Do you have an Apple product ? If you do lets make a bet. I bet you still have the box you bought it in.  Crazy isn't it ? Why did you save the box ? It has no inherent value or does it ? 

Apple is not about transactions.  Buying from Apple is an experience from beginning to end.  Apple takes you on an emotional roller coaster, one that makes you feel like you are about to experience something magical. 

They get the experience moving from the first customer touch IE commercials , online, in store Then you get your hands on the product itself, and gently start unwrapping the magic. No detail is ignored, the way you unwrap the earphones, the ease of set up, the sleekness and texture of the box it all plays a part in how we interact and feel about Apple. 

So what can a travel agent learn from Apple ? 

Ask yourself Are you taking your customers down the path of a transaction ? or are you taking them down the path of an Apple like experience. 

We have all been been in this situation Right ? 

Hi Mary how much is it to go from X to X 

At this point we have to make a decision. Are we going to start an amazing customer experience or are we going to quote a price and try to start the transaction process. 

What would Apple do if they were in travel ? Obviously they would start a magical customer experience. They would listen to the customer need, they would start to wow the customer with highly relevant information , they would anticipate the future needs of that customer, and finally once they actually booked the customer, you guessed it the experience of unwrapping the product would begin. 

Although travel is really not tangible until you arrive in your destination, I believe the travel agent can still play a role in the unwrapping of the product.   Once the customer has chosen their destination we can help them unwrap the destination itself. We can send them relevent blog posts, a list of the top restaurants in the area, your top ten things to do list, a bon voyage note or call etc. 

Not to sound like a broken record; However, if we look at each customer interaction as an opportunity to provide a magical experience we will eventually never here the words " Why would I use a travel agent ? " 

Now your customers may not have a box to remind them of their experience; however, I promise they will remember the way you made them feel and the magical experience you provided. 

Click here to find out how we help travel agents create magical experiences