Comment on the article Cornell panel talks distribution management, customer loyalty
http://www.hotelworldnetwork.com/international/cornell-panel-talks-distribution-management-customer-loyalty?utm_source=HMM&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Sales-Marketing_11_24_2010&utm_content=cornell-panel-talks-distribution-management-custome
I have been interested on an article referring to new customers’ trends in travel booking channels. In my opinion, the article will greatly impact the future marketing strategies carried out by online travel agencies towards their consumers. As customers lately seemed to come back to traditional reservation channels such as offline travel agencies, online travel agencies (OTAs) will have to focus on brand loyalty rather than on doing exclusively financial transactions. In other words, the challenge for OTAs will be to improve their communication on services provided by their online booking channels and therefore to gain consumers’ confidence and loyalty. The article alludes to an issue that stresses the obligation for OTAs to change their booking methods, until then only based on making sales and money, into strategies which emphasize their ability to provide high quality services and to follow through their customers’ travelling habits.
I definitely agree with you opinion when you say that OTA are more focusing on boosting revenue than cultivating customer loyalty.
RépondreSupprimerAccording to me, OTA are product oriented and there is no relationship built between the customer and the company to build trust. For example, OTA should implement a tailored strategy for membership of the website such as personalized toolbars or features on the membership page, and this could make a difference as it may influence customer and retain them. OTA’s need to work lot more on brand loyalty in order to retain customer and build a lasting relationship between OTA and customer; The link between the two have to be more interactive, social and personalized. In this logic, customer has to feel listened, valuable and make sure to deliver customer satisfaction.