Amid a growing preference for tailored experiences, Asian inbound travel agencies appraise the level of personalised service in their markets and share how that can be enhanced

Judy Lum
group vice president for sales and marketing, Tour East Group

How do you rate the level of personalised service in Singapore?
On a scale from one to 10, it is at four.

What does Singapore need to improve its level of personalised service?
A national campaign to focus on social grace – how good it feels to be nice and thoughtful to others. Once this message gets through, good personal service will come naturally from the heart and customers will be able to feel the warmth and sincerity from us.

An example of best personalised service by a partner or supplier
My most memorable experience of service beyond one’s expectation was a staycation at a five-star hotel in Singapore.

My daughter was about 10 years old then, and when we entered the room we saw the hotel’s signature teddy bear and a jar of jelly beans waiting for her. She never stopped talking about the hotel stay for months after. It was the little thoughtful things that really impressed me.

Also, about three hours after checking in, my husband and I went down to the lobby and were greeted by our name (my husband’s family name) by the staff. I can’t tell you how good it made us feel. – Paige Lee Pei Qi

Silvana Leung
operations manager,
Hong Kong Foodie

How do you rate the level of personalised service in Hong Kong?
The level of personalised service is average. The market is very competitive nowadays with the ease of booking tours and packages online. Customers generally prefer instant confirmation and automated processes which minimises the personalised element in the services provided.

What does Hong Kong need to improve its level of personalised service?
Inbound agencies could learn more about customers from different countries to find out more about their characteristics and general interests to provide tailor-made tour services.

An example of best personalised service by a partner or supplier
Hotel concierge teams are travel agencies’ best partners. When guests are on the road, they may not have Internet access or have trouble booking local tours. This is where hotel concierge staff come in to help liaise between guests and travel agencies, ensuring tours are booked and paid for. – Prudence Lui

Ratna Ning
president director, PACTO

How do you rate the level of personalised service in Indonesia?
Indonesia currently offers a remarkable level of personalisation, not only when compared to western countries, but also when compared to other Asian countries. Indonesians are traditionally committed to personalised service.

What does Indonesia need to improve its level of personalised service?
There is always room for improvement, and I think we need to understand the importance of customer profiling prior to providing services.

An example of best personalised service by a partner or supplier
At Le Méridien in New Delhi, you don’t need to compile a laundry list, you just hand over your clothes. The staff know perfectly well which clothes belong to which customer despite the size of the hotel. And they greet you by name too. – Mimi Hudoyo

Joanna Altomonte Abrera
Director,
Intas Destinations

How do you rate the level of personalised service in the Philippines?
For the high-end resort and people who deal with high-end clients, I think it’s quite personalised. It’s in our nature to do so. We’re personable, and go out of our way to be pleasant and solicitous, and that adds up to personalisation.

What does the Philippines need to improve its level of personalised service?
Suppliers can try to find out as much as they can about their clients. They can also improve the background research on their clients.

An example of best personalised service by a partner or supplier
Discovery Shores Boracay is among our partners that’s the most consistent in providing the best personalised service.

They make the extra effort to reach out and obtain as much information as possible about guests – such as preferences or allergies – and provide the extra service touch by offering perks like a foot spa upon arrival. – Rosa Ocampo

Micky Gan
managing director, Alpha International Service Corp

How do you rate the level of personalised service in Japan?
Japan has a highly evolved and deep-rooted culture of service and this is very clearly visible in the hospitality sector. Many high-end travellers really like the excellent service culture.

I would go as far as to say that Japan has a unique service culture that is above and beyond any other country in the world.

What does Japan need to improve its level of personalised service?
The only criticism I would have is that Japan is less globally minded than other destinations. Staff may want to help but they do not always understand what a foreign customer wants or expects of them in a given situation. From the industry point of view, I feel that more employees in the hospitality sector need to go abroad, see what is happening in other parts of the world and learn from that.

An example of best personalised service by a partner or supplier
I think you only have to look at the initial encounters that you get at Tokyo’s top hotels, like ANA InterContinental, Four Seasons, and Imperial Hotel, for an example of excellent service. The doormen and bellboys at those places really know their stuff. – Julian Ryall

Arun Anand
managing director,
Midtown Travel
How do you rate the level of personalised service in India?
The level of personalised service in India is quite high, which is important for a diverse country like ours. The industry here is a matured one and it understands that different guests look for different experiences. From tours to hotels, tourists can expect that their standard for a particular service will be fulfilled.

What does India need to improve its level of personalised service?
If we can have more trained guides who are also well versed in another language, it will help to ensure that the level of personalised service is further improved.

An example of best personalised service by a partner or supplier
Chomu Palace in Rajasthan. One of our groups was staying there and during a camel ride, two clients fell off. Our guide took them to the hospital, and they were admitted. The tour leader, a lady, stayed at the hospital with them but she felt uncomfortable staying alone with the two patients.

Chomu Palace went out of the way and sent two of their female staff to stay in the same room as the tour leader. They also sent breakfast for the three of them from the hotel. When they were transferred to Delhi by ambulance, the hotel – on their own accord – packed lunch, some fruits and mineral water for them which they never charged us for. – Rohit Kaul

Anthony Hayes
global managing director,
AAT Kings

How do you rate the level of personalised service in Australia?
Offering a high level of personalised service is something that Australia is getting better at, but we still have a long way to go. There are still a number of industries that are stuck in the one-size-fits-all mindset, which is neither realistic nor sustainable.

What does Australia need to improve its level of personalised service?
Whatever the industry, understanding and listening to your customers first and foremost is the key to offering a personalised level of service.

From a tour operator’s perspective, we try and find out as much about our travellers before they join us to give us an idea of who they are.

On the road, our incredible “travel directors” endeavour to know each and every guest so they are able to provide them with personalised service, helping them to achieve their individual idea of a dream holiday in Australia.

An example of best personalised service by a partner or supplier
We only work with the best of the best in the industry who also embodies these values. It would be impossible to pick just one of the incredible suppliers we work with. – Rebecca Elliot

Shafraz Fazley
managing director,
Viluxor Holidays

How do you rate the level of personalised service in Sri Lanka?
There are many types of agencies; some cater specifically to the budget or luxury clienteles, and certain segments like adventure or wellness. These agencies have a deep understanding of their target market and are able to provide a high level of personalised service to their guests. There are also agencies that specialise by country or region and are mostly geared towards fulfilling the needs of that market.

Sri Lanka has a good repeat rate from Europeans. The challenge now is how to handle a large emerging market such as China which is developing at a very fast pace. Their travel patterns, likes and behaviours were only revealed recently and the influx is already overwhelming.

What does Sri Lanka need to improve its level of personalised service?
What we need to further develop is the follow-through service from hotels, other suppliers, national guides and improve the country’s infrastructure.

Basically, inbound agencies can bring in tourists, but consistency from booking to after sales and everything in between, such as providing above and beyond service whenever possible, will advance the tourism industry in Sri Lanka.

An encounter of best personalised service by a partner or supplier
None. – Feizal Samath

Ally Bhoonee
executive director,

World Avenues

How do you rate the level of personalised service in Malaysia?
Malaysia is known and blessed to have hospitable people and by nature Malaysians are courteous and helpful. This is the best quality that we possess – the human touch. We always treat our clients like our own family.

What does Malaysia need to improve its level of personalised service?
Clients usually have very personal requests when it comes to personalised service. They also seek acknowledgement, appreciation, and want to know that they are cared about and valued.
This is where we have to keep training and educating our frontline about what is expected from them in order to fulfil the needs of clients. Not every client is the same and they do not want to be served in a robotic manner. Knowing the client’s name alone is not enough.

An example of best personalised service by a partner or supplier
The best personalised service that I have encountered is at Club Med Cherating Beach. There, I witnessed the general manager accompanying guests to their rooms and welcoming guests to the restaurant for their meals. The management-level staff are always with the clients and they are very attentive. This builds loyalty and retention of clients. – S Puvaneswary

This article was first published in TTG Asia, December 11, 2015 issue, on page 14. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe

Additional reporting from Prudence Lui, Mimi Hudoyo, Rosa Ocampo, Julian Ryall, Rohit Kaul, Rebecca Elliot, Feizal Samath and S Puvaneswary

In the face of an increasingly discerning clientele, Asian outbound agencies reveal how they have upped their service levels this year and the rewards they received in return

Guldeep Singh Sahni
Managing director, 
Weldon Tours & Travels

How have you improved service levels this year?
We made it mandatory for staff to undergo training by completing various specialisation programs.

Next, we have a new system in place where we designated a specific person to handle a specific job based on their expertise. This way, every service is taken care of by a specialist who will maintain a high standard of customer satisfaction for that particular service.

We have also raised the service levels with our overseas handling agents. We are now dealing with their transportation departments and reservations directly. We have also made it point to call our clients regularly while they are on tour to check how things are going for them.

What has been the biggest reward as a result?
One of our clients came to our office with his family, with a large bouquet and a bottle of champagne to thank us for the initial suggestions that we made and the level of service that he received during the tour. He also made sure to specially thank one of the staff who directly handled his booking.

An account of a client’s unreasonable expectation of personalised service
A client staying in a private villa shared that he is fond of Harley bikes and wanted us to arrange one for him during his stay. We managed to provide a brand-new Harley which obviously excited him to the hilt. – Rohit Kaul

Desmond Lee
Group managing director,
 Apple Vacations & Conventions

How have you improved service levels this year?
The company provided a lot of in-house training to frontline staff on personal conduct, how to treat and pamper guests, and how to communicate.

What has been the biggest reward as a result?
Positive feedback from clients. Some who have been impressed by our services have also recommended us to their friends, and this has resulted in increased sales.
It is very noticeable this year as the outbound market is soft, yet Malaysians are still willing to spend on travel. They came to us because they wanted to be served by consultants with good product knowledge.

An account of a client’s unreasonable expectation of personalised service
A client who told us he didn’t eat beef insisted he wanted to try Kobe beef in Japan. He changed his mind all of a sudden at the restaurant, after the guide described the meat as “the best beef” in the world.
On top of this, the client wanted the beef to be complimentary. This client was earlier made aware by the guide that Kobe beef had to be pre-ordered and clients had to pay for the dish.– S Puvaneswary

Suresh Mendis
CEO, 
Classic Travel

How have you improved service levels this year?
We have developed a unique CRM programme which highlights clients’ requirements, and their visa and passport expiry date in advance. With this new tool, we are able to remind and assist our clientele in obtaining the necessary travel documents without creating any inconvenience to them at the last moment. In addition, we do online check-in for all clients so that they are aware of the seating and meal preferences in advance.

What has been the biggest reward as a result?
As a company that specialises in corporate and leisure travel, our commitment in continuously improving our products and services has made us a leader in the travel arena.

An account of a client’s unreasonable expectation of personalised service
Customers expect almost the impossible from travel agents when it comes to visa assistance. We encounter this mostly when it handling incentive tour groups to varied destinations.

We are first put under immense pressure by the airlines who want us to ticket the clients before the deadline for seat cancellation. Depending on the group size, some ticketing time limits are set one month before the group departure.Simultaneously, we struggle with the corresponding embassy to get visas issued on time.

When these two overlap, which happens pretty often, we are left with no choice but to issue the tickets and pay for ground arrangements, without any guarantee of the visas being granted.

In such instances, we tend to incur huge losses when visas are delayed or rejected due to various reasons beyond our control. – Feizal Samath

Yusuke Asami
Manager, travel marketing & 
strategy department, 
JTB Corp

How have you improved service levels this year?
Last year, we introduced six promises within our Ace JTB brand, which is aimed at higher-end customers, and we’re seeing the pay-off now.

Some promises we make to our clients include putting them in accommodation with a satisfaction rate higher than 80 per cent from previous guests and that they will have plenty of relaxation space; ensuring that the room they stay in will have a good view; and making sure that the photos of the meals in our brochures are identical to the ones served. Not all travel companies make that type of commitment.

What has been the biggest reward as a result?
(Customers) who have gone on our Super View of the World trips telling us that they want to go on another one.

We have selected 100 destinations – such as the Italian island of Lampedusa, Machu Picchu or Victoria Falls – that are not easy to get to but have great views. Not all these places are famous, so we are also trying to introduce new destinations to Japanese travellers and generate new demand.

An account of a client’s unreasonable expectation of personalised service
I can’t think of anything for outbound tourist, but we do have misunderstandings sometimes with visitors coming to Japan from abroad.

For example, when we have pictures of women in onsens, they have a towel around them. We have to do that because we can’t use pictures of naked women. But sometimes, our foreign guests think that is how they are meant to bathe. It causes confusion, especially if they are sharing a bath with Japanese people who consider it to be bad manners. – Julian Ryall

Clifford Neo
Managing director, 
Dynasty Travel

How have you improved service levels this year?
Continuously improving our customer experience is a key driver of long-term customer loyalty, and our travel consultants can now provide travel consultancy at the customer’s place of convenience – be it at their home, café or golf course by using Dynasty Travel’s sole proprietary software iPad mini Tourix booking system.

What has been the biggest reward as a result?
A group of VIP guests joined us on our inaugural Signature Series tour programme in Greece, which included luxurious hotel stays and visits to Michelin-star restaurants.

Their valuable feedback said it all: “The tour itineraries were well-planned and the pace allowed us to cover many places of interest without feeling rushed; all we needed to do was to focus on enjoying ourselves because the details were all well taken care of.”

An account of a client’s unreasonable expectation of personalised service  
A female traveller who expected our tour manager to provide freshly squeezed orange juice every morning. However, we had tried to provide whenever possible and thus she is still a strong supporter of Dynasty Travel. – Paige Lee Pei Qi

Anthony Akili
CEO, 
Smailing Tour

How have you improved service levels this year?
We have structured a Service Level Agreement with our clients and the implementation is monitored monthly by a third-party auditor. The feedback is taken seriously and implemented immediately.

What has been the biggest reward as a result?
We have managed to achieve a very good client retention level of more than 90 per cent.

An account of a client’s unreasonable expectation of personalised service
Nothing in particular. Each client is unique and they have different needs and expectations. We have a pre-engagement meeting before bringing clients on board. This meeting is to understand the scope of work, expectations, and terms and conditions. From there, we decide on the team structure, business process and monitoring system to avoid complaints and unreasonable expectations. – Mimi Hudoyo

Ronnie Ho
Chairman,
 Jetour Holding

How have you improved service levels this year?
We provide individual headsets to customers and free Wi-Fi service for specific tours. We have launched new products like overseas wedding trips and a new South America tour themed The Sky of Mirror at Bolivia. We have also set up a new event and travel management team, and also collaborated with local artists to adapt their art pieces into Jetour gift items.

What has been the biggest reward as a result?
The South America tour was a key success – our bookings achieved a record high after the tour was launched in June. Moreover, our brand received massive media coverage in magazines and newspapers. We won two categories – My Favourite Tour of Europe and My Favourite Tour of South America – at the U Magazine Travel Awards 2015.

An account of a client’s unreasonable expectation of personalised service
Customers are more demanding but not unreasonable. We adopt a proactive approach to enhance our service in anticipation of the consumer’s needs. So far, customer feedback is very positive and shows that it can definitely enrich the travel experience. – Prudence Lui

Sue Badyari
CEO, 
World Expeditions

How have you improved service levels this year?
As an adventure travel company, we have to be responsive to changing conditions in the regions we travel to, but this was taken to a whole new level following the Nepal earthquake. We have responded to an overwhelming number of calls and emails from past clients who wanted to provide practical help by releasing a new suite of Rebuild trips within months of the disaster.

What has been the biggest reward as a result?
The success of the Nepal Rebuild projects is the achievement we’re proudest of this year. Besides a family trip and a trekking trip, we also have a number of confirmed school groups participating in the rebuilding effort.

An account of a client’s unreasonable expectation of personalised service
We had 170 people travelling with us in Nepal at the time of the earthquakes, and almost all were understanding and sympathetic to the situation as we worked to minimise disruptions for everyone. We had one client, however, who demanded to be airlifted out of the country immediately. – Rebecca Elliot

This article was first published in TTG Asia, December 11, 2015 issue, on page 10. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.

Additional reporting from  S Puvaneswary, Feizal Samath, Julian Ryall, Paige Lee Pei Qi, Mimi Hudoyo, Prudence Lui and Rebecca Elliot

Raini Hamdi picks some of the highlights of the year, as duly and diligently reported by TTG Asia and TTG Online network of reporters in the region

Deal of the year
Marriott International puts Starwood Hotels & Resorts out of its misery – and an end to months of speculation as to who would buy Starwood – by emerging the successful suitor. The deal, expected to be completed by mid-2016, will result in 1.1 million rooms, 5,500 hotels and 30 brands in the stable, probably enough to stand up to Airbnb’s claim of over 2 million accommodation listings and to break OTAs’ dominance, which pundits said was a reason for the merger. As we go to print, the industry is holding its breath as to who would emerge the buyer of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, with AccorHotels currently at the top of the guesses. Hotel brokers and consultants, including Jones Lang LaSalle, expect further consolidation of the industry in the coming year.

Disrupter of the year
Without a doubt, it’s Airbnb this year. From Madrid (WTTC Global Summit) to Hong Kong (HICAP), no travel industry talkshop this year was complete without a discussion on Airbnb’s disruption to the way consumers buy accommodation. Its impact was starting to be felt by hotel chains and travel agencies in Asia. The CEO panel discussion at HICAP, for example, described Airbnb as “the Uber of the hotel industry”, pointing out it was not a generational thing and it was a threat that extended to luxury and business travel. The panel also contemplated how to compete or even embrace Airbnb – with no concrete solutions in sight.

Exit of the year
Kuoni Group shocked the industry with its announcement to exit the tour operating business, which was a key revenue earner for the company and was profitable. For many in the Far East to whom Kuoni had filled thousands of coach seats and roomnights, it was hard to imagine Kuoni no longer being a source but a B2B provider. The fact Kuoni was able to sell the units quickly (the European businesses went to Germany’s Der Touristik, while India/Hong Kong went to Thomas Cook India) showed there’s still a future for tour operating.

Unpopular fee of the year
Lufthansa Group’s move to slap a 16 euro (US$18) surcharge on all bookings for its airlines – Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa and SWISS – made through intermediaries, was unpopular.
GDSs were up in arms over the fee, saying the move was not in the interest of either the end-traveller or the airline group and penalised both travel agencies and consumers.

Implemented in September, it hasn’t sent a flurry of copycat moves by other airlines. But these are early days; no doubt other carriers, eager to lower distribution fees and charging on with their direct-is-best policies, are watching closely.

Welcome of the year
Overall, 2015 was a boon year for visa relaxation by Asian countries. Japan did it and reaped huge windfalls, so much so it now has the happy problem of not having enough rooms, especially in Tokyo, to accommodate arrivals – although of course a huge part of its success was not just because of visa easing but because the yen devaluation made the country cheaper to visit. Indonesia rolled out visa-free entry, and Thailand introduced a multiple-entry tourist visa that allows foreign travellers unlimited border crossings for up to 60 days per stay within the visa validity. The year also saw Malaysia relaxing visa rulings.

Travel agency of the year
Hats off to Asia’s travel agencies that kept innovating through the year. You just have to turn to TTG Asia’s Innovators column to see that the Asian travel trade is thriving.

Among the ideas we love include Triip.me,a sharing economy space for tours and activities, the brainchild of Vietnam’s entrepreneur, Ha Lam, and travel agency on wheels, started by Asiatravel.com, which brings the retail shop to the doorsteps of people in the heartlands.

Even established companies such as Chan Brothers, which turned 50 years, kept innovating. Group managing director Anthony Chan said: “Many successful companies last for a long time because they were able to create new growth curve or the second curve. So we must look for this second curve to bring us forward to the next 50 years.”

Loss of the year
We’re still mourning the loss of our beloved photographer, Patrick Tan, who died on August 27 after a year-long battle with cancer.He was 53 years old.

This year also saw the passing away of Pakir Singh, father of Singapore’s hospitality training and a strong proponent of ASEAN regional tourism cooperation, on July 2 after battling Parkinson’s disease for many years.

And Susan Teng, a veteran who helped nurture the Singapore outbound and wellness market, died in April from cancer.

Bright spot of the year
What could be brighter than the Asian cruise industry which not only grew bigger this year in size but saw the announcement of initiatives that sealed its future growth.

Among the initiatives: Genting’s launch of a brand, Dream Cruises, specifically to cater to Asia’s premium cruise market. Then, a slew of international cruise lines also announced they were building new, made-for-Chinese ships. These include Carnival Corporation’s Carnival Cruise Lines, Aida Cruises and Princess Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line. And most recently, Indonesia’s lifting of sea cabotage – Christmas came early for the ASEAN cruise market.

Creep of the year
This goes to all the disasters and crises that happened this year: Hong Kong’s umbrella revolution, MERS in South Korea, earthquakes in Nepal and Sabah, bombing at Bangkok’s Erawan Shrine and, at the time of writing this, the Paris attacks and the Brussels lockdown. Everything from politics, economy and currency to Mother Nature, health disasters and terrorism – travel and tourism felt the brunt of it all this year.

This article was first published in TTG Asia, December 11, 2015 issue, on page 6. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.