Hospitality is a confluence of various services covering travel, accommodation, catering, tourism and it may even include entertainment. Even within each there are several sub-categories. For instance, travel covers surface transport, air and sea. Accommodation includes everything from bed and breakfast to five star stays. Just as there are service lines there are modes of service delivery. Travel operators and hotels may serve customers directly or through a network of agents. Travel agents may have travel as the main line and hotels as the secondary line or vice versa. Then there are tour operators that rely on all these segments when they put together a package for customers. The IVR system plays a pivotal role in helping customers at all points and in all respects of their travel.
The travel agent scenario
A travel agent who deals with travel facilities like air/road/train/sea transport and accommodation will find that the IVR is the perfect way to tie together the services for easy access by customers. It is easy to configure the IVR solution to offer callers the option of travel booking and/or hotel booking to start with. Once they select an option they are walked through to flight timings and booking options. Once they book travel ticket the IVR offers an option to book a hotel room based on the chosen destination. The next step is to confirm both bookings for which the IVR sends out a text and email message. The final step could be to thank the client and hang up or guide them through to the IVR payment system. The travel agent serves hundreds of customers with just a few agents to take over if a customer desires personal interaction. Employees may leave, go on a holiday or may have finished work for the day. The IVR solution for hospitality works 24 hours a day. Customers are happy that one phone call and a few key presses lead to confirmed tickets and hotel room. It does not end there for the travel agent or the customer. The IVR has plenty in store for customers.
A travel agent who deals with travel facilities like air/road/train/sea transport and accommodation will find that the IVR is the perfect way to tie together the services for easy access by customers. It is easy to configure the IVR solution to offer callers the option of travel booking and/or hotel booking to start with. Once they select an option they are walked through to flight timings and booking options. Once they book travel ticket the IVR offers an option to book a hotel room based on the chosen destination. The next step is to confirm both bookings for which the IVR sends out a text and email message. The final step could be to thank the client and hang up or guide them through to the IVR payment system. The travel agent serves hundreds of customers with just a few agents to take over if a customer desires personal interaction. Employees may leave, go on a holiday or may have finished work for the day. The IVR solution for hospitality works 24 hours a day. Customers are happy that one phone call and a few key presses lead to confirmed tickets and hotel room. It does not end there for the travel agent or the customer. The IVR has plenty in store for customers.
The next stage
The happy customer prepares to catch his flight and is pleasantly surprised to receive updates about flight timings and even about the specific gate to enter to get aboard. Once at the destination his first stop will be the hotel. The IVR kicks in again with location and directions on how to get there. Eventually the guest checks in at which stage another set of IVR options come into play. Not all customers follow the usual route. Some may have to cancel their flight ticket and reschedule, which is another area in which the IVR system assists them. It is the same with their hotel room booking that can be cancelled or rescheduled. Regardless of whether customers proceed as planned or change schedule life for them becomes a lot easier with the IVR providing solid support 24x7.
Continuing the journey
While in the hotel the IVR system again provides help for room services, for food to be brought in, for transportation, for wake up calls and for checking out. It is back to the airport to catch the return flight at which stage too the IVR provides helpful reassurance that the flight is on time.
Travel agents and hotels save precious man hours when the IVR takes on routine functions. In addition every action is recorded which can be the basis for fine-tuned analytics to further improve services. Customers like the fact that they can get the service or information whenever they want. It would be no surprise if they turn into loyal customers when they have such superb IVR support available.