Despite ups and down, hosting clients on a trip to Costa Rica was a huge success, says Ponders Travel managing director Clare Dudley.
Why do I take things so personally? Well, because it matters.
In my last column, I shared that I was due to take 37 clients to Costa Rica. I thought I would use this opportunity to let you know how the trip went, and what lessons I learnt.
Ahead of the trip, I was nervous about taking this group away, but I couldn’t understand why as I don’t usually get anxious. I had personally invited everyone on the trip and knew some of them well. But I had not met about a third of the group in person, despite having booked their holidays for years. So I wondered whether my nerves came about as a result of worrying if these people would like me or not.
Human interaction
I loved the article Helen Parry [Arundel Travel] wrote recently about the importance of having face-to-face clients. I agreed with every word she wrote.
However, Ponders Travel now has clients from all over the world – after initially starting out as a small agency that relied on people popping in – so meeting all clients face-to-face is simply not possible. As a team, we have worked hard getting to know our clients virtually, and feel we now know them well. But Helen is right in saying nothing beats that human interaction.
If you can, I would urge you to go on a trip with your clients, as it truly does help you build relationships that will last a lifetime
Having gone on this Costa Rica trip, however, I have found there is nothing like taking a holiday with your clients to really get to know them. I did not have a clue that some of our clients are multimillionaires; I didn’t realise one was 6ft 7in; I hadn’t considered that for some, having a hotel room near a lift or on the ground floor is preferable; and I wasn’t aware that many of them dislike coach travel.
On the flipside, I wondered throughout the trip if I was what they had imagined. While I appreciated before the trip that knowing your clients and their likes and dislikes is invaluable, my time in Costa Rica cemented that. If you can, I would urge you to go on a trip with your clients, as it truly does help you build relationships that will last a lifetime. I am going to ensure that everything I learnt about these lovely clients will be considered in more depth on every future trip I arrange for them.
Strong bond
During our first week touring Costa Rica, some things weren’t well received, such as the length of coach journeys, early starts and short stays in each hotel. I found myself taking all these elements to heart. I got upset. In trying to be kind and arrange a special trip for my VIPs, I wondered whether I had inadvertently ruined our relationships for good.
By the end of our two-week holiday, the group had bonded better than I could have imagined, and they were all asking me where we were going next
I blamed myself because it mattered so much to me that they all had the best time; Ponders is in my blood, which means I care deeply that customers have the best holiday experience. But as the trip progressed, I learnt these things were not my fault – and the clients knew that. By the end of our two-week holiday, the group had bonded better than I could have imagined, and they were all asking me where we were going next.
I can’t wait to travel with these lovely people again. And I know that next time will be even more special, because I know them far better.
You can’t beat first-hand advice
After returning from Costa Rica, a client came into the office to talk about a proposed trip there. I was delighted to be able to share my new-found knowledge. As I chatted to her, someone from the escorted tour came in with homemade biscuits to say thank you,followed by someone else from the trip with a bottle of champagne to show his appreciation. The three of us were able to give the customer plenty of advice about her trip.
Can you imagine how good it felt to have two clients call into the shop with gifts to share their gratitude and praise for the destination, while there was a customer in the branch thinking about booking a trip there?