Travel companies failing with ‘duty of care’ for clients

Travel agents and operators are failing with back-up support for travellers who suffer from emergencies when abroad, according to a new survey.

Of the companies that responded, 81% (119) said that they did not have an emergency recovery policy for assisting customers in difficulty abroad. Eighty per cent were agents and 20% were operators.

Seventy six percent (112) said they did not provide any emergency services for customers when abroad.

When asked if they were able to offer assistance for a customer facing a specific emergency, e.g., financial, legal, medical, lost/stolen, accommodation, transport, the average response 64% (94) was ‘no’.

In the provision of contact details for airlines or other transport services, the feedback was about even with 52% (77) reporting that they supplied details to their customers. But only 19% provided contact details for embassies or consular services.

Only 147 out of 400 agencies asked agreed to participate in the Travel Incident Survey conducted by non-profit organisation We Care and information provider Fisher’s Travel SOS.

Julian Fisher, publisher of Fisher’s Travel SOS, said: “Looking at the results, it’s clear that agencies, who have actual personal contact with the customer and who are therefore in a position to provide a greater sense of ‘care’, don’t.

“Whilst this non-caring attitude is expected from the ever increasing ‘online only’ agencies, we thought traditional agencies would have the sense and understanding to care for their travellers when travelling and when abroad. It seems that this is categorically not the case.”

Travel agencies and operators are also confused about the level of cover provided by insurance companies, according to the poll results.

Typical travel incidents or emergency scenarios were often defused by an agent who felt that ‘insurance’ would provide help and cover for all eventualities.

The top five insurance companies said they only provide assistance for medical emergencies and do not necessarily provide for other incidents. On checking what their 24-hour emergency line covered, all insurance companies advised that this service was for medical emergencies only. Insurance companies said that no additional information, i.e., contact numbers and addresses for clinics, hospitals, doctors, pharmacies, was generally available.

KT O’Neill, manager of We Care, said: “While our survey did not set out to identify issues surrounding travel insurance it seems that the travel industry is working on a false belief that ‘care’ is the sole responsibility of the traveller who, for the wrong reasons, is being encouraged to buy insurance.

“Better they buy than not, but in the end this could be both dangerous to the individual as well as for the companies involved in providing his or her travel. A legal responsibility, a duty of care, is required of every business and with the Corporate Manslaughter Bill due to be passed into law, this failing will become the direct responsibility of the directors and/or owners who, in the case of a fatality, could end up with a custodial sentence.

‘Caring’ for customers and staff is, above all, good business. Helping prevent a crisis by providing up-to-date information makes solid business sense.

“I believe that these companies are allowing years of ignorance to cause complacency – to the detriment of all! Being a caring company is a good thing and this message needs to be heard.

by Phil Davies