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We’ve published articles about AI and looked deeply into its advantages, and we have discussed the idea of whether it may be depriving frontline agents of their positions, but I think what we have established is that it’s really about Agents and AI (and of course the people who facilitate AI services) working together. A recent trip I had to Marrakesh, with some of our support staff, seemed to enhance the idea that Agents and AI people can integrate very well and I think this was a result of their having had a firsthand experience of some of the things that our travellers experience every day. This is where real customer service is enhanced from both a face-to-face and AI perspective.
Something for me that was a very interesting takeaway from that incentive trip to Marrakech, is that on it I had four people who were all new to the long-haul travel experience and although they’ve all worked in our organisation, some were from within our operations team, and some from our support services team. When travelling through Marrakech it’s quite normal to expect that you will require an hour and a half for processing through the airport. Having the new travellers join us, they got to experience the levels of anxiety and frustration of having to undertake this tedious process, imagine how much worse it would be if you had managed to get through all this red tape, in a country where you don’t speak the language, only to find that your transfer isn’t waiting for you on the other side! Now that’s context! As we had travelled as a group, fortunately there were those of us with more experience to guide our colleagues, and yes our transfer was definitely waiting on the other side. All the staff on the trip have a much better understanding of the pressures being placed on our Travel Consultants when an irate customer complains about the long wait, or maybe about their transfer not being at the airport any longer because the Consultant might not have scheduled the timing – and so on. So, sometimes if a Travel Consultant is frustrated or annoyed, it could be just because their clients are being very hard on them but now the support staff too, have more of an understanding of what their challenges are and what they need to do to deliver their very best service to our customers.
The responsibility of the company
Just as we always need to upskill our Travel Counsellors in terms of what it is that their customers are experiencing, it’s also good for support staff to know how they play a role in an organisation, and how AI and robotics can be integrated to maximise the traveller’s experience. My Marrakesh trip may be a very simple example, but we (and many other corporate entities) have to uplift our staff in terms of giving them the skills to become not just accredited Travel Agents, HR staff or AI facilitators, but also able to provide a better service by understanding each other’s roles and challenges so that they can all work towards a common goal.
I believe this is largely obtained through firsthand experience, and I don’t think this applies only to the travel industry either. In a world where many professionals are feeling threatened by AI and the IT guys that facilitate it, it’s a good idea to get these people working together by understanding each other’s purpose. AI is not going to go away – we are already way too ensconced in utilising its advantages – and the vitally important face-to-face and online communication between Travel professionals and travellers is also always going to have its place, so let’s get everyone on the same page going into 2025 and create a better, more streamlined customer service and a much happier, more cohesive team.
If you are travelling for the holidays – Bon voyage – if you are driving, please do so with care – Happy holidays!
LIDIA FOLLI
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
