It’s only been a couple of weeks since TravelManagers’ launched their game-changing TravelManagers’ Customer Fund (TCF), but already, the response has exceeded the group’s expectations. Matt Leedham spoke exclusively to TravelManagers’ Director Barry Mayo and TravelManagers’ Chief Operating Officer Grant Campbell to find out more.
Following a non-branded, cheeky four-week teaser campaign that promised to reveal ‘The travel industry’s biggest secret’, the hype and intrigue were palpable across the industry as to what this great secret might be and who was behind it.
Cut to the TravelManagers Customer Fund (TCF) initiative being revealed, and it’d be safe to say that the overwhelming response was one of applause and admiration from the industry and resulted in a deep sense of pride from TravelManagers and each of their personal travel managers (PTMs) who collectively made it happen.
“The PTMs are very excited and appreciative that they’ve now got detailed collateral that they can use to inform their clients. Suppliers have also been very positive about it all and congratulated us for the innovation and being proactive,” says Campbell.
“The network had actually known about it for some considerable time. It was very much a collaboration in devising and designing our TCF and the PTMs were fully on board from December 2019 when we first started talking to them about it.
Asked about why TravelManagers chose to go with the non-branded teaser campaign, Campbell said, “You’re always trying to come up with different ways to gain attention and get your message out to the industry. We talked about it quite a bit as to whether this was the right approach or not, but it felt like it was, and we’re delightedly with the outcome.”
“My only surprise was that the TCF remained such a secret given that 600 individuals knew about it!”
How has the TCF changed things for your PTMs?
“COVID created extensive global disruption resulting in two primary developments for all agents,” says Mayo.
“Firstly, these disruptions with their resulting communication issues reinforced the value of the services that a travel consultant provides compared to doing it online or directly with a supplier. And secondly, being a successful travel agent has now become even more about personal service, and in our case, it is really about the 24-hour accessibility our PTMs offer their clients.
“The TCF brings the added benefit of knowing that when a client is dealing with one of our PTMs and an approved supplier, their money is safe and protected. So if something does happen, they’re in a position where they will get their money back, and it can be used for further travel or to replace whatever service was not delivered.
Campbell adds, “What I’ve never had to do as an agent is tell a customer they’ve lost their money and I’m sorry, but your $10,000 is gone because a supplier has gone out of business. I’ve spoken to agents who have had to do it, and I can only imagine what a hideous discussion that is.
“So what we’re really happy about is that this shouldn’t have to happen again with our PTMs because their client’s funds are safe when using approved suppliers.
“It’s one thing in terms of protecting the client’s hard-earned cash, but it’s also about taking away that mental stress for a PTM. Because let’s face it, they work very hard and are not overly paid for the role they do. So taking away that challenge is something else that we’re very proud of and glad that our PTMs shouldn’t have to go through,” says Campbell.
Are you seeing clients coming on that perhaps would never have even used a Travel Advisor before?
“Definitely. To be fair, that was happening before the TCF announcement, but I expect that we’ll see that growth continue to increase,” says Campbell.
“Anecdotally, I’m hearing from our PTMs that they’re getting three referrals for every one existing client that they booked in the past with sales compared with the equivalent months in 2019 as record levels per PTM and accompanied by record commission which is amazing.
“We think that the TCF and the other elements of our risk mitigation processes that comprise our ‘Peace of Mind’ promise will further enhance that.”
“We’ve also seen a significant increase in new member inquiries with higher-than-average visits to our website and time spent on the site in the last fortnight, which of course, was a fundamental part of The Biggest Secret teaser campaign,” says Campbell.
Do you think other people will follow with their own TCF?
Campbell says, “We do think it will stimulate people to emulate what we’ve done, which is certainly what we would expect, but it may well be different to what we have done.
“Even though we refer to the TCF as the final piece of the puzzle, we certainly see the policies, processes, and all the elements of protection that we have in place as a living thing.
Mayo adds, “The TCF has been coming since 2014, and it’s been developed in stages. We’re very mindful of the fact that we couldn’t just set this up and put it in the top drawer and let it continue as it is forever. It needs to evolve with time and learning.
“Whether it’s in six or 12 months, or whatever it is, we’ll continue to enhance it as we learn more about its real-world performance.
Concluding with a smile, Mayo says, “The PTMs have been involved right from the early stages. If we hadn’t had their commitment, it might have lessened our resolve to get to where we’re at now. Collaborating with all stakeholders, the National Partnership Office team, directors, shareholders, and the PTMs to make it a reality has been the most rewarding part.”
Want to find out more?
To discover more about TravelManagers Customer Fund or Peace of Mind promise, or to enquire about joining as a PTM, contact Graciela Craig on 02 8062 6400.
