Customer Service And

Communication

Subtopics
1) Definition of Customer service
2) Importance of customer satisfaction in travel business
3) Telephone skills and Customer Service in travel agency
4) Phonetic Alphabet used in travel business

Definition
Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the
level of customer satisfaction that is, the feeling that a product or
service has met the customer expectation.
Therefore, to deliver quality customer service, customers need the
organization to be aware of what they need.
Examples of Customer Service
On-time delivery
Easy-to-use and functional web site
Showing the customer that you care and illustrating courtesy and enthusiasm
Excellent follow-up
Empathy in handling customer complaints and questions
Well-explained instructions
Illustrations of encouragement
Suggesting a less expensive option
Accessibility when and where the customer wants it

Types of customer
There are two types of customer in any business, thus It is important
to recognize the importance of both external and internal customers
because both contribute to the customer service of our organization.
Internal customer refers to those provide the service to the
external customers or guest include the employees of the
organization.
Good customer service depends on the team efforts of employees
The guest service and satisfaction is responsibility of employee
External customer refers those who purchases the goods or
services in tourism industry are the tourists or guests buying the
package tours.

Importance of customer
satisfaction
Since the travel business is entirely dependent upon customer,

customer
satisfaction has the following advantages to the travel agency and tour operators
Customer satisfaction can therefore be defined as a positive attitude towards a
supplier that is achieved when the customers expectations are met.
Increase customer loyalty
Increase repeat business
Improve the reputation and image of the company
retaining of existed customer
Increase in profit of the business
Satisfied Customers Generate New Customers
Customer Satisfaction Encourages Successful Innovations

Telephone skills and Customer

Service
The Telephone is widely used instrument and it is first point of contact
for most business. If it is used skillfully it can be very powerful
marketing tool as a large percentage of business in travel industry.
While answering the following should be kept in the mind.
Basic principles for good telephone techniques
Answer the phone within three rings, if the phone keeps ringing and
un answered, it suggests that the agency is un professional and may
cause the customer to call another agency/ tour company.
Greet the customer as per time of the day and identify the agency
and your self.

Listen careful the customer , ask and repeat what is

saying, ask the name of the caller so that you can use it
to give a personal touch for further conversation.
Smile while talking and moderate your voice so that
you sound warm friendly and professional , speak
clearly and pronounce word correctly.
While answering the customer queries, be brief and to
the point remember if it is customer who made the call
long answer may confuse and may be irrelevant.
If you can not provide the answer inform the customer
that he would be connected to another department and
you would keep the call on hold. Ask the customer
whether you should keep the call on hold or you should
call back.

Make a note of customers instructions and repeat what

you have noted.
Be pertinent with customer, listen politely do not rush
the customer to disconnect.
Thank the customer for calling and show interest in
your agency or company, if it is required give him a
date when you would call back note the same in your
diary.
Make sure that you call back on the given date

Phonetic Alphabet
In any travel organization people are likely to spend a lot
of time on telephone.
Often in telephone lines are unclear and some people's
accent becomes difficult to be understood.
Therefore to increase clarity and reduce confusion people
use phonetic alphabet where each letter has been given
the name

Phonetic Alphabet
Letter

Word

ALFA

BRAVO

CHARLIE

DELTA

ECHO

FOXTROT

GOLF

HOTEL

INDIA

JULIETT

KILO

LIMA

MIKE

NOVEMBER

OSCAR

PAPA

QUEBEC

ROMEO

SUGAR

TANGO

UNIFORM

VICTOR

WHISKEY

XRAY

YANKEE

ZULU