Just last week Which? released a report slamming the 70% of travel companies that still use premium rate numbers for customer service and complaints.
We stream our favourite shows instantly, 74% of us abandon a website if it doesn’t load in 5 seconds, we order shoes for same day delivery and 78% of us now book our holidays online. But in this world driven by instant gratification, customer service has fallen drastically behind.
Today 66% of UK consumers believe customer service has deteriorated over the past three years. Only 3% believe it has improved a lot.
Just last week Which? released a report slamming the 70% of travel companies that still use premium rate numbers for customer service and complaints.
But we’re not just receiving bad service; we accept it – over 70% of us satisfied if we hear back from companies within 24 hours whether for complaints or enquiries.
There should be a demand from consumers to raise the bar says entrepreneur and founder of leading learning holiday specialist GoLearnTo.com, Vanessa Lenssen.
“Every day our customer support team get comments from guests who are shocked to receive good service. The expectation is so low,” Lenssen said.
“It’s the British condition not to complain, but we think it’s wrong that people have come to expect so little from customer service. We encourage customers to demand it and we deliver it.”
Customer choice
When given the choice, the majority of customers will pick the lowest cost option to contact companies. Getting an answer as quickly and painlessly as possible is celebrated in today’s high-tech world.
Yet whilst self-service and Twitter are great for this, not everyone wants to use them. Good customer service is about responding to what people actually want, Lenssen said.
“This is particularly relevant in the travel industry. Booking a holiday is an emotional experience; it’s not a commodity product. It’s your precious leave, it’s your savings, it’s your chance to get a break and it has to be right.
“So if you want to call you should be able to use no premium rate phone numbers and speak to an expert straight away. If you email you should hear back at the very least within an hour, and Live Chat options should always be available. We offer all of this and we’re always looking for easier ways for customers to get in touch,” Lenssen said.
Last week Which? renewed its call for travel companies to be forced to comply with the EU Consumer Rights Directive, which states that customer helplines must charge no more than the basic rate.
Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: “Going on holiday is meant to be a pleasure but there is nothing fun about being whacked with a costly call.
“It’s a disgrace that people face bumper bills just to ask a question or make a complaint about their travel booking.”
It’s personal
Despite our push to instant self-service, booking a holiday is still about a personalised experience, Lenssen explains.
People want to know that behind their efficient self-service options, there is a real person who is easily accessible and who actually cares about you and your holiday.
“Fewer and fewer of us are happy to stay in a faceless all in-inclusive hotel on a beach that could be anywhere in the world. And the same goes for service. We offer more from our holidays and more from our service,” Lenssen said.
And its service that has customers coming back, with 86% of customers more likely to book again following a good customer experience and 78% of online customers recommending a brand to friends and contacts.
“This is something we’ve seen at GoLearnTo.com; a third of our guests book again within the same year. It’s not just about the holidays, it’s about the service they trust and rely on” Lenssen said.
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
