Working Solutions Survey Shows: Savvy Service Experts Know What Sophisticated Travelers Expect

[infogram id=”54e55af1-1d09-47f0-af81-a48337e6b520″ prefix=”87r” format=”interactive” title=”Modern Day Travel Agents”]

 

Automated self-service travel reservations have upped the ante for customer expectations when they turn to live contact center agents for help.

That fact, plus other findings, are evident in a new survey conducted of nearly 1,000 travel agents in our on-demand, onshore workforce.

The results posted here—and illustrated in an accompanying infographic—document the challenges faced, their customer service focus and the industry insight they possess.

Simple tasks, such as the booking routine flights, can be done easily by anyone online these days. Click, tap or say and pay. All very straightforward.

It’s when complications set in—travel becomes far-flung or flights get interrupted—that proven travel expertise is required.

Enter a seasoned travel agent—or advisor. Opinions on the name vary. Our survey broke it down this way:

• 68% of those polled preferred to be called travel advisor
• 32% favored the more traditional term of travel agent

“68% of travel agents polled preferred to be called travel advisor.” Click To Tweet

The poll suggests the on-demand travel advisor role is favored by seasoned professionals with 10+ years of experience, especially for agents from airlines, hotels and traditional travel agency backgrounds.

Whatever term is used, the service they provide these days is consultative, relying on firsthand insight. Hands-on know-how.

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Essential Customer Skills

 

 

When it came to make-or-break skills, 94% of them zeroed in on three critical areas:

• Knowing the actual places, planes and people—for real, not just through Google searches.
• Identifying with trekkers, whether they’re traveling for business or pleasure.
• Mastering diverse reservation systems, which can trip up many a globe-trotting traveler.

Questioned about the toughest challenges they face every day, the largest number of respondents (35%) cited mastering travel complexities. After that, 12% pointed to pleasing the customer as their biggest challenge, while 6% saw learning travel industry technology as their top hurdle.

“Toughest challenges travel advisors face every day, the largest number of respondents (35%) cited mastering travel complexities.” Click To Tweet

However you view the survey results, one message is clear: Travelers want knowledgeable contact center agents with industry insight taking care of them. And that kind of service goes the distance. To anywhere—and back.