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Traveler dissatisfaction with OTAs creating new opportunities for personalized service
Travelers are growing more and more unhappy with OTAs and supplier websites, giving traditional agents and agencies a chance to pick up market share, according to a recent IBM report.
The report, "Travel 2020: the Distribution Dilemma" reveals that fewer than half of leisure and business travelers believe they’re getting value for money when they book online.
What’s behind the dissatisfaction?
Most online travel intermediaries misread their customers, focusing primarily on price rather than value, say authors of the report.
Personalized service generally lacking in OTAs and at supplier sites is a major answer to the problem, authors say. That’s particularly the case as travel spending continues to rebound.
“While booking fees have declined over time, the disassembly of the travel agent model has also resulted in a decrease in customer services," wrote Steve Peterson, lead author of the report.
The study also found that technology has hindered customer service at least as much as it has helped, because travel suppliers have turned increasingly to automation and away from human sales reps to fulfill travel orders.
The report was hardly the first to identify growing unhappiness among online travel bookers.
Atmosphere Research Group's fourth-quarter 2011 survey of 5,058 online leisure travelers in the U.S. found that 69% said they enjoyed online travel planning and booking, but just 54% believed that travel websites presented clear information.
By David Wilkening
David
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