You just can’t beat human interaction – TravelMole guest Comment by WA Shearings sales and marketing director Karen Gee

Are you sick of holding on the phone for what seems like hours and choosing at least ten different options before you actually get to speak to someone at best? 

Do you ever find yourself baffled by the technology on offer? Do you really know all the functions on your Blackberry, computer and mobile phone and even if you do have the time to find out, do you actually care?

Modern life is all very well, but sometimes I am sure that we are making life too complicated for ourselves.

There are times when I just want to duck out of this automated world we live in and experience some old fashioned good customer service, where I can speak to a real person, they will act on my request and I leave a satisfied customer. 

The banks have learned the hard way that personal contact is best. They still have a long way to go, but reinstating some of the high street branches that were closed down some years ago and having phone lines accessible around the clock, so that you can actually speak to someone, is certainly a step in the right direction.

So why should I be so surprised and disappointed with my recent experience when trying to book a holiday for my parents? I work in the travel industry, I passionately believe that we should be providing customers with a pleasurable experience; from the moment they book their holiday to the actual trip itself.  Most holidaymakers have invested a great deal of time, money and effort into making their holiday choice and from the point they contact the travel agent / tour operator, probably one of their biggest annual purchases is in our hands.  We should therefore all be aspiring to ensure we are offering the best possible service and providing the best possible advice.

Not so when I recently contacted a tour operator directly to book my parents a holiday. 

I had researched various options on the internet and because I was booking on behalf of others I wanted to speak to someone just to check that I was selecting the holiday that fitted their criteria.  When I factored in some time for this task, I hadn’t banked on the fact that I would be holding for over 40 minutes – a frustrating experience to say the least. 

My irritation was fuelled by an automated message telling me that although my call was valuable, I was calling at an exceptionally busy time and thank you for waiting. I am not sure how 18.40 could be classed as a busy time, and it was only out of sheer desperation that I hung on for so long.

It is no wonder that the travel companies who realise that when personal service is put first, success invariably follows, are the ones to do well in these difficult times. 

Travel Counsellors, the industry’s current success story has built up its brand purely by focussing on exemplary customer service and nurturing those all-important relationships between agent and client. 

At WA Shearings we are constantly striving for improvement and one of the reasons why we have such strong repeat bookings is that our customers can be confident of the service they get and the product they will experience.

It’s not that I think the internet doesn’t play a valuable role, it most certainly does and in the last few years has revolutionised consumer behaviour, particularly when it comes to booking holidays. 

However we all know that there are frequent occasions when you just can’t beat some human interaction and expertise. 

I think it’s time the travel industry took stock and surprised the UK consumer by ensuring the booking process is as swift and hassle free as possible and when its needed, they even get the personal touch thrown in without having to wait 40 minutes for it.

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