Inteletravel UK & Ireland managing director Tricia Handley-Hughes says the trade can use scammers’ activity as a way to build trust with customers
There can be few things more gut-wrenching than discovering you’ve been the victim of one of the many holiday or passport scams that are becoming increasingly sophisticated, as highlighted by Travel Weekly’s ongoing coverage.
Furthermore, stories about people handing over money and personal information in the mistaken belief that they are booking their dream holiday or finding a clever solution to the delays in renewing vital documents, can be very damaging for the travel industry.
However, growing online fraud is also presenting an ideal opportunity for honest, hard-working agents to engage and reassure customers.
People are understandably scared. Recent research by financial services company Paysafe found that 59% of consumers are more concerned about becoming a victim of fraud now than they were in 2021.
And in that climate, they want to give their money to somebody they can trust.
This simple five-letter word is the reason why good travel advisors are more important and successful than ever, despite the huge technological revolution of the past decades and continual warnings that their days were numbered.
Now is the time for travel agents to build on that trust, form ever-closer bonds with their customers and cement those relationships.
Many agents are extremely adept at using social media to promote and build their businesses. However, we all know there is a dark side to social media with scammers using pictures of hotels and cottages, accompanied by prices which seem, and are, too good to be true.
Customers are being advised to be wary of online promotions and to re-enforce trust I strongly advice agents not to let social media replace the human touch, but to use it as an additional promotional channel.
It’s vital to move the conversation offline and actually speak to the customer, qualifying their full requirements before booking a trip.
Ask clients the right questions, show the customer you are listening and take time to understand their needs, use the enquiry to your advantage. This is not rocket science, but as we immerse ourselves in online connectivity, it’s easy to hide behind electronic and social media messages.
It’s a dangerous route that can lead to lost customers and also expose agents themselves to fraudulent activity, leaving business owners and independent agents accountable. We have all seen the evidence reported over the last few weeks and should learn from this.
Everyone wants to be heard and customers are no different. Listening helps build a picture and understand customers’ habits and previous holiday choices to match them with appropriate products. Selling the right holiday is satisfying, confidence-boosting and leads to repeat custom. Repeat custom then makes add-ons easier to sell as trust has been established. It becomes a virtuous circle where agents can increase their commissions.
I also advise agents to steer clear of price-matching because that doesn’t build trust. It simply undervalues the services of an agent and once you embark on this strategy it is difficult to return to normal pricing. Those who want you to price-match are not loyal customers and will just search for the cheapest option.
Don’t be afraid to showcase your efforts that will include undertaking all the searching and administration, checking documentation, ensuring customers have in-destination information and booking all the little extras that are an important part of any holiday.
When customers understand and appreciate the value of an agent, the bond and trust will become stronger.