Improve Communication with Travelers
CHALLENGE
Our client is a leading full-service travel and tour management company dedicated to offering the best in fan travel experiences. They specialize in sports travel, entertainment, event management and hospitality programs throughout the U.S. and are relentlessly focused on providing world-class service. One of their areas of focus is working with university alumni associations to provide travel management for alumni members attending signature sporting events. Multiple travel packages and options are available for most events. Travelers can be spread out at different hotels and involved in different excursions, making communicating with travelers more challenging.
Our client came to us with three primary frustrations communicating with travelers:
· Travelers don’t read emails that contain details about their upcoming trip and will contact them with lots of questions.
· The outsourced customer service center is expensive and has limited ability to assist customers.
· An on-site hospitality desk is staffed for limited hours during trips to answer questions and assist travelers. This is inconvenient for travelers and increases costs for each trip.
We designed a pilot using our two-way messaging platform for three different alumni associations at three signature football events. The two primary goals were to:
1. Improve communication throughout the travel experience with a private, 2-way mobile messaging channel.
2. Improve the traveler experience by making it easy to get information, ask questions, get help and give feedback throughout the trip.
SOLUTION
Our client implemented our 2-way messaging platform with the Communicate! App for all three events. The app was semi-branded for the alumni association sponsoring each trip. The platform generated a personalized email for each traveler with a unique link, inviting them to use the app for the easiest communication and best possible service.
Our client used the group communication console on the Peoplocity cloud-based platform to communicate with travelers. Our client delivered specific messages to travelers based on their travel package. Travelers got messages with information specific to their needs at just the right time. Travelers received welcome messages, schedule reminders, bus pick up/drop-off details, specifics on trip excursions, and more. Weather alerts and schedule changes were also sent to the travelers’ app during each trip. Travelers also used their mobile app to ask questions and get help throughout the trip and, at the end of each trip, they were asked to share feedback about the trip.
The app adoption rate was high as travelers liked the ability to use the app to easily ask questions without having to find the hospitality desk. All the information travelers needed came to them and was in their app for easy reference.
Our client staffed a hospitality desk during the trips as their customers expected it. The messages proactively delivered to travelers answered many questions they had during the trip. Travelers’ questions at the hospitality desk were reduced while increasing their satisfaction.
The entire trip was well planned & communication was excellent! The staff was engaging attentive and pleasant! I would strongly recommend hiring this organization
for all future FSU group activities.
-Florida State University Alumnus
RESULTS
70% DOWNLOAD RATE
of the messaging app
4.9 APP RATING
by travelers
- Travelers got the information and updates they needed at the right time throughout their trip.
- The messaging channel reduced customer effort and stress by making it easy for travelers to text questions and go about their day.
- Travelers were highly satisfied with the ease of use and quick replies they received through the app.
- Hospitality Desk visits were reduced.
- Our client got valuable traveler feedback they could share with alumni associations.