Amadeus, a global leader in technology and distribution solutions for the travel and tourism industry, announced the results of its customer survey on time wastage in UK travel agencies. Nearly half of all leisure and business agents questioned believe that up to 25% of their time is spent doing tasks that could be completed with greater ease and speed through an increased use of automated processes and technology.

According to the study, leisure and business travel agents currently spend up to 80% of their time processing bookings. From the initial information search, booking, and itinerary amends, right through to the final ticket issue and the general administration that supports these processes, little time is left for customer engagement. Nearly 30% of those questioned agreed that they spend too much time searching for the best available fares and rates, time that could be reduced by the implementation of technology already in the market.

As the economy starts to show signs of recovery, it is critical for agents to focus on customer service, not business processes that have limited impact on customer experience, retention and growth. This demand is reflected in the study with over 65% of respondents committed to offering improved customer service if they had more time. As a result, Amadeus is predicting a growing ‘Agent 2.0’ community that is keen to harness the power of new technology to enable greater customer focus. But with agents still doing tasks that they believe could be eliminated through increased process automation, adoption is not at the level it should be.

Yet additional capacity could be freed up, if agents took advantage of newly available technologies. Elaine Seeto, Director of Marketing, Amadeus UK explained, “Agents may not be using the services and software on offer to their full advantage. For example, Amadeus eSupport can help throughout the whole booking lifecycle. When an agent is searching for a flight, eSupport enables agents to search for the information needed to overcome an issue without having to call the helpdesk. By using technology to gain instant access to information, time spent trouble-shooting is reduced, leaving agents free to focus on customer service.”

As businesses try to bounce back from the recession, flexibility and the capacity to focus on customer service will be critical in the face of tough competition. As Seeto concludes; “Intuitive technology and process automation are not limited to support products. Amadeus Fare World increases productivity by allowing agents to compare all the different fare types – low cost carrier fares, consolidator fares and published fares – in one search, significantly improving efficiency.  While Amadeus’ Ticket Changer saves time when agents are modifying existing bookings; shortening the process from the standard fourteen to four steps, it has halved the time taken and enabled agents to increase customer focus. In short, from the initial search to the ongoing support offered, if business processes are simplified agents will have more time to spend with their customers.”