MyTC app updated in digital investment push

Travel Counsellors has announced “significant investment” in its digital platforms, including the next generation of its MyTC app and improvements to its in-house quotes and booking system Phenix.

The company invests £4 million annually in technology for its homeworkers, chief executive Steve Byrne revealed. Unveiling some of the changes at a mini-conference for Travel Counsellors in Heathrow last week, chief technology officer Rob Snelson said the new version of the MyTC app, which initially launched in July last year, had undergone an investment of £750,000.

It will enable homeworkers to send quotes to customers and receive their feedback on the potential booking as well as improved video and photo content. The updated app will also include a notification function to alert Travel Counsellors when customers are ready to book.

The new version of the app will be rolled out next month and since its creation last summer has been downloaded 17,000 times.

Snelson added that Travel Counsellors had recently recruited its own “app development team” to create the next model of the platform.

Soon, agents will also be able to access Phenix on their smartphone and tablet devices while a number of its sections are being redeveloped.

“By November Phenix will be totally different,” Snelson said. “It’s a good system but we’re our own worst critics. We are constantly tweaking it and want it to be more intuitive.”

Meanwhile, Michael Vincent, head of learning and development, demonstrated a new e-learning programme, TC Coach – part of the firm’s online agent Toolkit.

TC Coach – which went live to conference attendees on the day of the event and will be rolled out across the UK next month – features video tutorials on a range of business issues, with the first of its modules focusing on sales techniques. It also contains digital avatars of Travel Counsellors’ head office staff to guide agents through the training.