Customer Service Pro: Be a Partner & a Mommy

Customer service guru Micah Solomon is so happy to pay for the services of a travel agent that he was inspired to write about it in a recent Forbes.com column titled “Why I Happily Waste Money on A Travel Agent (Maybe You Should, Too).”

Solomon writes that for a time he “fell into the trap” of trying to arrange his own travel. Now he values the “nuanced” skills and knowledge of the travel agent he considers a “partner.” And he’s more than willing to pay for the privilege.

The reason? He hates making travel arrangements for his extensive worldwide speaking schedule, and he needs help getting the details right.

Travel Market Report asked Solomon, who is author of High-Tech, High-Touch Customer Service (Amacom, 2012), how travel agents can improve their customer service skills.

How does a travel agent build a customer service culture?
Solomon: I travel all over the place and what I need is someone who can adapt to my personal needs and do it in a friendly way.

People think a customer service culture should feel like home, but I don’t think that’s exactly true. What it should feel like is this ideal home that you had as a kid. Your refrigerator is stocked with exactly what you want, and things are taken care of before you even know they need to be.

What can travel agents do to provide the best customer service experience for their clients?
Solomon: Try not to make mistakes. In some businesses it may not matter so much, but in travel it does. And be nice. Those are two major things.

Think about telephone etiquette. Travel agents are mostly working with very busy people. When you call clients, you want to make really sure that it’s a good time to talk before launching into your spiel. Use an opening like, ‘Is this a good time to talk?’

Be timely. Being timely has become much more important than ever. Don’t think that if someone called you at 4:55 it’s unreasonable that you should get back to them right away. Think of what you’re competing with. They can do something instantly online.

What do you see travel agents doing wrong?
Solomon: They might not realize that the standards of speed have increased dramatically and that a lot of customers don’t want to talk on the phone, because they may be corresponding with you at work or are accustomed to multitasking.

Agents should not show the slightest bit of umbrage if the client says they’ve checked things out online. Customers want to be a partner. When things go wrong they don’t want to be a partner anymore. They want a mommy.

What are the most important things that travel agents can do to create customer loyalty?
Solomon: Be clearly happy when you hear from one of your customers. Make it clear that their business matters to you. If your customers work in a huge corporation they might not understand the bottom line value they offer to a small business.

If you don’t hear from them in a while and then hear from them, let them know that they were missed and you are very happy they came back.

You want your clients to feel a little bit guilty if they go somewhere else.

What sort of language should travel agents use? What are some do’s and don’ts?
Solomon: Even if you’re a nice person you can come off the wrong way. Here’s one I hear a lot – saying, ‘Like I said . . . .’ That’s a way of telling a client they’re not listening well enough.

Unless it’s a true emergency, avoid telling clients that they need to do such and such. Instead of saying, ‘You need to get back to me today,’ say, ‘The ticket needs to be booked today.’

With billing, don’t say, ‘You owe us $500,’ rather, ‘Our records indicate that you have a balance of $500.’ Ignore your English teacher and be passive and wishy-washy.

Next time: Travel Market Report finds out what makes Micah Solomon’s travel agent so special.