How can the travel industry capitalise on summer spending
Holiday season is in full swing for many of us now. Around 20% of people say they are splashing out more on holiday costs this year than they did last year, according to a
Barclaycard survey.
So what measures can the travel industry take to make sure they capitalise on our frivolous spending this summer?
As text providers we find the basics are often covered. Thank you messages are now the norm for forward thinking travel agents and hoteliers who understand how customers prefer to interact with businesses.
But there’s always more we can do to improve communication between businesses and their clients. After all, communication increases trust - the foundation of any sale.
Top companies in the travel and leisure industry send texts for all sorts of reasons. Many have started to utilise the platform more as it often serves as a lifeline for holiday makers while they are away.
Here are just some of the reasons texts are sent:
Travel Information
We’ve all been there when a flight gets delayed, or a train gets cancelled. Often, the most frustrating thing about being delayed is not knowing the cause. Some of the best travel operators and suppliers send text messages to customers in the event of a delay, to keep them up-to-date with the situation.
e-receipts
This is common practice nowadays. Many customers would actually prefer their receipt immediately as an email or a text, rather than have to wait for up to a week for it to appear among the promotional leaflets on their doormat.
Holiday information (country, currency, directions etc)
Going abroad? This can be entirely new territory for many holidaymakers. So tourist information in the form of tips and advice could be really useful for those that have decided to venture further afield. Travel agents could let customers know about places of interest or what currency to take. To a company these may seem like small gestures, but to customers this sort of thing really counts towards the level of service they expect.
Feedback on service
Quite a common new feature that has been implemented across all verticals is a feedback process. Many of us will be familiar with those texts that ask us to rate our experience from 1 to 10. Although our busy lives may not allow us to complete a detailed analysis, these micro-surveys provide companies with far better feedback on the services they are running.
On-going marketing campaigns
A holiday is a large expense and customers will only buy from people they trust. So once you have gained that trust it is important to keep it. By keeping in touch with customers you can offer them great deals on your services, because you know that when they do want to book again, they will look to your company first.
Special offers and last minute deals are very popular with customers in the travel and leisure industry. A text message can connect customers to a travel agent over the phone or even direct them to a website. Shortcodes will let you know who is interested in the offer and requires very little effort from the customer themselves.
We are always looking to improve the success of our client’s campaigns and these are just a few ideas that will help your company achieve its goals.
With a well-structured plan in place, you can increase engagement, customer experience and revenue with ease.
You can set up an account and get started for free today at
www.redsms.co.uk/signup. Alternatively, give one of our specialists a call on 03300 223459 to discuss your targets and requirements, they will be more than happy to help.
