I tend to repeat myself from time to time, so I apologize if I’m doing it again, but I love new innovative travel tools! I especially love innovative travel tools that change the way travel agents operate and more importantly how the public book with them. In general, changes of operating models and adoption of new technology can be a slow, sometimes frustrating process for this group. One agent who isn’t scared to try new things, Nick Bowditch, has come up with a new way of interfacing with the public and it’s name is My Trip Quote.
My Trip Quote appeals directly to consumers who don’t have time to shop around face to face with travel agents and find trolling through different sites online tedious. Basically, passengers pay an upfront fee of $50 AUD , describe how they would like their holiday to look (Airlines/hotel preference etc.,) and My Trip Quote put together a booking using quality controlled suppliers. This also entitles the passenger to 25% off the cost of insurance. The whole process is extremely simple and user friendly from a passengers prospective. See below for a sample quote:
There seems to be some value added in the booking process when compared to the standard face to face agent booking. This could be intentional, but it feels like you get a more personalized worry free service and get to leave the running around up to the agent. From the agents point of view, this eliminates customers that use your knowledge face to face and book online. Looks like a win for all parties.
If you get the chance, check out the My Tip Quote site and say Hi to Nick on Twitter, I’m sure he’d be more than happy to talk further about it.
One Comment
Gday Graham,
Thanks so much for the review of MyTripQuote. Just a quick note on the $50 premium fee that our clients pay before the quotes are gathered for them. When they also buy travel insurance through us with the 25% discount, the amount they save is usually more than $50 anyway making the premium fee actually free.
But my real point about the $50 fee is this: for too long, travel agents, as opposed to almost any other provider of a expertise service, have been working hard putting together packages and quotes only for the customer to then pull out or, worse still, take their hard work to one of the big multinational travel agencies where the agent simply takes a few bucks off it and the customer books with them instead.
I believe a service involving a great level of experience, professionalism and knowledge should be respected more than that. You won’t get a plumber to come out to your house, spend a couple of hours doing the work you need and then letting you refuse to pay once it’s all done!
I have said before to you that if people want great service from a knowledgeable professional there are plenty of travel agents still around who will provide that service – in fact, they are the agents that we have quality-controlled to be agents of MyTripQuote. If you want the cheapest flight and the cheapest hotel and don’t care about the service provided to you then there are plenty of those types of agents around as well.
If you’re willing to pay $50 for the security of knowing that you will be looked after by an experienced professional who knows what they are doing (especially if that $50 then becomes free anyway) then MyTripQuote is for you.
Thanks again for introducing MyTripQuote to your readers Graham.
Nick Bowditch.
Nick Bowditch´s last blog ..Enquiry Number MTQ10-0021: New Zealand