Reinvention represents a necessity for a sector that has undoubtedly been among the most affected by the pandemic, but is expected to be among the first to achieve a complete revival.
For many, the Coronavirus crisis has become more than a business opportunity in the obligatory pursuit of reinvention. This is the case specifically for travel agencies, who must rethink the manner in which they will approach the new reality linked to the crisis that Coronavirus has deployed over hundreds of countries around the world.
In general, the economy has been affected, but the tourism sector has been the one that from the beginning, to date and with an unpredictable future, has experienced the most difficult times. The entire sector has faced countless losses, from flight cancellations to hotel closures, amusement parks and other leisure attractions disabled; without mentioning that much of the regular trade such as restaurants and public transport among others, have also been highly affected.
As part of the measures to combat the dreaded virus is partial confinement and social isolation, which for this sector means the inability to offer its services, but also the need to provide optimal customer service for people who were affected by the restrictions of the different countries.
The United States is one of the largest economies in the world and according to the World Economic Forum in 2017 received the sum of $449 billion in its GDP by tourism. While this contribution may not mean more than 5% of the total domestic product, it does signify the imperative need for good service to the millions of tourists who make this contribution possible.
Historically, the tourism sector has been among the most sensitive to the different geopolitical variations that occur, but it is also among the first to recover. While these are still times of uncertainty, when analyzing the situation of countries such as China, the country of origin of the pandemic and its current state of infection, we might think that the reopening of some economic fields is yet to come. Therefore, they must prepare to face the new normality that will come with it.
How should an agency be prepared?
While the online marketplace represents a large percentage of how tourism-related purchases are currently made, when it comes time to request support, the telephone or Call Centers remain a consumer favorite in communicating with their service provider. Therefore, the entire reinvention strategy should revolve around the optimization of this channel.
No matter what audience your tourism service is aimed at, the work of advice, personalization and customer service, are the most important factors in talking about the added value.
If the outlook of economic revival adds to the need for attention from captive customers who, because of the pandemic, failed to complete their trips and already had a pre-purchased package, it makes customer service work even more important, as it must respond both to the need for immediacy and resolution that the customer expects from their travel agent.
How to ensure the optimization of that channel?
Your travel agency may have the necessary means of providing quality customer service once this sector is reactivated. However, with the suspension of contracts, termination of others or restrictions accompanying the COVID-19 mitigation phase, your company will not be able to attend the flow of calls received. In this case, it will be better to outsource the service.
There are different options on the market that can be considered, but the most important thing is to have a Call Center that can handle the different variables that can be presented, from the simple response service to the interpretation of those potential foreign language clients.
A Call Center or Contact Center is able to offer a wide variety of services that will ensure no more missed calls, elimination of language barriers, immediate service, scheduling, quality care, in addition to the loyalty of its customers and more. All of which you can attain with the Grandio Center.
With more than 13 years of experience of offering customizable solutions, we are a Contact Center who offers traditional response center services. The virtual support that will allow you to optimize the times and processes of your business.
Don’t let your business come to an end! We are your best ally during the crisis.
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