Page 31 - Express Travel World

SPOTLIGHT

ences. Smartphones empower Some, like chatbots and auto-
travellers to capture and share mated communications plat-
literally every leg of their jour- forms (Interactions, Dazzle) in-
ney, from photo images to live tegrate into the travel company’s
posts, reviews and opinions. In backend, generally to improve
addition to providing web-like customer service.
browsing and booking experi- Standalone 'personal assis-
ences, smartphones now act as tant' solutions associate with an
cashless wallets, entrance tick- individual traveler, and provide
ets and door keys. even more services like booking
At the same time, these con- and rearranging schedules.
nected devices also capture and Niche disruption management
transmit vast quantities of data solutions have also begun to
in real time. This data, especially arise like Freebird, which can
when married to legacy data, quickly rebook a plane ticket if a
can enlighten, influence, autho- problem arises. Roomstorm is a
rise and personalise the trav- startup focused on finding ac-
eller’s experience through ma- commodations for airline pas-
chine learning, predictive sengers and crews left stranded
analytics and artificial intelli- due to weather and other unpre-
gence (AI). This big data and the dictable circumstances,while
tools to harness it can be used to Service and Airhelp help passen-
improve the customer experi- gers get compensation for flight
ence in many ways. The focus of disruptions, cancellations or lost
digital transformation of the The band grants access to the rental agreement; finding, lock- tions, those new digital plat- luggage.
traveller’s customer experience theme parks, unlocks Disney ing and unlocking the car; locat- forms designed specifically to
revolves around several Resort hotel rooms, and buys ing nearby gas stations; calling improve or transform the cus-
recurring objectives: food and merchandise. It also roadside assistance; and even tomer experience along every Winning at customer
• Facilitated, frictionless interac- 'adds a touch of magic to your tracking the location of the cour- stage of the traveller’s journey: experience
tions. vacation by unlocking special tesy shuttle bus. Dream – By typing in just a No doubt, digitally trans-
• Communicating how, when surprises, personalised just for Several airlines continue to few descriptive or aspirational forming the customer experi-
and by preferred means, includ- you'. Delivering a complex, in- push innovations to reduce fric- keywords, view destinations that ence can be hard and expen-
ing mobile apps, chatbots, natu- tegrated experience like this tion and improve the customer fit what you might be looking for sive. Don’t, however, wait in
ral voice recognition assistants, requires intricate planning, en- experience at multiple levels. (LuxTripper). Or put on a pair of watch mode for too long. Busi-
and messaging. gineering, and data-driven so- JetBlue, Southwest and Virgin virtual reality goggles and 'try nesses did that in the early
• Personalisation - subtle and lutions, and companies must be Airlines are among those with before you buy' (YouVisit). days of the Internet, and
overt. bold to undertake it. self-serve check-in kiosks or Search – Using artificial in- many of them are now gone.
• Alleviating pain while improv- In an effort to attract Airbnb- mounted tablets. Ryanair hired telligence, machine learning and Don’t think of this transfor-
ing wonder and delight. loving millennials, the new lux- over 200 IT specialists to over- predictive analytics, solutions mation process as an expense,
• Creating and reinforcing loy- ury Public Hotel in Manhattan haul its web and mobile solu- like Hello Hipmunk do the leg- as the World Economic Forum
alty and positive brand senti- has stripped away traditional tions, one result of which was a work for the traveller. forecast predicts it will gener-
ment. cost-increasing hotel services new mobile app achieving 60 per Shop and Buy – WhereFor, ate not only more revenue but
• Planning for millennial and dig- like a front desk, clerks and cent faster booking times and for example, upends the way to greater profitability.
ital native travellers, whose concierges, replacing them with airlines including JetBlue and search and shop for leisure Help travellers along. Have
needs, loyalties and expectations self-serve tablet check-ins, float- Delta now provide flight atten- travel. Instead of starting with a empathy. Teach them new
are very different than previous ing staff, and free hi-speed Wi-Fi. dants with hand-held devices to destination, the user starts with a technologies where they’re un-
generations. The rooms may be sparse in deliver passengers personalised budget. If the traveller finds an comfortable. Travellers in
amenities compared to tradi- information like loyalty points appealing hotel and flight pack- flight or on trains have a lot of
Examples of digitally tional hotels, but come equipped and connecting flight details. age, she can book directly on the time to kill. Encourage them to
transformed traveller with AppleTV, 12 power outlets, To advance facilitated expe- site. provide ideas and feedback.
customer experiences and bottled water. And what the riences through more communi- Share – Social sharing plat- Make them part of the trans-
To deliver the best cus- hotel lacks, it makes up for in cation channels, over the past forms have matured, and few formation process. Earn their
tomer experience possible, stylish hipster restaurant and year, online travel agency Expe- contenders have really dis- ongoing trust so they will let
many of the travel industry’s bar offerings and a rooftop dia has rolled out several cus- rupted the original disruptors you into their worlds and their
new efforts attempt to tackle lounge. tomer-centric tools and innova- (Snap might even be considered data.
more than one of these objec- In response to customer re- tions. These include: bots for 'mature' at this point). As the bar continues to be
tives at once. For instance, the quests, Avis recently upgraded Facebook Messenger and Skype; However, live streaming raised on the traveller’s cus-
poster child of customer experi- its mobile app to enable a more a voice command “cheat sheet” video is starting to come of age, tomer experience, the more
ence, the Disney company con- facilitated and pain-free car for using Amazon Alexa, Ama- and video suits travel well. Look they will come to expect from
tinues to innovate. An experi- rental experience. The app al- zon Dot or Microsoft Cortana to for users to share their experi- providers. What will separate
ence at its theme park is now lows renters to manage their en- plan, book, or check on a trip; ences using platforms like winners from losers will be
built around its MagicBands, tire experience from their and a virtual reality experience YouTube, TripAdvisor and Face- those companies that are digi-
which the company describes smartphone. This includes: atop the Seattle Space Needle book Live, and on early-stage tally aligned with their cus-
as an 'all-in-one device that ef- choosing the exact car they for HTC devices. companies like Tout. tomers and can consistently
fortlessly connects you to all want; changing or upgrading ve- New digital-born solutions deliver to those expectations.
the vacation choices you made hicles with a simple swipe while The digital disruptors also fit into the emerging disrup- The pressure to continue to
with My Disney Experience'. at or near the lot; viewing their These are the pure-play solu- tion management category. delight them is on.

EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD 31
February 2018