As someone who has worked in travel for too many years to remember, I’ve seen a lot of changes.
Tour operators have come and gone, airlines have hung up their wings for good, and the digital age has entirely changed the face of the industry that I know and love.
There’s always been one constant, though, and that has been our customers. They’re the most important element of our business after our employees, and at Barrhead Travel we’ve done our utmost to make sure that they’re looked after and happy, returning to us time and again. We’ve sent them off on packages, cruises and flights, made sure that we’ve added value to their bookings, laughed with them, and occasionally cried with them.
But it seems that some travel suppliers these days are happy to overlook that carefully nurtured travel agent/customer relationship, in a bid to encourage the customer to go direct to them. That doesn’t benefit anyone involved.
I’m sure that we’re not the only agency to have noticed this trend. Usually, it starts with a customer being approached on holiday by a future holiday/cruise representative of the operator or cruise line they are travelling with.
They’re offered money off to book there and then. They may or may not make that reservation, but the rapport that we as an agent spent weeks, months, or sometimes years building, is looking slightly shakier as a result.
“The agent is portrayed as being just an extra and unnecessary cog in the wheel”
For some travel suppliers, getting the customer to book direct is the ultimate goal.
It’s happening online too. Customers are bombarded with offers and incentives to book direct. Why not cut out the middleman travel agent, who is portrayed as being just an extra and unnecessary cog in the wheel, and is costing the customer more money needlessly?
Why indeed? Well, the value that a good, independent agent like Barrhead Travel brings, the knowledge that we impart, and indeed the savings that we can provide, should not be underestimated. Our customers choose us for several reasons, not least because of our range of holidays, the unbiased advice we give, and the service that we deliver before, during, and after the holiday.
We as agents are best placed to find the perfect trip for customers, and we’re looking to keep them long-term. We specialise and differentiate our products, and we give people specific reasons to book with us, which are not simply about price and discounts.
We serve niche markets, fitting the holiday around the client rather than simply choosing them an off-the-shelf, ready-made, one-size-fits-all holiday. And we open for extended hours to suit the customer.
Barrhead Travel has always been proud of our excellent relationships with our partner suppliers, but as time has gone on, it’s become obvious that some of those partners see the potential gains as more important than honouring partnerships.
Who owns the customer? There’s no doubt that we do. It’s just sad that some travel companies are pursuing short-term goals which benefit no one in the long-term.
Sharon Munro is chief executive at Barrhead Travel
