For the past few decades, technology has played a huge role in both travel and hospitality businesses. Customers get a lot more options and an easier way to access them, and businesses in the hospitality industry can get more clients and offer them a lot more options. It’s a win for everyone involved.
And in the middle of that is the travel agency that organizes the entire trip for their clients and talks to the vendors to get the best deals for everyone. When you’re in a position like that, you’re going to need all the help you can get, both from technology and people.
This is where the travel call center comes in. You may not have one set up for your operations right now, but it’s going to be a big help in really getting things going and helping your clients as much as possible.
If you’re looking to get started, here’s a quick guide on travel call centers and how to really optimize your operations:
What is a Travel Call Center and How Can It Help Your Business?
There’s a lot of logistics and communication involved when it comes to traveling. Plane tickets, hotel bookings, tours, and so much more—all these things need to be called in and organized. And a lot of people would rather let the experts handle the complicated parts.
And that’s where having your own dedicated call center is an amazing advantage. If you have trained agents ready and able to take care of everything your client needs over the phone, then that makes you an essential part of every step of the vacation.
It’s better than having your clients come to the office to discuss further details or arrange things solely through email. Phone conversations are much more casual and easygoing, meaning that it’ll be easier to establish a positive and friendly rapport.
This will really go a long way in building a travel agency’s good reputation. The faster and easier your process is, the more people will want you to plan their trips for them. And in this business, it doesn’t hurt to be proactive, either. Setting up an outbound call marketing campaign is a great way to find new people and make sure they know about your services.
Of course, not every travel call center is made equally. If you’re just starting out or looking to make your existing operation a cut above the rest, here are a few features you should look into:
VoIP Termination
The first thing you need for any call center is the ability to make and receive calls. Sounds simple enough, right? But, it’s a critical step and your entire operation will rely on it. So be sure to find a reliable provider that can cater to everything you need.
As a travel agency, you’ll probably need to make and receive calls from different countries across the world. Because of this, you’re going to need a VoIP service provider that can give you high-quality connections to any country you need to get in touch with.
It’s also essential to use a service that can handle a large number of calls at the same time. Even if you’re travel call center is just starting out and not taking that many calls yet, you’re still going to want a VoIP provider that can scale easily as your operations grow.
PBX
If there’s one thing a travel call center really needs, it’s flexibility. You’ll be dealing with a lot of varied situations, and it’s good if you have a way to handle as many as possible. And this is exactly why you need a CloudPBX.
You can keep various local DID numbers there if you’re calling clients from various countries. You can also set up an IVR if you want an automated response that can direct inbound calls to the right agent.
Aside from that, our CloudPBX can help keep everything organized. It can integrate seamlessly with your CRM of choice, so you won’t have to worry about keeping track of your data. There’ll be no trouble managing your client’s destination, needs, specific requests, and notes when it’s all synced up in one place.
You can even use the CloudPBX to organize your agents however you see fit and direct calls to specific people at your own discretion. For example, maybe you’re outbound call marketing campaign involves calling people from different countries. You can group your leads by country to ensure that they receive calls from agents who they share a common language with.
And a CloudPBX isn’t limited to those things, either. As long as you’re working with a reliable service provider like CommPeak, then they can tailor the entire thing to cater to all your needs and requirements.
Predictive Dialer
A predictive dialer is a great tool to maximize your agency’s efficiency. There are a lot of people out there who may want to avail of your travel services, and getting in touch with as many of them as possible is important.
With an autodialer, you and your agents won’t have to go through the trouble of manually inputting numbers since the computer will do it for you. And with CommPeak’s powerful dialer, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
It’s a lot more intuitive and efficient than other options because of its intelligent and intuitive predictive technology. The dialer automatically adjusts the call volume every cycle to make sure that all your agents are making the right calls at the exact right time. This process will minimize dropped calls and wasted leads, making your entire process smoother and more efficient.
TextPeak
Of course, it’s important to remember that calling isn’t your only avenue of communication. In some situations, texting might be the best way to do it, so it’s a good idea to keep your options open.
Taking advantage of a bulk messaging platform like TextPeak can help fill in some gaps in your operations. You can use it for non-urgent messages or even as a secondary way of communicating with your clients. Some customers might be more comfortable talking through texts instead of calls, and this is a wonderful way of accommodating them.
You can also use TextPeak to send out reminders for bookings, flights, or tour schedules. This can help keep your clients on track during the trip, and they’ll undoubtedly appreciate the thoughtful gesture.
Other Features You Might Need
Different travel agencies will have varying needs, so it’s important to speak with your service provider to make sure you have all the tools you need to succeed. One thing you might want to look into is a speech-to-text feature. It automatically transcribes your conversations with your clients and can even translate them into whatever language you want it to. It’s a great tool for keeping track of your data and making sure all your notes are accurate.
If you need local DID numbers to call clients from a different country, we have you covered on that front too. The process is fast and easy, so you can proceed with your outbound marketing campaign quickly and without any issues.
If you have any other questions or concerns, just get in touch with us through our contact page, and our technical experts will walk you through what you need.
