The Most Common Travel Agent Customer Issues: Strategies for Handling Travel Changes and Customers’ Emotions

Q: What are the most common travel issues faced by customers?

Customers often encounter issues such as booking complications, modifications or cancellations, and problems like missing connecting flights or denied boarding. Addressing these concerns promptly can greatly enhance the travel experience.

Q: Why are experienced travel agents crucial in the travel industry?

Experienced travel agents play a vital role by simplifying booking processes, providing proactive communication, and offering swift resolutions to issues. Their familiarity with travel destinations and potential problems can significantly increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Q: What strategies can improve customer support in the travel industry?

Effective customer support strategies include proactive communication, hiring knowledgeable agents, providing quick solutions to issues, and offering after-trip support. These practices help retain current clients and attract new ones by ensuring a smooth and stress-free travel experience.

Q: How can businesses enhance customer loyalty through travel services?

By employing trusted and experienced travel agents, businesses can support clients during stressful situations, creating life-loyal customers. This approach not only resolves unexpected travel issues effectively but also builds a strong reputation for excellent customer service.

The holiday travel season always brings a whole set of headaches for weary and frustrated travelers. That’s where a dedicated travel agent comes in handy. Having a BPO (Business Process Outsourcer) handle your travel customer service can be a game changer for user experience, creating new avenues of revenue and higher client satisfaction.

Close-up shot of multiple bags of luggage piled on top of one another on an airport runway

Shutterstock; Photo by Elena.Katkova

Travel Industry is in Recovery, but Travel Agencies Still Face Challenges

Travel spending is now at 6%, its highest rate since the beginning of the pandemic. That’s a welcome advantage to those in the travel industry hit hardest by the global health crisis. While forecasts project that business travel will continue to be impacted by recent macroeconomic factors – like labor shortages, supply chain issues, energy prices, and inflation – it is estimated that full recovery of global business travel won’t hit pre-pandemic levels until 2026, but are still steadily rising.

Now that the tide is turning in a positive direction, we asked our own expert travel agent teams to share with us the most frequent dilemmas from client customers.

Booking Issues

Travel plans can get complicated. And starting with the first step, booking trips can be an overwhelming experience. Expert agents can help minimize potential problems with routing and schedules by simplifying processes and troubleshooting issues in advance. And what about those customers who need to make changes before they depart? Having experienced agents on your team who have actually traveled to the same places makes all the difference in assuring nervous customers.

Modifications and Cancellations to Flights

Once a client has embarked on a journey, there are always things that can and will go wrong. Empathetic agents who offer a swift resolution to complex issues will create a brand-loyal customer. And if agents know of potential problems in advance – like Heathrow’s recent luggage debacle – then proactive communication goes a long way to helping those travelers stick with your business.

It’s also beneficial to be aware of the most common issues travelers are experiencing at any given time.

According to a recent survey from our travel agent team, customers are largely reaching out for help with the following:

Leaving early
Extending travel
Denied boarding
Missing return flight
Missing connecting flight

What’s the Best Way to Support Travel Clients?

Customer experience is now the most integral piece of a customer journey. Supporting customers effectively helps to retain current clients. It also gives businesses the opportunity to welcome new ones.

Be proactive with communication
Hire experienced agents who know the areas they are supporting
Provide swift resolution to outstanding issues
Offer after-trip support so clients know that no matter the issues, someone is there to help.

What happens when the unexpected occurs while traveling? It helps to have trusted agents that clients can count on during stressful circumstances. Adding an experienced outsource travel agent service provider to your team gives you the opportunity to create life-loyal customers who will help propel your company’s continued success.