Whether you are talking about hotels such as the Tadoba hotels, or airlines, rental cars, restaurants, you are dealing with the hospitality industry. Travel agencies are at the very center of this industry, providing links to each of the facets of the hospitality industry. It is because of their cohesive action that most travelers prefer them as a means to have all their travel needs consolidated in one place by a single group of people.
In every area of the hospitality industry, the challenge is to build and maintain customer loyalty. It is important to have this loyalty so that you can be sure of success in the future. So how can this be done?
- Charity Begins at Home
Start by building confidence among the staff members at your travel agency or any other sector of the hospitality industry. You need to know where you are going and lead your team towards that vision. When you have a cohesive reliable team, it will show in the service delivery and you will certainly gain the confidence of your clientele.
- The Essence of Presence
The other thing that makes good business sense is to be present. It is the one that is prepared that cashes in on the profits. You need to be ‘up early’ and ‘down late’ in this business in order to show your target customers that they can come to you any time of day or night to handle their travel related issues. You can ensure this by having a functional website offering all the relevant information so that clients can access your services and products wherever they are and whenever they want.
- Keep Your Word
Along with being present, you have to be reliable. Trust and loyalty are products of time and experience. You need to have a reputation for keeping your word and that will be worth much more in terms of customer loyalty than any other kind of offer you could come up with. Make sure to make promises only that you are sure you can keep. Communicate in advance, if there are any unforeseen delays that you are presently unable to troubleshoot.
- The ‘X’ Factor
Speaking of troubleshooting, you need to know your business and your industry like the back of your hand to be able to make great decisions on the spot in the event of an unforeseen circumstance or in case the client requires some recommendations.
You need to make sure you have that wild card up your sleeve that can provide instant solution to sudden problems. The clients will be so impressed at your problem solving skills, it will be easy for them to trust you and stick with you.
- Friendly Rates
Ultimately, costs are going to factor in the building and maintaining customer loyalty. You are running a business and you need to balance between making profits and ensuring those profits through a stable customer base. Try to keep your prices as competitive as possible and throw in some offers and promotions to keep things interesting.
Bio
Charlie Brown is a tours and travel blogger with Tadoba hotels with years of experience in the hospitality industry and customer service.