thirty seconds, and the way it

is said, will set the mood for conversation and service expectations.

It is important to provide the customer your full attention and stop

other activities. Multi-tasking while greeting a customer will not create customer confidence. The following are

some recommendations for the service provider: • Customers with Appointments

Quickly acknowledge a customer’s presence; it is not a good

idea to make the customer wait without saying anything to him/

her. In the case where the customer has an appointment with

the travel professional, then the customer must be served on

time. It is important to respect the customer’s time. • Customers without Appointments

Other customers may visit or telephone without an

appointment. It is important to acknowledge these walk-in or

phone-in customers immediately. Without an appointment, it

may not be possible to provide immediate full service in busy

travel seasons. Customers will want to know “when” they’ll

receive service. It isn’t wise to promise these customers

service “in just a few minutes” if it is not realistic.

Good travel agencies will publish a service standard that is

formally displayed or communicated publicly. This helps shape

customer expectations and minimizes customer complaints. But the

travel agency and its travel professionals must adhere to the policy.

The following are effective questions to make the customer

feel important when there is no service standard and waiting is

required:

“We are serving other customers right now, but would you like

to schedule an appointment for later today or another day?”

“Would you like to email me your questions? I would contact

you as soon as I receive it and telephone you within 24 hours.

Please accept my business card.”



Key Learning Point Customers report that failing to acknowledge their presence is

most frustrating. It is important to provide the customer your full

attention and stop any other activities.

Step 2 – Determine the Customer’s Needs Skillful travel professionals determine customer needs by

listening to them and by asking questions. Listening to customers

and asking them good questions assures the customer that their

needs are important and that they will be served. Use the listening and questioning techniques you learned in

Unit 2, “Communicating with Customers”. Listening to the

customer helps the travel professional collect important

information that will identify what is important to the customer

so that a need or problem is correctly resolved. Take good notes and verify that you have understood the

customer’s needs. The customer appreciates it when the travel

professional says , “Your business is very important to me and I

want to be absolutely sure that I clearly understand your needs. I

recorded some notes as you were explaining the situation. Let’s

review my notes and confirm that what I have written is correct.” Travel professionals who spend time summarizing the

information collected from the customer actually save time by

avoiding repetition, misunderstandings and delivering the wrong

product or service. Having the correct information and validating

the customer’s needs will lead to an effective plan of action and

a satisfied customer.

Step 3 – Identify the Solution Now it is time to offer travel products and services that will satisfy

the customer’s needs. Offering a product or service may seem

easy to do. Offering the best solution that will most effectively

respond to the customers’ needs requires the following process: 1) Explain what is available; offer a choice of available travel

products or services. 2) Explain the features of each product or service offered.

Brochures are good travel agency tools that help explain

product features. Product features describe what is included

in the product. For example, features of a luxury tour

product may include direct air transportation, five-star

hotel accommodations, or a personal tour guide. 3) Highlight and sell product benefits that represent what is

important to the customer. Customers want to buy value, not

price alone. For example, the travel professional can identify

travel product benefits as “conveniences” (example: save

travel time) or “extras” that are free-of-charge (example: free

meals for children at a resort or a free cruise cabin upgrade).



Step 4 – Deliver the Service

It is essential to deliver what is promised. Customers measure the

travel professional’s credibility by the actions they see. The travel

professional has the opportunity of gaining or losing credibility

with each promise made to a customer. A travel agency will

absolutely lose customers who do not receive the products,

services and treatment that are promised. One of the quickest ways

to lose the customer’s confidence is to not follow-through, or to be

late in delivering a service without notifying the customer in

advance.

Key Learning Point Delivering what was promised on time is important to

building positive relationships with customers.

Returning phone calls, sending information, following up on

details are all part of the promises the travel professional is

obliged to keep. If the travel professional promises to call – then

he/she must call, even if there is no news to report. It is dangerous

to let customers think they have been forgotten or that their

business is not important enough to stay in contact. Surprise the customer from the time to time. When it is

possible to provide an extra level of service, do so. Whether it’s

an unexpected complimentary destination guidebook or passport

and visa application forms, these special gestures go a long way

towards creating customer loyalty and winning new customers.

Offering upgrades and membership to frequent traveller club are

nice extras for customers. Delivering more than what the customer

expects raises the customer service level. Any opportunity to demonstrate detailed knowledge of

destinations enhances the customer’s trust in the travel

professional’s services. Travel professionals who enjoy

supporting customers with extra value maintain a database of

customer information and preferences. The travel professional

who knows his/her customer preferences offers better customer

service. For example, knowing that a customer will only accept

first class hotel accommodations will facilitate call processing and

make the customer feel important and valued.

Key Learning Point Travel professionals can deliver exceptional service by:

acknowledging customers, determining their needs,

identifying the services to be offered, and providing after

sales service.



4.3 PROVIDE AFTER The customer service process doesn’t end when a sale is made.

SALES SERVICE AND After a customer has travelled, it is a good idea to contact the

S customer, by email or telephone call to measure the customer’s UPPORT

satisfaction with the service and product experienced. When a

travel professional follows up with customers they feel

he/she cares about their business.

Some benefits of offering follow up (or after sales) service include:

• Relationship building Following up with customers is good customer service

that builds long-lasting relationships with customers.

Satisfied customers become loyal customers.

• Repeat sales Following up with customers after a sale allows the travel

agency to cross-sell and offer different or new products and

services. When customers are pleased by a friendly after

sales call, the customer is open to buying again.

• Referrals Once the customer is satisfied with the travel professional’s

services, there is an opportunity to receive customer referrals

to friends and relatives



It may be difficult to find enough time to follow up with every

customer who returns from a trip. As an important step in the

customer service and sales process, travel professionals must

manage their time to include after sales customer service, perhaps

during quieter periods of the day or week. Every travel

professional should plan to follow up with one customer daily.

This will ensure the service is evenly offered without interfering

with the busy demands of serving other customers. It is worth

reserving a few minutes a day to maintain happy customers. Following up by email is not quite as effective as a telephone

call, but provides an efficient solution which is better than not offering any after sales service. Creating a generic email

communication template that can be personalized by inserting

customer information can provide a quick solution to following up

with customers.

Delivery of after sales service is not limited to the period

immediately following the customer’s return. It is good for

business to provide continuous after sales service such as: • Sending “thank you for your business” notes.

• Delivering an e-newsletter or email alerts for new products/

services.

• Demonstrating customer appreciation for repeat business by

awarding certificates.

• Making after sales calls without necessarily making a

sales pitch.

• Remembering customers on special occasions such as

birthdays, anniversaries or holidays.

Like professionals in other fields, travel agents do make mistakes.

It might be as simple as forgetting to request a special meal or

advising late hotel check-in time. Performing after sales customer

service runs the risk that the customer will deliver some bad

news. Every travel professional must be prepared to learn through

an after sales call that he/she may discover that he/she made an

error. It is best to admit the error and deal with a customer

complaint as soon as possible. It is an opportunity to sincerely say

“I’m sorry” to the customer which is appreciated.

Key Learning Point Travel professionals who consistently perform after sales

customer service benefit by securing customer loyalty and by

developing new sales opportunities with repeat business and

customer referrals.



4.4 PROTECT CUSTOMER Travel professionals must be a valuable resource for their

INTERESTS customers, saving them time, energy and worry. Customers appreciate it when travel professionals act as their “advocates”.

Here are some examples of how travel professionals can be good

advocates for their customers:

• Be honest

Some travel agencies try to direct as many customers as

possible to a preferred supplier’s products or services. These

travel agents highlight features and benefits of preferred travel

products or suppliers. Customers want advice on both the

benefits and the disadvantages of any product or service. They

expect their agent to recommend a product that meets their

needs with the most benefits.

• Provide real value

Sometimes a travel customer hesitates to buy because of price.

The customer does not see the added value in a product that is

priced above similar products.

In order to prove added value, the travel professional

should encourage the customer to compare pricing of similar

products on the Internet websites or with other travel agencies.

The travel professional must be able to explain in detail the true

reason for the difference in product price or offering and prove

the added value.

• Protect the customer’s investment

Protecting the customer’s financial investment in a travel

purchase is important. Customers do not want to lose the

money that they have saved to pay for a vacation. It is good

practice to know which travel suppliers offer a full credit or

refund if a last-minute cancellation is necessary. Customers

should be advised of such suppliers and of the advantage they

offer in allowing changes or cancellation at no cost, even if

these are not preferred suppliers.



Payment by credit card should be recommended. In many markets,

paying for travel purchases by credit card protects the traveller

without having to spend more. Many credit card companies include

some travel insurance coverage for risks such as medical care, lost

baggage, trip cancellation or credit the customer’s purchase in case

the airline carrier goes out-of-business.

A good travel professional assesses the risks associated with

the customer’s journey to recommend travel insurance products

that will protect the customer’s before, during and after

travelling. Selling travel insurance to agency customers can be

challenging. But an insured customer who is protected by

insurance coverage will be a happy customer if he/she needs

medical attention or has lost baggage while travelling. When travel professionals act as their customers’ advocates,

they secure customer loyalty and attract new customers.

Key Learning Point Supporting and serving the needs of each customer is more

important than supporting preferred travel partners or

suppliers.



4.5 COMPETING WITH

THE INTERNET

How can travel agencies compete with the Internet? The key is

to promote and provide useful services that cannot be matched

by the Internet.

Consumer expectations have grown and changed direction

because technology has made it so easy for customers to research,

shop and buy. As a result, travel agencies and their professionals

should continuously review customer expectations and their own

performance against these expectations.

Here are some ways travel professionals can compete

with the Internet: • Find customers who travel regularly on more complex

itineraries. These are customers who generally require

multiple travel arrangements, with multiple stop

itineraries and hotel reservations or a rather large tour.

Your role as a travel professional is to find and serve

customers in those “special” situations. • Negotiate and leverage preferred supplier agreements: Support

customers when something goes wrong. Many travellers

experience situations in which a hotel cannot find a

reservation or a flight is cancelled. Agents who work regularly

with preferred airlines or hotels are better able to resolve these

situations than the travellers themselves. Travel professionals

should use their relationships with their suppliers to solve

customer issues. When the customer wins, so does the travel professional.

• Maintain a solid customer database and pay attention to

personal preferences. Give personalized care and attention.

Offer products and services that match customer preferences or

needs. Recording that a travel customer is diabetic helps

anticipate that he/she will require a diabetic meal on flights.

Similarly, recording that a corporate customer prefers advance

aisle seat assignments on flights or is a loyal Hilton Hotel

reward program member allows you to make such

arrangements without the need to ask or be asked. Knowing

you customer builds loyalty through service and results in good

word-of-mouth referrals. • Promote and advertise products, services and deals that are

not available on the Internet or from competitor agencies.

Technology now makes it easy to market to a global audience

at a very reasonable cost, and sometimes even at no cost. But

prioritize marketing efforts to the agency’s customer database.

Send a monthly newsletter to customers highlighting the deal

of the month, a new destination, cruise ship, airline

destination tour package. Beat your customers to the Internet

by captivating them which the products and services you offer

so they fell it is unnecessary to research their travel needs.



• Specialize in travel products and services. Offering superior

knowledge about particular destinations or types of travel

(adventure, cruise, senior, theme travel, etc.) can create an

opportunity to meet the needs of the sophisticated travel

customer. There is a market of travel customers with specific

travel interests. They look for expert knowledge in particular

travel products or services. Customers enjoy buying from

travel professionals who share the same interests and

experiences. Expertise shows through the travel professional’s

detailed knowledge of a destination or a product. For example,

a travel agent specialist on southern Africa would describe

camps ideal for mokoro (canoe) rides and identify which camp

patio is visited by giraffes. A travel agent with exceptional

knowledge of a travel destination should market that expertise,

not only locally, but globally as well. It is easy to grow a travel

business when one sells to the whole world. Technology and

the Internet enable travel agencies to do just that. Travel

specialists invest in training to earn a title as a specialist that

can easily be marketed. • Sell online as well as in person: All travel agencies, including

home-based ones, have their own websites that are complete

and easy to navigate. Make your website commercial and able

to process online purchase transactions. Promote the agency

website through Internet search engines. Use effective Meta

Tags to describe your agency’s specialty. Even travel

customers who buy from a preferred agency may want to find

information in the middle of the night!

Sp

ecia

lized

pro

du

cts

Se

ll o

nlin

e

Key Learning Point Travel professionals can compete with the Internet by

promoting and providing useful services that cannot be

matched by the Internet.




1) Interview at least two customers to determine what aspects of cus-

tomer service would make them be loyal customers. Use the con-tent

of this Unit to prepare your interview questions. 2) Interview two travel professional colleagues to determine what they do

to promote customer loyalty. Again, use the content of this Unit to

prepare your interview questions.



4.6 SUMMARY In this Unit, you examined different ways to win the loyalty of travel customers. You learned that:

• The four steps for delivering exceptional service are: 1) Acknowledge the customer. 2) Determine the needs of

the customer. 3) Identify the solution.4) Provide the

service. (Unit 4.2) • Customers report that failing to acknowledge their presence

is frustrating. It is important to provide the customer your

full attention and stop any other activities. (Unit 4.2) • Delivering what was promised on time is important to

building positive relationships with customers. (Unit 4.2) • Travel professionals who consistently perform follow up

customer service benefit by securing customer loyalty and

by developing new sales opportunities with repeat business

and customer referrals. (Unit 4.3) • Supporting and serving the needs of each customer is more

important than supporting preferred travel partners or suppliers.

(Unit 4.4) • Travel agencies can compete with the internet by

promoting and providing useful services that cannot be

matched by the Internet. (Unit 4.5)



5 Handling Difficult Customers

LEARNING OUTCOMES By completing this Unit,


5.1 OVERVIEW

5.2 WHY CUSTOMERS

GET UPSET

• List two reasons why travel customers may get

upset. (Unit 4.2)

• List and describe the three steps to follow when reacting

to an upset customer (Unit 4.3) • Identify how to calm customers who are upset on the

phone. (Unit 4.3) • Identify what to do and what not to do when faced with

an upset customer. (Unit 4.4) • Describe how to handle unreasonable demands. (Unit 4.5) • Identify methods of maintaining self-control. (Unit 4.6)

Difficult customers are part of every travel professional’s work

life. There will always be customers who have reasons to be upset

or angry, often caused by events which are out of the agency’s

control. You will need to interact with them. These situations can

become emotional for everyone involved. You may feel defensive,

whether responsible or not. Being prepared for such situations will

make it easier for you to handle them. This Unit will help prepare

you by providing you with simple methods to deal with customers

who are upset or angry and those who make unreasonable

demands. Finally, as additional reading for those who are

interested, there is a self-assessment that measures your skills for

handling difficult customers.

Let’s begin by studying why travel customers may get upset.

When it comes to travel, things can easily go wrong from hotel

bathrooms that overflow to travel delays, from employees who

may be having a bad day to food that is served below standards.

While these mishaps may not be intentional, customers suffer and

complain. In general, customers complain because: • Customers believe that their service expectations have not been

met; and/or • Customers don’t like how they have been treated.

Dissatisfied customers normally have a good reason to be upset:

the wrong flight is reserved, or the hotel has no record of their

reservation, or seat numbers were not assigned on a flight. These

are examples of service expectations that were not met. Other

examples include travel arrangements being changed without

notification or issues with the quality of accommodations.

Handling Difficult Customers 59


Customer expectations are directly linked to the services and

quality of the services that a company promises. Before a

customer procures a service, he/she evaluates its potential to meet

his or her needs. In doing so, the customer compares the service

and quality promised by the company against those of its

competitors. So, a customer will recognize if the service falls

below expectations, whether established by prior experience or by

explicit promises made in marketing and sales efforts. Customers will gladly accept performance that is of a higher

standard than expected, but they are less accepting of unexpectedly

lower levels of service. If performance fails to match the standard

that the customer expects, the customer becomes dissatisfied. With

customers becoming more aware of their rights and demanding

more value for money, they are becoming more willing to

complain more often. Customers become upset if they believe they have not been

treated well. They may feel that they were handled unfairly or

mistreated in some way. Sometimes, travel professionals must deal with customer

complaints about events or services that they are not responsible

for: a flight has been cancelled or delayed and there will be a

flight misconnection. It may be a case of lost luggage, or a hotel

room with a ceiling leak, or even a rental car breaking down.

Key Learning Point Customers complain for one of two reasons: • Customers believe that their service expectations were not

met; and/or • Customers don’t like how they have been treated.



5.3 RESPONDING TO AN

UPSET CUSTOMER

An attentive travel professional can recognize signs of customer

dissatisfaction and diffuse a difficult situation by following a

few simple steps and with good communication skills. You can identify an unhappy customer by paying attention to non-verbal signs of dissatisfaction. The customer may: • tap their fingers on the counter and look annoyed • have a grim facial expression • pace and constantly look at his or her watch • speak with an irritated tone of voice - especially after

having waited “on hold” on the telephone • demand attention in a brisk and clipped manner

In most cases, a dissatisfied customer will approach you and

ask for your attention. When faced with handling a customer

who is upset, you can rely on the following three steps to help

you deal with the situation effectively.

React with empathy

Acknowledge the customer’s Speak slowly and calmly Validate the customer’s anger

feelings

Listen to understand the problem causes

Encourage the

Clarify the situa on Listen to everything the Repeat in your own

customer to describe words the customer’s with probing ques ons customer has to say

the problem problem

Se le the situa on quickly

Offer a choice of solu ons Discuss the op ons

1. React with empathy. • Acknowledge the customer’s feelings and express regret: “I

can see how this is an important issue” or “I can understand why you are upset”. When appropriate, a simple apology for the inconvenience or misunderstanding will often calm the customer down. Recognizing that the customer has a grievance is not the same as accepting blame.

• Speak slowly and calmly. This will keep you calm and it will calm your customer as well. The upset customer will not shout at someone who is being quite rational and calm. Never talk down to customers or accuse them of being at fault. Instead, maintain a positive, professional, polite and respectful attitude. Assume that the problem can be solved and never forget to thank them for bringing the situation to your attention.

• Validate the customer’s anger - before solving or explaining

anything. This step shows customers that they matter. For example, you can say, “I don’t blame you for being angry,”

or “Of course you’re angry!” Their level of anger will slightly diminish if they know you take it seriously.



2. Listen to understand the problem causes.

• Encourage the customer to give a thorough account of the

problem. Take notes and pay complete attention. Only

interrupt if absolutely necessary to request further clarification. • When customers are in an emotional state they tend not to

communicate very clearly. When this happens you need to take

control of the situation and turn their low quality information

into high quality information by starting at the beginning with

some basic facts. You do this by using probing and clarifying

questions. However, always remember to ask permission to

ask questions. Angry customers will be further annoyed if

asked probing questions. They do not understand why it is

necessary to ask questions about details they think are

irrelevant to solving their immediate problem. Therefore, keep

the customer informed as to why you need certain information • Always listen to everything the customer has to say before

providing any kind of answer. Ensure that you and the

customer are working with the same information and the same

level of understanding. • Repeat, in your own words, the customer’s problems. This

step shows customers that you heard them, and it also allows

for clarification. For example, you may say, “You were

billed ten dollars more than you should have been.” Even if

the customers respond with, “Yes, that’s what I just said,”

their anger will be somewhat decrease because they know

that you heard them. 3. Settle the situation quickly. If you can’t give customers

exactly what they want it is important to tell them what you

can do for them. Offering a choice of solutions allows the customer to feel in

control and respected. Discuss the options with the goal of

getting agreement about the actions to be taken. • “Based on what you have said, I would suggest ...” • “Here is what we could do ...” • “One possibility is ...” • “In that case, why don’t we ...” • “How does that sound to you?” • “Which of these options would work best for you?”

When the complaint cannot be dealt with immediately because of

office closures or the need to wait for a call back from an airline or

tour operator, express regret and keep the customer informed as to the

procedure that will be followed and the time it will take to resolve.

Every service provider has a limit to his or her authority. If you have

done your absolute best to solve the customer’s problem but still they

are dissatisfied and angry, then this would be the time to transfer the

call to a team leader, supervisor or manager.



Key Learning Point React – Clarify – Respond. These are three steps to follow with

upset customers.

5.4 CALMING There are some differences in the way upset customers are handled

CUSTOMERS ON THE face-to-face versus on the telephone. Angry customer callers tend

TELEPHONE to be meaner simply because they do not see a face. They only

know that they are speaking to a representative of your agency.

The following are recommended practices in calming calling

customers. These practices show goodwill and make the customer

feel that they are important.

• When a customer cannot see concern in your face, they need to

hear concern in your voice.

• It helps to keep your voice as calm but assertive as possible.

An assertive voice sounds more mature to the caller who wants

to speak to a person in charge.

• If you must leave the conversation in such a complaint call,

state why and ask the customer if they would rather be called

back or be put on hold.

• If they want you to call back, set an exact time for the call back

that is acceptable to the customer. But return the call at the

agreed time – even if you are still working on a solution.

• If the customer prefers to be kept on hold or a queue, explain

how long you will be away. Be sure the customer records your

name and possibly your direct telephone number or extension

in case they hang up and need to call again. It is critical to

ask the caller for his/her telephone number in case you get

disconnected.



Key Learning Point It is easier for a customer to be angry and mean on the phone

because you are a faceless representative of your agency.

Communicating concern through a calm but assertive voice helps

calm upset customers.

5.5 CALMING THE The following are some additional “do and don’t” guidelines

CUSTOMER: that will help you control situations with upset customers. They

DO’S AND DON’TS may not be enough to turn the upset customer into a satisfied or

happy customer, but they will help calm the upset customer. If a

conversation with an upset customer cannot be controlled, you

should refer to a supervisor. Here are some “Do’s” to take into

consideration:

1. Do let customers keep their pride – The complaining

customer may ruin your day. But it is not acceptable to make

the customer feel embarrassed, insulted or disrespected. It is

important to understand the customer’s dissatisfaction from the

customer’s point of view and empathize.

2. Do offer solutions – Saying that there is nothing that can be

done to solve the customer’s complaint normally causes the

customer to feel helpless and angrier. Offering a choice of

solutions allows the customer to feel in control and respected.

Sometimes an indirect solution will help alleviate the urgency

of the situation and allow more time to find a satisfactory and

permanent solution for the core problem.

For example, a customer called to complain that the

wrong check-in date was reserved at his preferred hotel for

his upcoming trip. The agent made an error. The correct date

is not available which does not please the customer. The agent

cancels the original reservation for the wrong date, waitlists



the preferred hotel on the desired check-in date, and protects

the hotel reservation at an equivalent hotel for the correct date.

It’s not exactly what the customer wanted, but the customer

does have a hotel reservation on the correct date now. In the

meantime, the travel agent will contact the hotel and verify the

reservation daily with hope for a confirmation of the

waitlisted hotel.

3. Do apologize – Admit errors or omissions caused by a member

of the agency staff. If the travel professional maintains that the

customer was served perfectly, the customer becomes more

frustrated and angry. Sometimes simply admitting a mistake is

enough to satisfy the customer and resolve the problem.

4. Do be nice, but firm – It’s good business to always be

polite and show interest in what the customer says, even

when customers seem most unfriendly, rude or disrespectful.

But being nice and polite doesn’t mean giving in to

customer demands if they are unreasonable.

The following “don’ts” are practical suggestions for calming upset

customers. 1. Don’t argue – It is difficult to win an argument with a

customer, even if the customer is wrong. A customer always

wants to feel he/she is right. Telling customers they are

“wrong” makes them angrier and more difficult to deal with. It

is better to listen to the customer and understand why the

customer is upset. It is better to say, “I thought the contract

read otherwise, but let’s take a look”, than to say, “You never

asked for a rental car that can be driven across the border.”

2. Don’t take anything an angry customer says personally –

The customer is angry over a situation or against the company.

Or the customer may not be upset with the travel professional

or the travel agency. Upset customers could be experiencing a

bad day. It is easy to react emotionally to a customer who is

angry. Upset customers will focus their frustrations on the

travel professional even though the customer’s complaint is

with an external supplier such as a hotel or an airline. It is

important to remain calm and not respond to the customer with

the same anger.

3. Don’t tell the customer to calm down – Sometimes the

customer is so upset that the travel professional cannot get the

customer to listen. The situation may frustrate the travel

professional to the point where the travel professional threatens

to terminate the telephone call or refuse to speak to the



customer. Such a threat makes the customer angrier. It is

much better to calm the upset customer by saying, “I really

want to help you, but your tone/language is making it really

hard for me to do that.”

4. Don’t raise one’s voice and stay calm – Using a calm voice

when dealing with an upset customer will create calm. A

calm voice represents a confident professional who is in

control of a situation. The upset customer begins to realize

that yelling is not necessary to resolve the complaint. Saying,

“What can I do to help?” or “What can I do to fix this

situation?” in a calm voice is a good way to calm customers.

It is important to remember what an upset customer really wants.

First and foremost, they want to be taken seriously and treated

with respect. They want to be heard. They want immediate

action, whether it is in the form of compensation, refund or

credit, or taking action against the vendor or supplier that caused

the problem. They also want to know that the problem is cleared

up so it won’t happen again.

Key Learning Point Allowing customers keep their pride, apologizing, offering

solutions, apologising, and being firm are all techniques that

help control interactions with upset customers.



5.6 DEALING WITH

UNREASONABLE

DEMANDS

Key Learning Point

Customers may also make unreasonable demands, taking too

much of a travel professional’s time and resources. Examples

of unreasonable demands:

• “I would like to be sure we have the seat behind the tour

guide on our bus trip through Europe.” • “Please make sure the hotel restaurant in Egypt offers ketchup.” • “I’d like to hold on the phone while you book our ten hotels

in Asia.”

The best way to handle unreasonable demands is not by rejecting

the demand outright, but by suggesting alternative solutions or

services that are easier to deliver. Even if a customer’s demands

are impossible to meet, a blunt “No” or “Can’t be done” will only

worsen the situation. You must continue to be positive and

assume the problem. You may say: • “Based on what you have said, I would suggest ...” • “Here is what we could do ...” • “One possibility is ...” • “In that case, why don’t we ...” • “I have an idea on that; we could ...” • “Many people have found that ...” • “Should we go ahead then and ...?”

Travel professionals sometimes give in to unreasonable customer

demands because they worry about losing a sale or about the

customer spreading negative information to friends and relatives

or posting them online in blogs. Meeting unreasonable customer

demands requires an investment of extra time and effort. But

they usually do not deliver any additional revenue benefit.

The best way to handle unreasonable customer demands is by

suggesting alternative solutions or services that are easier to

deliver.



5.7 KEEPING It is easy to feel personally attacked when a customer is really

SELF-CONTROL upset. The customer is expressing anger at anyone representing the source of the error and in some cases it might be you. It is okay to

ask for help from your supervisor. More often than not, you may

not have caused the customer’s problem – and the customer will

really be judging you on the way you help solve the problem.

Below are a few suggestions on what to do for some of the

more frequent situations you may encounter.

TABLE 5.1 What To Do If?

What if: You should:

You begin to feel angry or Take a timeout or break. When you feel yourself getting emotional, excuse your-

want to cry or shout at the self politely. You might say:

customer…. “Excuse me while I check on this.”

“I need to verify some information. I will be gone for just a minute.”

“I need to discuss how we can best solve this with my supervisor. I will be just a

few moments.”

The customer is shouting Say the person’s name. Most people will respond when they hear their name.

and you don’t have a chance

to talk….

The customer is unwilling Make statements that direct the customer toward finding a solution.

to come to an agreement “Please tell me what you believe to be a fair solution.”

with you…. “How can we come to an agreeable solution on this?

The customer is mean Remain calm and professional and immediately contact a supervisor or manager.

or using bad language

with you….

Key Learning Point Taking a break, stating the customer’s name, and making

statements that direct the customer toward finding a solution

are all ways to help you keep self-control in difficult customer

situations.




1) Think about your own experiences with difficult customers. Briefly

describe a customer complaint that ended well. Refer to the three steps

to handle an upset customer and list the steps you took when resolving

the customer complaint. Add any others not included in the four steps.

Next, briefly describe a customer interaction that did not end well.

Again, refer to the three steps and list the steps you took in your attempt

to resolve the customer complaint. Compare the two lists and determine

what steps were missing in the situa-tion that ended badly.

2) Write down one new skill, piece of knowledge, or key action that you

learned in this unit. Describe how it will help you do your job better.

Include what you might do differently now when trying to calm an

upset customer.



Assess Your Skills in Calming Upset Customers Read

each statement and circle the number that most closely

represents your skill level. The goal is to identify low score items

(1 or 2), and work to improve them. Then, keep trying until you

score all 5’s. Then make sure your results remain high.

Scoring Key: (1) Never (2) Rarely (3) Sometimes (4) Usually

(5) Always

Source: Rebecca Morgan, Calming Upset Customers

N R S U A

01 I feel I can calm most upset customers 1 2 3 4 5

02 When I am upset with a customer, I stay calm 1 2 3 4 5

03 I do not interrupt 1 2 3 4 5

04 I focus on their concern without being distracted 1 2 3 4 5

05 I respond to insults without becoming defensive 1 2 3 4 5

06 I reduce distractions of paperwork and phone 1 2 3 4 5

07 I have attentive body language 1 2 3 4 5

08 I have appropriate facial expressions 1 2 3 4 5

09 I have confident eye contact 1 2 3 4 5

10 I listen completely before responding 1 2 3 4 5

11 I take notes when appropriate 1 2 3 4 5

12 I show empathy 1 2 3 4 5

13 I let the customer know I want to help 1 2 3 4 5

14 I know when to call on my supervisor 1 2 3 4 5

15 I have a confident, helpful tone of voice 1 2 3 4 5

16 I use words that do not escalate the 1 2 3 4 5

customer’s anger

17 I avoid blaming my fellow workers or the agency 1 2 3 4 5

18 After an upset customer leaves, I control 1 2 3 4 5

my emotions

19 I do not repeat the story more than once 1 2 3 4 5

20 I analyze what I did well, and what I’d 1 2 3 4 5

do differently



5.8 SUMMARY In this Unit you studied how to handle upset customers. You learned: • That the two main reasons why customers complain is because

they believe that their service expectations were not met; and/

or they didn’t like how they were treated.. (Unit 5.2) • The three steps to follow with upset customers are to: React

– Clarify – Respond. (Unit 5.3) • Letting customers keep their pride, offering solutions,

apologizing, and being firm are all techniques to use to

control situations with upset customers (Unit 5.4) • The best way to handle unreasonable customer demands is

by suggesting alternative solutions or services that are easier

to deliver. (Unit 5.5) • Taking a time-out, saying the customer’s name, and making

statements that direct the customer toward finding a solution

are all ways to help you keep self-control in difficult

customer situations. (Unit 5.6)



6 Coping With Work Stress

LEARNING OUTCOMES



6.1 OVERVIEW

6.2 SOURCES OF STRESS

IN THE WORKPLACE

• Identify sources of workplace stress in the travel industry

(Unit 6.2)

• List three techniques to cope with stress (Unit 6.3)

The increasingly demanding and competitive environment of the

travel industry certainly presents challenges for those who work in

it. Stress comes from trying to meet multiple deadlines, from

handling upset or angry customers, from the demands of

colleagues and supervisors and from having to learn new

technologies. When stress occurs in amounts that you cannot

handle, it interferes with performance. Those who work in travel are very people-oriented. They

are motivated to help others and work with high dedication and

commitment. The travel industry employs many. As a result,

those working in the travel industry may be more likely to burn

out or experience high stress because of their high sensitivity

to customers and fellow employees. Look for signs that you or a colleague feels stressed or

“has had enough” during extremely intense work periods or

situations. Some of these signs are: • wandering aimlessly in the workplace • becoming isolated from the workgroup • having difficulty remembering instructions • refusing to participate in activities and events or

following orders • refusing to leave his/her work station or post • becoming argumentative • expressing ideas and decisions with difficulty

Stress is the body’s reaction to a change that requires a physical,

mental or emotional adjustment or response. It can result from any

situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, nervous,

or anxious. Work quality decreases as work load increases. Stress makes a person tired which leads to poorer judgment and

decisions. Job-related stress happens when there is a conflict between job

demands on the employee and the amount of control an employee

has over meeting the demands. In general, a high workload

demand combined with a low amount of control over the situation

leads to stress. In the travel services environment, this can include:

Coping With Work Stress 72


• Upset or angry customers • Customers making unreasonable demands • Technology issues • Information overload • Boredom/ routine tasks • Fear of being laid off • Increased demand for overtime • Relationship issues with colleagues, supervisors

Key Learning Point One of the main causes of stress in the workplace is too much work

and not enough control over deliverables and deadlines.

6.3 COPING WITH Managing stress at work is an important skill. Burnout is the

STRESS inability to perform one’s job due to mental or physical exhaustion. Your job performance reflects your ability to manage your stress

Emotions are contagious, and stress can affect relationships

and interactions with colleagues and customers. There are a

variety of steps you can take to reduce your overall stress level.

These include:

1. Take responsibility for improving your physical and emotional

well-being.

• Use basic stress coping techniques like deep breathing.

Take the time to relax, breathe deeply and let the stress

wash over you.

• Exercise regularly. Exercising releases endorphins making

you feel happier and healthier. You can also work off

negative feelings and anger.

• Maintain a balanced diet.



• Maintain a healthy balance between work and home life. • When your own needs are taken care of, you’re stronger

and more resilient to stress. The better you feel, the

better equipped you’ll be to manage work stress without

becoming overwhelmed. • Take time for you own personal needs. When possible

try short breaks or take a walk outside. Often travel

professionals are so busy that they forget to take time

off for a real vacation.

2. Avoiding internalizing/personalizing customer complaints: • Never take it personally. When customers are frustrated,

they tend to take it out on the person that is trying to help

them. They don’t realize the impact they have on you.

Ignore personal attacks. • When customers are frustrated, their behavior is a

reaction to unmet expectations, not to you personally.

Understanding and meeting their expectations will help

defuse the emotion, help you keep cool, and keep the

conversation focused on problem solving. • Stay in control of the customer and your mood. Don’t let

a customer “push your buttons” and lead you to react

with anger.

3. Talk to other people. Communicate with co-workers and

other people in your life. Talking releases stress; sometimes

other people can offer solutions you didn’t think of yourself.

A chat with a colleague may end with an encouraging

compliment or praise for the work you do. Praise always

reminds us why we work so hard and helps to relieve stress.

Key Learning Point People who have a strong ability to cope with stress will be more

productive over a longer period of time. The better you feel

physically, the better equipped you’ll be to manage work stress

without becoming overwhelmed.




1) Refer to the sources of stress (Section 6.2) and identify any which

affect you right now. Divide the list into two parts: a) those you cannot do anything about b) those you can do something about

For the a) list, plan to be patient, obtain personal support from friends and

relatives, and let time pass.

For the b) list, discuss with your supervisor, your co-workers or friends who

may provide ideas on possible actions you could take to deal with those

issues.

2) List some of the techniques you are currently using to help relieve

stress on the job. Then read the article in the “Additional Reading”

section and add any new techniques to your list.



6.4 SUMMARY In this Unit you studied principle sources of stress and how to cope. You learned

• One of the main causes of stress in the workplace is too much

work and not enough time (Unit 6.2) • People who have a strong ability to cope with stress will be

more productive over a longer period of time. The better

you feel, the better equipped you’ll be to manage work

stress without becoming overwhelmed. (Unit 6.3)



GLOSSARY

Active listening: a conscious effort to hear

not only the words said but to understand

the complete message of what is heard,

observing signs such as behavior and

body language

Acknowledge: to notice or recognize someone

or something

Added Value: extra benefits that can truly

delight the customers and keep them loyal.

‘Buy two nights get one free’ is an added

value offer.

Advocate: to support and defend

Attentive and responsive: paying special

attention to the needs and interests of

other people

Back-office systems: equipment and staff

providing support for the main operations

of a business

Body Language: expressions on our face and

the way we move or hold our body Consistent service: delivering the same

customer service, time after time, so that

service meets customer expectations

Close-ended questions: questions that can be

answered with a short response such as ‘yes’

or ‘no’ and usually begin with ‘where’,

‘are’, ‘do’, ‘would’, ‘will’, ‘if’.

Coping: able to handle a situation or condition

successfully (“coping with stress”)

Credibility: believability

Credentials: qualifications

Cultural norms: expected behavior in particular

situations that may differ from country to

country

Customer-centric: focusing on customer

needs and preferences.

Customer expectations: what people

think should happen and how they

think they should be treated when

asking for or receiving customer

service

Customer Loyalty: a customer’s preference to

purchase and re-purchase from the same

supplier or brand over an extended period of

time

Customer relationship: a relationship

forms as the result of many individual

customer service contacts

Customer satisfaction: the feeling that a

customer gets when he or she is happy with

the customer service that has been received.

Customer service: the actions taken to help

customers, deliver products and meet their

needs with some level of quality.

Customer service transaction: a single

exchange of information, product or service

between a customer and a service deliverer

Effective listening: determines and delivers

what customers want by hearing what they

say and interpreting the sender’s message in

the same way the sender intended it

Empathy: showing understanding and caring;

ability to see things from another person’s

point of view

Evaluate: to judge or determine the value of

something

Feedback: advice, comments or reaction

Follow-up: to take action after an event or trip

(calling a customer after a vacation to see

how everything went)

Niche: a small specialized area of interest

or trade (niche marketing)

Glossary 77


Non-verbal communication: gestures, posture,

tone of voice, eye contact are forms of communicating without words

Open-ended questions: encourage someone

to talk openly; thus providing maximum information to help determine the issue at hand. Usually begin with ‘what’, ‘how’, ‘why’, and ‘describe’

Paraphrasing: repeating what someone has

written or said using different words

Rapport: relationship, connection

Recap: repeat (short for recapitulation)

Referrals: a person or business that someone

recommends

Stress: the body’s reaction to a conflict between

the demands of a job and the amount of control an employee has over meeting the demands.

Word-of-mouth: an opinion or story that is

spread by people talking

Glossary 78


FURTHER READING

Albrecht, Karl. At America’s Service. New York: Dow Jones

- Irwin,1998.

Albrecht, Karl. The Only Thing That Matters, New York:

Harper Collins, 1993.

Albrecht, Karl and Zemke, Ron. Service America; Doing Business

In The New Economy. New York: Dow Jones - Irwin, 1985.

Albrecht, Karl. Service Within. New York: Richard D. Irwin, Inc.

1990.

Carlzon, Jan. Moments Of Truth. Ballinger Publishing Co., 1978

Christopher, Martin. The Customer Service Planner.

Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd., Linacre House, Jordan Hill,

Oxford, OX2 8DP, 1992.

Peel, Malcolm. Customer Service: How to Achieve Total Customer

Satisfaction. London: Kogan Page Ltd., 1987.

References Morgan, Rebecca. Calming Upset Customers. Los Altos, California: Crisp Publications, Inc. 1989.

Further Reading 79


REVIEW QUESTIONS

Unit 1

1. The purpose of every service organization is to _________________. A. satisfy customer needs B. satisfy employee needs C. satisfy budget needs D. be attentive to customers

2. What is the role of the travel professional in an era where

more consumers shop and purchase travel online? A. To make standard pre-determined trip arrangements

with fixed pricing B. To make more complex trip arrangements and to

offer unpublished deals C. To make same simple and standard travel

arrangements offered online D. To offer their preferred travel partners and services at

fair market value

3. One attribute of a good travel professional is the ability to have

or develop _____________. A. strong leadership skills B. strong management skills C. strong interpersonal skills D. strong delivery skills

4. What is the best measure of success for a travel business? A. The level of repeat business B. The number of preferred suppliers C. The number of customer referrals D. The level of customer satisfaction

Unit 2 1. List the three active listening techniques.

A. B. C.

2. What type of question usually begins with the words

Where, Are, Do, Would, Will, and If? A. Paraphrase B. Open-ended C. Rapid-fire D. Close-ended

Review Questions 80


3. What type of question usually begins with What, How,

Why and Describe”? A. Paraphrase B. Open-ended C. Rapid-fire D. Close-ended

4. The majority of our communications are verbal. A. True B. False

5. Which is a verbal communication skill? A. Facial expression B. Posture C. Active listening D. Eye contact

6. When you are talking to a customer on the telephone, your

body language is not important. A. True B. False

7. List the six steps of successful telephone customer interactions. A. B. C. D. E. F.

Unit 3 1. Which type of information is most critical to deliver to

a travelling customer?

A. Notification of his hotel reservation confirmation number B. Notification of his hotel reservation

overbooking and change C. Notification of his hotel reservation check-in deadline D. Notification of his hotel reservation room rate

Review Questions 81


2. Which type of notification is expected by the

travelling corporate customer? A. The traveler expects a lot of information about their

destination B. The traveler expects notifications from the

company’s travel arranger C. The traveler expects only information that affects

travel arrangements D. The traveler expects to be notified of the estimated

flight arrival time

3. At which stage of travel do travel customers want to receive

information about the trip cost? A. Before travel begins B. While travelling C. After travel is complete D. At any time

4. Travelling customers expect to receive ______________ information. A. concise B. educational C. frequent D. general

5. Which is the best method to communicate reservation details to

customers? A. SMS messaging B. Email C. Telephone call D. Courier delivery

6. SMS communications can be no longer than 160 _____________ . A. words B. lines C. pages D. characters

7. Which tool can automate the communication and notification of

reservation information and changes to travelling customers? A. A GDS B. A mobile phone C. An Internet email account D. A social media site

Review Questions 82


8. Which information would not be found in a GDS Profile? A. Customer credit card number B. Customer diet restriction C. Customer reservation number D. Customer seat preference

9. The ______________ sends standard information to

travel customers about their travel reservations. A. GDS Profile B. SMS message C. booking agent D. GDS Script

10. Which is a feature of social media sites? A. All postings to a profile page must be visible to all

social site visitors B. Postings received on one profile page cannot be

forwarded to another page C. Information and photos can only be posted to your

own profile page D. Businesses are able to post information, news and videos

on social sites

11. What type of market intelligence can come from social

media chatter? A. Products and services recommended by social

media members B. Products and services promoted by competitors through

postings C. Products and services which social media members do not

like D. All of the above

12. Social media postings are the most effective way

to communicate notifications and alerts such as

flight cancellations.

A. True B. False

13. Which would not be categorized as a travel app? A. An app that can call the nearest hospital B. An app that entertains with video games C. An app that provides directions to a restaurant D. An app that translates words from a foreign language

Review Questions 83


Unit 4

1. List the four steps in delivering exceptional customer service. A. B. C. D.

2. List three benefits of performing follow-up service. A. B. C.

3. List three follow-up service techniques. A. B. C.

4. Knowing which suppliers offer last minute refunds is one way

of being a good advocate for your customer. A. True B. False

5. List two ways in which travel professionals can compete

with the Internet. A. B.

Unit 5 1. Two main reasons why travel customers complain about

their travel agent is because they don’t like how they have

been treated and _________________. A. they did not get the best product at the lowest possible price B. their connecting flight was delayed and they missed

their next flight C. promises weren’t kept so their service expectations

were not met D. their agent did not perform after sales service

2. List two non-verbal signs that can identify an unhappy

customer. A. B.

Review Questions 84


3. List the three steps in the procedure to serve

dissatisfied customers. A. B. C.

4. What is the best way to handle unreasonable customer

demands? A. Rejecting the demand outright B. Suggesting alternative solutions or services C. Give in and deliver unreasonable services D. Be stern and unfriendly to discourage unreasonable

requests

5. How do customer service professionals maintain self-control

when confronted by angry, shouting customers? A. Take a few deep breaths before responding B. Speak slower and in a deeper voice C. Take time for a break D. Count to ten over and over again

Unit 6 1. List three ways of coping with workplace stress.

A. B. C.

2. Stress is a physical reaction to external situations. A. True B. False

3. Exercise helps one to cope with stress. A. True B. False

Review Questions 85

ANSWER KEY


REVIEW

Unit 1 1) A 2) B 3) C 4) D

Unit 2 1) Be encouraging, reflect back feelings,

and paraphrase

2) D 3) B 4) B 5) C 6) B 7) Greet the caller, Determine who owns the

call, Listen to the caller, Summarize the

call, Provide the solution/deliver the

service, Close the call

Unit 3 1) B 2) C 3) A 4) A 5) B 6) D 7) A 8) C 9) D 10) D 11) D 12) B 13) B

Unit 4 1) Acknowledge the customer; Determine the

needs of the customer; Identify a solution;

Deliver the service. 2) Relationship building; Repeat sales;

Referrals 3) Sending “thank you for your business” notes;

Delivering an e-newsletter or email alerts for

new products/services; Demonstrating

customer appreciation for repeat business

by awarding certificates; Making follow-up

calls without necessarily making a sales

pitch; Remembering customers on special

occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries or

holidays.

4) A 5) Find customers that travel on more complex

itineraries, Negotiate and leverage preferred

supplier agreements, Maintain a good

customer database and pay attention to

personal preferences, Promote and advertise

products and services that are not available

on the Internet, Specialize in travel products

and services, Sell online as well as in person

Unit 5 1) C 2) The customer may: tap their fingers on the

counter and look annoyed, have a grim facial

expression, may pace and constantly look at

his or her watch, speak with an irritated tone

of voice - especially after having been “on

hold” on the telephone, demand attention in a

brisk and clipped manner. 3) React with empathy, Clarify with

questions, Settle the situation quickly 4) B 5) C

Unit 6 1) Take responsibility for improving your

physical and emotional well-being, Avoid

internalizing/personalizing customer

complaints, Talk to other people. 2) False 3) True

Review 88

to order: International Air Transport Association

www.iata.org/travel-tourism

[email protected]

+1 (514) 390 6777

Printed in Canada Mat. No: 8212-00 ISBN 978-92-9233-647-9

serving - kalemi travel · international travel and tourism training program ultimately, the travel...

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