ASPIRE LUXURY BUSINESS BREAKFAST
SERVICE LEVELS IN TRAVEL ABOVE AVERAGE
Service levels in the travel and leisure industry are slightly above the national average, but customer satisfaction levels across all sectors have started to drop in the last year, according to the Institute of Customer Service. Figures revealed during the Aspire Business Breakfast at the Victoria & Albert Museum, hosted by Kuoni and sponsored by Celebrity Cruises and Holiday Extras, showed travel and leisure achieved a rating on average of 80 out of 100 compared with a UK average of 77.
Jo Causon, chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service, said: “Travel and leisure sits slightly above average. There will be those over 80 and those well under.” The institute’s UK Customer
There will be those [who score] over 80 and those well under
Satisfaction Index, which surveyed 12,000 individuals across 13 industries, also showed that customers’ satisfaction levels overall had improved over the last five years, but worryingly, had started to fall in the last 12 months. Part of this could be due to increasing demands and expectations of consumers, but she warned: “In many cases we have taken our eye off the ball.” She added: “There is a relationship between customer satisfaction and
performance. If it’s starting to fall that’s not going to be great.” The service industry makes
up 78% of the country’s gross domestic product, according to Causon. “It’s a really significant driver in the performance of the UK; 70% of people are employed in customer service or customer- facing roles, so the industry is critical,” said Causon. The top-performing
Jo Causon, chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service
service sector is retail, with companies such as John Lewis and Marks & Spencer’s food stores demonstrating there is a “direct correlation” between high level of customer service and financial performance.
TRAVEL AGENTS URGED NOT TO RELY TOO MUCH ON EMAIL
Travel counsellor Lisa Hillyard urged travel agents to talk to customers rather than use emails to demonstrate better service. Hillyard said the art of conversation had disappeared as a result of modern technology such as email and text messages. She said: “We can all hide behind text messages and email. You can’t get humour across in an email. If you smile on the phone it is perceived on the end of the line; if I am miserable it will show in my voice. “I sometimes start writing an email and have
to tell myself to pick up the phone.” Jo Causon, chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service, added: “You need to be able to understand what the customer wants and the way they want to be responded to.”
CUSTOMER SERVICE ‘IS THE ONLY DIFFERENTIATOR’ Customer service is the only way travel companies can stand out from their competitors, according to the Aspire Luxury Business Breakfast panel. Jo Causon, chief executive of the Institute
of Customer Service, said changes in consumers and the increasing role of social media meant customer service was the only way to stand out from other companies. She said: “We have less money, but we
have more choice and we are more likely to be visible through social media. “There is growing evidence that shows
service is the only differentiator.” This means creating and retaining
customers is even more critical. “It’s no longer a transactional, one-off experience. It’s about building that longer term relationship. It costs so much money to constantly bring in new customers.”
24 — aspire september 2014
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