COMMENT i CARRIER


Good service is something to harp on about


My mother frequently reminds me that I am in my perfect job with the line, “You always had expensive tastes and were picky”. I am not entirely sure it is meant as a compliment, but I take it as one regardless. Being discerning is no bad thing in my book.


It does mean I have a keen eye for good customer service, although I am not unique in recognising what it is like to be on the receiving end of fabulous service. Just think about your last ight and whether it was a pleasant trip. t always strikes e how ipactful the cabin crew can be on the overall enoyent of a ight. n y view this human interaction far outweighs a new TV screen or wider menu choice. Similarly, agents with high retention rates know only too well how powerful it is to deliver eceptional service, but in luxury travel that means more than courteous and propt interaction. leibility and personalisation are


frequently used buzzwords, but so many brands still don’t get it. Take my weekly commute from Brighton to Manchester. I choose not to travel first class due to the service. The


Mark Duguid joined Carrier as anaging director in pril . Prior to that he held senior roles at uoni, lobespan, MyTravel and Direct Holidays


A famous fashion designer insists that five pencils of a


particular brand are placed by their hotel bed in case inspiration strikes in the night


aspiretravelclub.co.uk


staff are perfectly pleasant, but  don’t want to be interrupted  ties yes,  counted) to be offered coffee, then tea, then a cold drink, then toast, and so on. or e, first-class service is about being given space and peace to work so y coute is productive. o  opt instead to sit in standard class with a Pret breakfast, blissfully free of interruptions. The agents I see succeeding are the ones who communicate with their clients at the time of their choosing. They tailor the holiday eperiences based on a deep understanding of their clients’ needs and desires. I love hearing about the more extravagant concierge requests we get at Carrier: the famous fashion designer who insists that five pencils of a particular brand are placed by the bed in case inspiration strikes in the night; or a reuest for a harp to be placed in a ski chalet so that a wealthy client’s daughter can practise for a recital. It drives me crazy how much our sector focuses on price.  a sure that in these eaples, securing a discount was not the clients’ key motivation in choosing which agent to book with. Your clients may not all want pencils or harps, but they will have needs and desires very specific to them. Discovering what they are and personalising each eperience is how to master the art of customer service for the luxury traveller.


FEBRUARY 2019 ASPIRE 31


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