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As the travel industry gears up for peak holiday seasons in India, the pressure is on for businesses to deliver seamless customer experiences. Travellers are often faced with heightened stress and time-sensitive situations, making effective customer support not just important, but crucial. According to the recent report by Kapture CX, 40 per cent of travel enthusiasts cite unresponsive customer support as their biggest frustration.
During these busy periods, the demand for fast, personalised support across multiple channels – such as mobile apps, WhatsApp, chatbots, social media and voice calls – skyrockets. A delay in assistance can disrupt entire itineraries, amplifying the urgency for travel brands to adapt and respond.
The unique challenges of travel customer support
Travel presents a host of customer support challenges due to the numerous touchpoints involved in a journey. Each phase – from booking to boarding – can trigger issues that may snowball into larger problems. For instance, errors during the booking process can affect flight or accommodation plans, while delays or baggage issues can arise at the airport. Given that each touchpoint is interconnected, a disruption at any stage can lead to a frustrating experience for travellers. Over 49 per cent of respondents want a comprehensive self-serve platform that provide human-like conversations to customers, reveals Kapture CX surveyThus, swift and effective customer support is essential to resolve problems before they escalate.
The complexity of travel itineraries often leads to hidden charges, which travellers find particularly aggravating. These unexpected costs can sour the overall travel experience and damage a company’s reputation, as they may lead to lost revenue and potential legal issues due to customer dissatisfaction. Furthermore, booking complications are another major pain point, with many travellers expressing annoyance over issues such as price fluctuations, unclear policies, and technical glitches. Such complications can turn what should be an exciting experience into a stressful ordeal.
In today’s competitive travel landscape, responsive customer support is essential. A recent survey revealed that 40 per cent of travellers find unresponsive customer service to be their biggest frustration. This highlights the need for travel companies to not only manage bookings effectively but also enhance their customer support capabilities. Providing self-service options is increasingly important; many travellers reported that a lack of these options contributes to their frustrations. Modern travellers expect transparency and ease in navigating the booking process, with many preferring AI-driven intelligent solutions that can address simple inquiries quickly.
Preparing for increased demand
The travel industry sees a significant uptick in customer inquiries and transactions during festive periods. To navigate this surge effectively, businesses must prepare for high volumes of interactions while maintaining service quality.
Here are a few key strategies that CXOs can implement:
- Omnichannel self-service for personalised communication
Travel brands are increasingly focusing on omnichannel platforms to ensure consistent and personalised communication across all touchpoints – be it voice calls, social media, email, or chat. Customers now expect contextually relevant and responsive engagement. In fact, according to a recent report on AI Adoption in Travel & Hospitality, 43 per cent of companies are implementing generative AI technologies to enhance customer service and communication. By deploying self-service options and AI-driven support to handle common queries efficiently, businesses can deflect these from live agents. Advanced self-service platforms can deflect up to 90 per cent of tickets by providing contextual and consistent responses throughout the customer journey.
- Investing in Gen AI powered solutions for contextual resolutions
To enhance customer engagement at every touchpoint, it’s critical to automate as much of the customer support function as possible. This includes leveraging agent co-pilots and assists to streamline interactions between customers and agents. Such automation not only improves efficiency but also ensures high first-contact resolution (FCR) rates and adherence to SLAs. Notably, 53 per cent of CXOs prioritise faster conversions and revenue growth during festive surges, as per McKinsey Global CXO Survey 2024, Festive Preparedness Edition.
- Scalability and systems integration
Ensuring smooth scaling while integrating systems without compromising speed or customer experience is vital. Investing in cloud solutions – an area where 47.89 per cent of CXOs are reportedly currently focusing according to recent estimates – along with scalable infrastructure will help maintain uninterrupted services during peak demand. Additionally, solutions that connect deeply with existing systems can save agents time and provide management with necessary visibility. Brand reputation management becomes a crucial KPI as leaders navigate heightened stress situations; this is evidenced by the fact that 35 per cent CXOs report facing challenges in system integration during peak demand, as per a 2023 Deloitte Report on Cloud Infrastructure and CX Management. As customer transactions increase during peak seasons, data security becomes paramount. Companies need to implement secure payment gateways, multi-factor authentication, and encryption protocols to protect sensitive information. In fact, a recent study said that 40 per cent of businesses are strengthening payment gateway security as part of their strategy during this high-demand period. Customer support technology should also comply with relevant regulations to support data protection goals.
- Measuring success during peak seasons
Key performance indicators (KPIs) during festive surges include customer satisfaction scores (CSAT), Net Promoter Score (NPS), FCR rates, average handling time (AHT), and improvements in process efficiency while maintaining low costs. Monitoring these KPIs helps travel brands gauge the effectiveness of their strategies on customer experiences.While this may seem overwhelming for leaders, tracking these metrics is essential for demonstrating success and justifying future budget requests. Tools like conversation intelligence can provide insights into customer sentiment in real-time, helping brands make informed decisions.
As India approaches its peak travel season, the need for efficient customer support solutions becomes increasingly evident. When emergencies arise – such as lost luggage or missed connections – having direct access to customer support representatives can alleviate stress and build trust with customers. By embracing self-service options powered by AI and ensuring robust systems integration, travel brands can navigate the complexities of high-demand periods while delivering exceptional experiences that keep travellers satisfied and loyal. The focus on self-service will undoubtedly make it the real MVP this festive season – ensuring that both customers and businesses thrive amidst the hustle and bustle of travel.
The author is the CEO & Co-Founder of Kapture CX., SaaS-based customer experience platform.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETTravelWorld.com does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETTravelWorld.com shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person/organisation directly or indirectly.
