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Study says internet not equal of agents
Internet travel sites still don’t approximate what agents at bricks-and-mortar sites offer travelers, according to a new study.
Shelley Taylor, whose market research company did a study of 46 travel web sites, said:
“Travel agents traditionally have been very good in the kinds of services travelers need in their early stages, and the first of those is research.”
Her study of the travel sites concluded that all were “guilty of failing to deliver satisfying travel experiences.” The study concluded it was not enough to provide booking sites.
“Travel sites should offer the same level of service and support as their land based equivalent,” said Ms Taylor.
She also concluded, however, that agents could do a better job selling those types of services that make them distinct such as offering maps and brochures, which are not available at internet travel sites.
“There’s also the business traveler. Think of all the things they need such as figuring out where to eat, maps, perhaps they’ve lost a ticket,” she said.
She suggested that agents use the internet to supplement their ability to offer personal service.
“There are all kinds of things you can do with technology,” she said, citing as one example agents who put up sites where families can download photos or other material to share it with friends or family members.
The Shelley Taylor & Associates study rated internet sites on factors such as how many clicks it took to complete a booking. Some highlights:
- US sites were much better than their UK counterparts.
- All five of the top sites were American: Expedia, Travelocity, Hilton, Orbitz and Continental Airlines.
- Only three agency sites (Cheap Tickets, Expedia and Travelocity.com) offered dynamic packaging.
- None of the airlines, hotels or car rental agencies offered dynamic packaging.
She concluded the bricks-and-mortar industry may continue to decline, but that does not mean the end of travel agents.
“There will always be things that can’t be done by artificial intelligence where you need access to live people,” she told TravelMole.
Report by David Wilkening
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