Tui is introducing new ‘sales and service technology’ so high street agents can deal with customers regardless of which channel they use to contact the operator.
News of the technology was revealed to managers of Tui shops and call centre teams at a retail managers’ conference in Crete last week.
Speaking exclusively to Travel Weekly at the event, Belinda Vazquez, retail director, said: “Rather than waiting for someone to come through the door, our retail people [will be able to] handle anyone, if they came to us via phone, or live chat or booked online.”
Previously the back-office systems for shops, website and contact centres were not able to track the same customer but now a client can seamlessly deal with an agent in a shop for advice about holidays or a booking that has been made elsewhere.
More:Tui adds more than 130 former Thomas Cook hotels
Tui hikes ex-UK capacity by two million seats
Tui’s Marella Cruises to make US debut
Queries can be channelled to agents in the same postcode as the person making an inquiry or sent to an agent with expertise in a particular sector, such as weddings.
Katie McAlister, chief marketing officer, said: “Online bookers often want to speak to an agent.
“Now we can offer an end-to-end multi-channel service. It would have been clunky in the past for the agents to deal with someone who’d booked by another channel but now all the back office is sorted.
“Having the brand on high street is important for our brand awareness.”
Clients can talk to agents via live chat or speak to them directly in high street shops.
Vazquez added: “The value of our retail estate is our people. The retail managers are really excited about this, and really engaged as it is something special.”