NB: This series is a guest post by Mark Tilden, co-founder of Conducive Technology and a creator of FlightStats.
Part Four - Deliver superior service at a profit
Of course, this proactive re-accommodation service and engaging communication only works if the agency can deliver it profitably at a price point that corporate and leisure travelers recognize as a compelling value.
The majority of the messaging services we have discussed here can be completely automated so that no additional agent work is required.
New itinerary monitoring systems based on reliable real-time flight data automatically identify at-risk itineraries and load them into a work-flow system that makes efficient use of agent's time.
Some of the newest systems even handle some re-booking cases automatically, leaving only the more complex cases for agents to handle manually.
Full service agencies are already offering itinerary messaging services to all their clients and proactive itinerary monitoring and re-accommodation services with an optional $2 to $3 per PNR up-front charge.
At these prices, agencies can quantify clear ROI to a corporate travel account with improved travel outcomes and reduced travel disruption costs.
Even leisure travelers will recognize the value of this service in protecting them from disruptions to vacation plans or missing a cruise departure due to delays or cancellations.
Trip Insurance protection against a complete breakdown of the trip is one of the fastest growing sources of ancillary revenue.
So, imagine premium trip assurance service for an additional fee at the end of the booking process that is dedicated to improving the successful outcome of the trip.
Even including the technology costs and additional labor involved in delivering these proactive services, many agencies are finding that they represent new profit opportunities.
The Bottom Line
Advances in smart mobile devices open many new service opportunities for agencies.
But going mobile isn't an answer by itself. Just adding a mobile device to the service mix may actually increase the demand on the agents during a disruption without providing tools to help them serve the traveler effectively.
Often, by the time the agent gets a phone call or email from a stranded traveler, many of the service options they would have had just a few hours earlier are gone.
Automated intelligent itinerary monitoring and proactive re-accommodation tools integrated with a mobile itinerary application can notify the agent of a threatened trip while there is still enough time to find an optimum policy-compliant re-accommodation option and facilitate effective dialog with the traveler about the itinerary change.
While most mobile offerings can claim an enhanced experience for the traveler, a successful solution must also demonstrate clear and measurable benefits for the corporate customer as well as the agency.
The details may vary, but the common elements of a winning strategy include direct PNR capture and updates, proactive customer service, efficiently engaging the customer throughout the trip lifecycle, and value based pricing that makes delivering great customer service sustainable for the agencies.
This intelligently integrated solution is also a win for corporate customers because the small additional service fees are more than offset by dramatically improved travel outcomes, reduced travel disruption costs, and measurably enhanced return on investment for every travel dollar spent.
Like any good solution, everybody wins in this scenario.
NB: This series is a guest post by Mark Tilden, co-founder of Conducive Technology and a creator of FlightStats.