Since the beginning of time, man has always been a wanderlust traveller with a curiosity to explore the world. Even with millions of years of evolution & exploration, the love for travel is still embedded within us, which fuels the travel industry in this era of sophisticated travelling. The travel industry has become one of the largest service industries over the century due to the boom in communication and expansion in mechanization and technology. Technological and mechanical advances such as comfortable and high-tech modes of transport, instant booking facilities, the easy collaboration of local and global tour propagators, accessibility to various digital platforms, international advertising conveniences and much more have contributed towards successful modern-day travelling enthusiasm. More people have accepted travelling and the travel industry over the last few decades, not just for tourism & pleasure but also for business, healthcare and other reasons.
But with the blow of the COVID-19 pandemic, the travel industry saw an enormous setback as travel and human movement came to a halt due to the worldwide lockdown. The entire world in turmoil experienced unprecedented curtail in the economy, and the travel industry was not far off. Hotels, restaurants, airways, roadways, tourism places & other travel business hubs endured an enormous impact inflicted upon them. However, the post-pandemic world has acknowledged minimum physical touch and remote service, as has the travel industry. Cloud Telephony Solutions have provided the appropriate solutions to the present-day travel industry and helped in reviving and revitalizing the industry with its avant-garde technological and automated novelties.
Cognizance of cloud telephony Services can be done through a detailed study of their precedence concerning the travel industry. Here are a few arguments in favour of cloud telephony solutions that will prove the significance of the service towards the betterment of the travel business.
1. Automated Communication for Travel Itineraries :–
The traditional mode of communication for a potential traveller in case of booking tickets, itinerates, or other arrangements is through emails, printouts or calls from travel agents. This attests to a flawed exchange of information as the traveller might not get proper communication on the trip for various reasons. Sometimes, the travel itineraries do not reach the customers on time due to the absence of a travel agent. This might reflect poorly on the reputation of the travel company or the travel agency. With Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems, missed call services and call routing provisions, it becomes easier for the companies to automate the communication process so that customers can be informed about their travel updates effortlessly and receive automated SMS or calls without even the help of an agent.
2. Security for Both Travelers & Travel Agencies :–
Customers provide a wide range of data, including sensitive information like credit card details, home addresses, Aadhar card numbers, passport particulars, etc., for their reservations. Travel businesses sustain only with an airtight operation where customer privacy remains paramount. Cloud telephony solutions eradicate manual information exchange and, in the process, eliminates any potential data leakage from agents, knowingly or unknowingly. Through services like click-to-call, customers can ensure that none of their personal information is revealed and misused.
3. Unified Call Monitoring & Analytics :–
An integrated cloud telephony solutions helps in maintaining unified call monitoring and analytics through call recordings, IVR systems and customer relationship management (CRM) platforms. In short, all the activities of the customer, from booking a reservation to finishing the journey or cancelling the itinerary, can be stored and observed as a database which, in time, can be used for various business growth strategies such as lead generation, increase in customer satisfaction, etc. by different departments like sales or marketing. Centralized monitoring of travel information helps the business and the customers be trackable, and the communication becomes precise, keeping the travellers in the loop and informed without making them annoyed.
4. Effortless Customer Service Management :–
Hotels, airlines and travel agencies thrive only with good customer service, and cloud telephony solutions optimize the customer experience through the help of every feature. Customers can rely on hassle-free and personalized proficiency when the travel company installs cloud telephony solutions, from booking an itinerary to real-time updates, from modifications to the booking to the cancellation of tickets.
5. Influencing Travel Enthusiasts Globally :–
The growth of a particular travel business can be determined according to the geographical locations and tourist places covered by the company for its clients. A travel agency that operates globally is considered more by customers than local entrepreneurs. By using virtual/toll-free numbers, an attractive feature of cloud telephony, travel agencies or companies can ensure influencing customers throughout the globe. A firm virtual number can be dialled from anywhere without any charge, which assists the company in reaching travellers in different time zones and geographical locations to book reservations with them even though the company is operating out of a centralized location and do not have branches in various places. Virtual numbers make remote service classy and relaxed.
6. High Scalability & Portability for the Business :–
The travel business in itself can be contemplated as an arrangement of various sectors coming together and adding their resources for a better customer experience. Cloud telephony solutions can also be considered highly scalable as they can help add multiple marketing campaigns per the business’s requirement of employing integrated CRM. The IVR systems can be customized per the targeted customer, enhancing dependability. Along with scalability, cloud telephony also provides portability to travellers. They can connect directly to the travel company by accessing the mobile or social media platforms through call forwarding and click-to-call services.
