Vinay Malhotra, Regional Group Chief Operating Officer, VFS Global- Middle East, South Asia & China
In the context of the travel industry, no matter where you are, you can avail services for the entire travel cycle, customised to your unique requirements, most often via your smartphones.
Right from the ‘inspiration’ stage, when prospective travellers research which destinations they want to visit, to applying for a visa, to booking flights, hotels or getting forex, or even making daily itineraries in real time – it’s all at your fingertips, literally.
Travellers from around the world are maximising the power of technology to get services tailor-made to the most varied of tastes, with utmost ease and convenience.
Through this digital revolution though, one thing has remained the same: the customer’s needs reign supreme, and companies must remain agile enough to provide utmost convenience at every oft-changing demand.
For companies to stand out from the rest, they must offer what no one else does, or at the very least, offer a better version of what everyone else has. That also means offering bespoke options for unique customer needs.
One size does not always fit
Recognising the demand for more bespoke services, traditional travel companies have begun investing in omni-channel (offline and online) platforms to reach out to the new consumer. Airlines, hotels, travel agencies, and even visa sections of governments, are integrating digital channels and personalised services along with the more traditional one-size-fits-all offerings.
Even in a visa application process which has clear requirements by governments, VFS Global has introduced personalised services. These services ensure that customers find the process convenient and easy.
In fact, in a perhaps not-so-surprising finding by Deloitte Consumer Review, almost 50 per cent of the consumers polled said they were willing to wait longer for personalised services, and the majority said they would be willing to pay more for such a service.
‘Doorstep’ visa service rising in popularity
VFS Global offers ‘Visa At Your Doorstep’ service, available in most regions around the world, including India. Visa application submission and biometric enrolment is done at the applicant’s home, office or a location of choice, and is tremendously popular with large groups of travellers, office goers, celebrities, and families seeking privacy and an exclusive service.
In 2018, doorstep visa services grew 144% y-o-y on average in India alone, showing the demand for customisation and convenience in a traditionally price sensitive market.
Similarly, the Premium Lounge at a visa application centre (where applicants receive one-on-one attention from staff with the submission process), and form-filling assistance, are highly popular among travellers.
The customer knows it all
The success of well-known startups like Airbnb, for instance lie in their ability to wrap themselves around the customer, so that he or she is engaged actively with the platform for a major chunk of their travel requirements, irrespective of location
or demographics.
I also feel that not incorporating personalised services in a company’s offering could risk losing revenue and customer loyalty.
Customers know and notice the smallest details – this should compel us to push the boundaries of service excellence, no matter which sector we are in. Sensitivity and understanding of client needs, and using that knowledge to offer clutter-breaking services, can become key differentiators for companies, ensuring they are remembered, even in a fast-changing marketplace.
