Client Satisfaction and Service–The Dream Destinations Way

Client Satisfaction and Service
We always tell everyone that chooses to travel with us that they are not clients—they are friends and you always treat your friends the right way. We use that guiding principle in all our dealings with our clients. Service and satisfaction are the keys to maintaining great clients. There are many client satisfaction evaluation methods. I’m not really sure who developed the following hierarchy but when I looked at its five levels, it really made sense to me—we have to get all our clients to level 4 or 5 if we want to be great travel professionals. So, let’s examine client satisfaction by using the following scale:
Hierarchy of Client Satisfaction Scale
Level 1 Response & Accuracy
Level 2 Credibility
Level 3 Partnership
Level 4 Trust
Level 5 Discovery
A quick summary would look like this:
Level 1 is the basics—if we are not responsive & accurate you soon will lose this client for life—the dissatisfied client will not be a repeat traveler
Levels 2, 3 & 4 are where we prove our worth by creating a business relationship built on matching the right trip to the right person.
Level 5 is where we work together to expand our clients travel experiences & they will be repeat clients
So how does Dream Destinations transform a potential client into a level 4 or 5 satisfied traveler? It is really very simple–we add Value to the trip! I think most travel professionals believe what sets them apart is their level of service but while service is important, we believe the single most important factor is matching the right trip to the right person—it is all about a partnership and trust.
Here is what we try to do with each client. First, we try to respond to any communication within 24 hours. Second, we ask a lot of questions and LISTEN—not only what is said but not said. Travel is an exciting, emotional business with great life changing experiences and many benefits but when there is a lot of money on the line, we have to get it right so our clients get the best possible value for their money. Part of getting right is our experience and credibility (20 years in business; numerous professional certifications and specialty designations; first-hand knowledge of the desired trip; and great industry vendor contacts) but it is really about building trust and a partnership. Partners add value so both win. Thinking back to my high school coaching career, my focus was on developing players to be their best by being demanding yet caring so we could win games. It was about the relationship and trust. Travel experiences are no different—there are a lot of options but finding the best fit is like coaching—it is both an art and a science. The science of travel is the trip offered by the vendor. The art is matching the right client to the right trip. First, we start with the goal of the trip—what does the client want to experience? Never forgetting the goal, the second part is to obtain the goal trip, given the constraints of real life (time available, cost, a trip offered at the desired time of travel by the desired vendor).
Value does not come easy in travel. It seldom is found by an online search of a destination or a vendor. We believe it comes from a partnership between us, the client and the vendor with the underlying principle of what is the goal of this trip and have we properly matched the expectations of the client to the right trip. Have we been reliable and trustworthy, did we put the client’s best interest first? If we can achieve these items when we provide a trip experience that is right, we are on our way to Discovery– where we work together to expand our clients travel experiences.
If these ideas sound good to you, we invite you to come travel with our assistance—let’s develop a great partnership together! Our tag line says it all:
Savor life…make memories…visit dream destinations! Your journey begins here!
Please visit http://www.dreamdestinations.com to learn more about us.