HAYS Travel claims to be the first agency group to roll out technology allowing its agents to e-mail specific offers to clients and build up a database of customer preferences.
E-news4Agents, to be launched at this weekend’s conference of wholly-owned subsidiary the Independence Group, is aimed at retaining customers by collecting e-mail addresses every time a client comes into a shop and e-mailing them details of deals specific to their requests as well as ad-hoc news updates.
Hays Travel managing director John Hays, who has already introduced the Comtec software to the miniple’s 32 shops, said: “If people have not booked, we find it useful to e-mail them and let them know if something comes up.
“We ask them if they want e-mails daily, weekly, or twice a week. The technology scans the criteria of what clients are interested in along with how many people, where they want to go, how much they want to pay – and sends the details to clients.”
Clients who click on offers in the e-mails – which can be personalised with the shop’s branding or even the consultant’s name – will be redirected to the shop’s website or can return to the shop to book.
The scheme will be offered to Independence Group agents at a cost of 1 pence to 2 pence per e-mail and, if successful, will be offered to agents who are not part of the group.
Hays said specialist operators would be approached to get exclusive deals in place twice a month to e-mail to customers. The offers will also be put on the website and sent out as leaflets.