STAFF can play a key role in attracting and retaining customers, Personal Service Travel director Martin Wellings said.
He told a debate on how to maintain customers that people do business with people, not companies.
“Customers are loyal to the staff, not particularly the company they work for,” he said.
“At our agencies we don’t employ dozing dollies who are in need of a personality transplants. There are too many of those in our industry.
“We have experienced staff who are treated as free thinkers and provide excellent service.
“As an industry we must stop pretending to give service and if you have decent staff you are half way there.”
Wellings said how you handle complaints is also crucial.
“Like everyone, we mess up from time to time but we act promptly at senior level. We also give the customer more money than they ask for. This sort of thing makes them more loyal than they would have been if there has been no problem in the first place.”
He added all clients get either a hand-written letter or a phone call on return from their holiday.
“The personal touch goes a very long way with customers,” he said.