Elevating customer service in business travel

We believe that exceptional customer service is the cornerstone of a successful travel management company.

In fact, we value it so much, it was a key topic during one of our sessions at this year’s Business Travel Show Europe 2024.

Our CEO, Pat McDonagh, and Director of Sales, Ewan Kassir, shared their insights on creating a stellar customer service environment in a session that emphasised the importance of human interaction that works alongside cutting-edge technology. Here are some of the key highlights from the session:

Delivering unparalleled customer experience

The travel industry is constantly evolving, with content disruption and AI playing crucial roles in shaping the future. While technology is vital, what's often missing in the conversation is the power of amazing people, the human element is irreplaceable. We’re committed to combining great service with advanced tech to deliver an unparalleled customer experience.

Tech, data and insight can add value and offer answers to almost every facet of travel management but creating a great customer service environment goes beyond metrics and feedback. It’s about living and breathing every aspect of service, underpinned by meaningful human interaction. So the key is harmony, balancing excellent service and robust technology, where one should complement the other.

What do people want?

To some degree, and regardless of whether customers have a positive experience or not, our next experience is often shaped by our last. A recent poll of travellers revealed that over 80% preferred human interaction over automated chat support. This underscores the importance of maintaining a personal touch in customer service.

Tips for enhancing customer service

Here are some practical tips to ensure you’re getting the best customer service from your suppliers:

1. Combine Customer Service and Technology: Pat firmly believes that technology facilitates great service and vice versa. It's reasonable to expect both from your TMC.
2. Dedicated Service Teams: There’s a lot of talk about having dedicated teams in tenders. It’s essential to have the right resources available, both in and out of hours.
3. Learning and Development Strategy: Ensure that agents understand your account and can meet your needs. Approach service with the same rigor as you would technology.
4. Service Level Metrics: Ask for statistics on service levels, NPS scores, and accreditations. At Clarity, we’re proud to be customer service accredited, which reflects our commitment to excellent service.
5. Company Culture: Culture plays a significant role in service delivery. When selecting a TMC, ensure there’s a cultural fit. Visit their offices, meet the team, and gauge the vibrancy and engagement of the environment.
6. Feedback and Improvement: Taking feedback and acting on it is critical. While not everything can be perfect, it’s important to learn from mistakes and improve continuously.
7. Measuring Service Performance: Ensure you have access to call, email, and live chat response times. Quality of service should be paramount, and it’s important to monitor these metrics.
8. Independent Accreditations: Look beyond awards and assess how the TMC’s service has been independently evaluated.
9. 24/7 Service: Understand how the TMC provides round-the-clock service. Is it in-house or outsourced? Knowing the scale and internal processes for handling issues is crucial.
10. Flexible Resource Management: Dedicated teams can sometimes be rigid. Ensure your TMC can scale resources up or down to meet demand, handling peaks and troughs sufficiently.
11. Importance of Account Management: Account managers are critical, not just for when things go wrong but also for ongoing consultation and staying ahead of things like pricing.

Partnering for success

We believe that exceptional customer service is a blend of technology and human touch. By asking the right questions and ensuring your TMC aligns with your values and needs, you can create a partnership that elevates your travel programme. Visit us, meet our team, and experience first-hand how we bring our culture and values to life. Our commitment to great service and innovation ensures that we’re always ready to support you, no matter the challenge.

You might’ve guessed that customer service means a lot to us. Let’s talk about how our service can help.