6.1 Introduction
In order to provide the best possible service to your customers and clients, it makes sense for you to have a better understanding of the actual reasons for the industry in the first place along with why people travel.
By being able to get to grips with these reasons it means that you will be able to provide a better service that is more in tune with what they are looking for. As a direct result, you will then find that you have happy customers making your entire job so much easier.
6.2 The Reasons for the Industry
To begin with, we need to look at the actual reasons for the industry, even though they are going to be pretty self-explanatory. As humans, we are pretty much wired to wish to explore and experience new things, and travel is a wonderful way of doing this. Furthermore, we are curious and when we see examples of nature or how people live their lives in other parts of the world we want to go there and see first-hand what it is really like.
However, there are other reasons for the industry that go beyond curiosity. People have to travel for business reasons, personal reasons, for job interviews, or even to study. This all takes planning and arranging so many different things and that is where the travel and tourism industry really does come to the fore. In addition, people do not even have to travel far in order to experience new things hence domestic tourism, which also includes day trips, accounting for such a large percentage of the market.
In other words, there are a number of reasons why the industry exists and from those reasons there are numerous different facets of the industry as we have discussed in previous modules that are all able to survive as a direct result. It is your job, with you working within the industry, to take these reasons and not only understand them, but also to use this information to provide your customers with what they are looking for at the first time of asking.
We are not saying that you have to be aware of exactly why any individual is travelling all of the time, but as we will see through this module, it does have an impact on the way in which you provide a service to the customer or client.
6.3 What People are looking for When They Travel or are Tourists
After understanding the very reasons behind the industry as a whole it is important to look more closely at what people are generally looking for when they are going to travel or are even becoming tourists for the day.
It is important to understand that no two people are going to be alike as everybody will have specific ideas as to what they are looking for or what they want when travelling and it is up to you to be able to supply them with this to the best of your abilities. This is where your ability to work with people and to interact with them in the correct manner is going to really come to the fore.
As you can imagine from the list of reasons as to why people travel or turn into tourists, it does then lead to them having a wide range of things that they are specifically looking for when it comes to their trip.
To help you to better understand where your career could go we should look at some of the main reasons why people travel in a bit more detail as well as provide them with the service that they are looking for.
An interest in another culture or country.
The main reason why people will travel to another location is to basically see what it has to offer. This may include the culture, the sights and sounds, the food, or anything else related to the location in question.
However, when you work within the travel and tourism industry, it is important that you quickly ascertain the reason for them wanting to travel. This can also apply when you are just aware of a general interest in why they wish to go on holiday,
For example
They want to sun themselves on the beach. By getting this information it then allows you to begin to compile a number of possible locations that may appeal with you able to present them with that information to help them choose where to go.
To achieve a dream.
While a number of people will go on holiday or visit a location because it is easy to get to, there are a number of individuals that will save up in order to have that experience of a lifetime. They may have often thought about travelling first class. They may have always wanted to go on the Orient Express. They may have always wanted to visit the Great Wall of China. No matter what it is you have a role to play in helping them to achieve that dream when you encounter them in your working life.
Requirement for business.
We mentioned this elsewhere, but people do have to often travel for the sake of business and that requires a different approach from you when it comes to giving them what they are after. Generally speaking, people travelling for business purposes will be very specific in that they want their hotel for a certain reason, they do not want to hang around with lots of connecting flights, and they want things to go as smoothly as possible. Once again, you have to listen to what they are looking for and then go out of your way to provide them with what they want.
To visit something that has been recommended to them.
A final reason that we will mention here before going on to what people expect when they travel and become tourists is that they want to visit a destination or have an experience that has been described to them by other people. In some ways this is something that is easier for you to deal with simply because they are already aware of what to expect so your knowledge becomes slightly less important as a direct result. Indeed, with this all you have to do is to be able to put together the pieces of their trip, according to the services or part of the industry you are involved in, to make sure that they get what they are looking for.
Remember that we are not just talking about you being a travel agent or booking flights here as the same principles can be applied, aside from the business one, to anybody that is working in the cruise industry, the resorts, or even just individual tourist sights.
However, we also mentioned that it is important for you to be aware of what people are looking for when they travel and this is easier to explain.
No issues with travel.
If you are involved in the travelling aspect of the industry, then the last thing people want are any issues related to them getting to their destination and then getting back home. They want it to go smoothly and without a hitch so it is up to you to provide them with this wherever possible.
The hotel comes up to scratch.
While it is impossible for you to make absolutely sure that an individual is going to be in the perfect hotel and that it will go off without a hitch, you can at least be aware of those hotels that have a poor reputation in order to prevent your customers from going there. Also, it is important that you are aware of places to stay that fit in with their specific requirements. Perhaps they are looking for a family friendly place? A pet friendly place? A place where no kids are going to be running around causing trouble? Close to the beach? Close to the middle of the city? Easy transport to understand their requirements and then work hard to give them the hotel that fits with those needs.
The entertainments are there as expected.
This is especially true when you are dealing with families as they will be looking for very specific requirements when it comes to keeping their children entertained. It is up to you to be aware of what their children are looking for, that the place is going to be safe for them and that there is enough to keep them happy.
There are other key things that people are looking for when they travel. For example, business people want to be near where they are working. People that are travelling on a budget want a budget hotel and yet something that is also going to come up to scratch. This is where your time speaking to customers pays dividends, although that should be something that comes naturally when you work in the travel and tourism industry.
FACT
Only about 3 percent of people travel throughout the UK for business. The rest travel throughout the UK for education, shopping, visiting, leisure, and personal reasons.
Source: Gov.uk
6.4 How to Take the Reasons and Give Them What They Want
At this point you now have a better understanding of the reasons for the industry as well as the kind of things that people are generally looking for when they enter into an interaction with you.
However, it is now important that you are able to take the reasons and the information that you have been able to pick up and provide your customers with what they want.
This is not something that is always going to be that easy to do, although with experience, there is no doubt that life does become that little bit easier.
So, what are the steps that you must follow to ultimately give your customers what they are looking for when it comes to them travelling?
Remember to listen.
The first thing that you must do is to remember to listen to them. Why are they either here at this location or why are they looking at booking for a specific location? They are going to generally tell you quite a lot of information that will ultimately prove to be rather useful for you if only you know how to use it correctly, but you must listen first before you can hope to do anything else.
Match up the information with your knowledge.
Once you have listened to what they have to say to you about where they are going and the general reasons why it is then obvious that you have to take this information and match it up with the knowledge that you have gathered together in the industry. Now, this is something that you cannot just do without having the background so there has to be an acceptance that it takes time to work yourself into this position.
Go the extra mile.
Listening to what people want, mixed in with the knowledge that you already have about your own part of the industry, means that it is always possible for you to go the extra mile when you are providing your service or product to your customer. This in itself is something that you need to be prepared to do because that is going to be something that will actually further your career.
How? Simply because going that extra mile will often lead to a happy customer and as a result, you build your client base, reach targets, and you are then more likely to move further up the career ladder due to you being seen as a success.
Offer options.
To really provide the best possible service it may be best if you are able to offer customers a number of options to choose from with the final decision resting firmly on their shoulders.
For example
Say you are involved in the cruise industry and your client or customer is looking at touring the Mediterranean. There is every possibility that there are several cruise options available that visit different locations and it makes sense for you to then provide details of as many as possible. By doing this, you will not only come across as being extremely helpful, but it is also good customer service and the same principle when it comes to offering various options can be applied across the board.
6.5 How to Handle Problems When Products or Services cannot be supplied
Finally, we are going to look at how you deal with issues that may arise when you have to tell the customer that they are unable to get exactly what they want whether that be a product or a particular service.
The way in which you handle this delicate situation is going to have a profound impact on the way that the situation ends and clearly it is your responsibility to deliver something that is as close to what they want as possible.
Make sure you understand the problem.
The first thing to do is to make sure that you completely understand the problem as this is the only way in which you will be able to make amends and rectify things to the best of your ability. If you fail to get to grips with the issue then it stands to reason that you will provide the wrong solution and only make matters worse.
Make sure you have various solutions available.
While this is not always possible, you have to think about various solutions that could potentially be offered when an initial service or product is unable to be supplied. Remember that this is tied in with you having already understood the problem in the first place as you can see how easy it is to misunderstand a situation and make things worse.
Never lie.
If you are unable to provide a certain product or service or simply fail to meet the expectations of your customer, then never lie to cover up this fact. Instead, you should always offer an apology and then immediately offer them some alternatives that you believe would be suitable and at least come close to their demands. This may not always work, but it is still important to try in the first place.
Always try to help.
Perhaps the most important part of all of this is to always make sure that you try to help the customer no matter the predicament that they find themselves in. Remember, you may not be able to always resolve things, but at the end of the day you never know what may be able to make a difference to a customer and what they are looking for if you do not give it a go.
In other words, never just shrug your shoulders and move on to the next person.However, it is also how you tackle this kind of situation that is important. Generally speaking, you should follow these key points.
Be friendly.
Smiling and being friendly can help to largely diffuse so many situations and it then helps to settle down a customer who is often quite irate at them not being able to get what they want.
Be positive with body language.
If you are dealing with a customer in person then make sure that your body language is open as it does make you seem to be more approachable than you may otherwise be. If you are closed off, which basically means you seem tense, then there is a pretty good chance that the customer is also going to be closed off making it hard for you to deal with their issue.
Be attentive.
Do not just listen for the sake of listening, but pay attention so you can offer them solutions. Nod, repeat back parts of what they have said to let them know you have understood the situation, and just make sure they are aware that you know what they are going through.
Never take things personally.
There is no way that you should take any kind of abuse or insults personally, although clearly the customer has no right to abuse you in this manner either. However, they are probably very upset at how their dream holiday or visit to a destination is no longer able to happen. Once again, your knowledge of your industry and what you are able to provide people is going to help you to pull things through resulting in you being able to turn things around.
Being a people person does make a huge difference, especially when things are going against your customer. The way you handle these situations will then go on to make a difference to your career and how far you will go.
MODULE SUMMARY
In this module we have looked more specifically at the reasons why people travel and how you take that information to provide them with what it is that they are looking for.
This is something that will take time for you to develop as a skill, but at the same time it is essential that you have a firm understanding of your own job and sector of the industry to then also be aware of what it is that you can offer your customers. At the end of the day, the way in which you deal with their reasons for travelling will also then determine your ability to really work within this industry.
In the next module we will look at the concept of promotion and marketing within the travel and tourism industry.
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