TRAVEL agents who provide a high-quality service to clients will not lose sales to the Internet, according to Trexx president Stephane Deschenes.
“Machines replace machines. An agent who sells a policy like a machine will not survive, but a good agent who builds a trusting relationship beats a machine 10 times over,” said Deschenes.
Despite the amount of travel sold on the Internet, Deschenes said Canada-based Trexx, an on-line travel insurance company, is one of the few sites selling policies on the Web.
US-based research company Jupiter Communications estimates that Americans alone will buy $1bn worth of travel in November and December this year, and forecast the year total in 2003 will reach $16.6bn.
He claimed: “People who are buying holidays need travel insurance, but there are very few opportunities to buy it over the Internet.
“I think there will only be a gradual move to policies on the Web because traditional insurers move very slowly in this context.
“One or two years is the normal timescale for development in the insurance cycle. On the Internet you have to talk in terms of months.”
Deschenes advised companies to design a site that is easy for consumers to understand. “The buying process should be as quick as possible because it is not something people want to buy.
“I have been amazed to see sites where insurers have just put up their rate card. Customers need to fill in personal details and where they are going and get a quote.”