With today’s virtual business world, work-at-home agents can stay put—and go places. That’s especially true in the travel industry, where heavy seasonal cycles and year-round peak demand are nonstop.
And yes, more travelers are booking their own reservations online. There is, however, constant demand for experienced call or contact center agents skilled in the complexities of corporate travel.
Work at this level takes industry know-how and can-do—from navigating far-flung reservation systems to delivering destination-driven service. These are the go-to agents to get there.
Case in point: Right before her shift ended, Beth received a frantic customer call. Because of a flight delay, the traveler would miss his connection.
Beth then booked a new flight through the same carrier, but it had to go through a code-sharing foreign airline. With different systems, she knew changing reservations might cause some turbulence.
Beth called the connecting airline to confirm the flight change. None found—even with a ticket number. Each airline blamed the other. She held fast, conferencing the customer and airline to iron everything out.
Point is: Beth stayed with the customer until he checked in and made his connection, even though she was scheduled to finish work an hour earlier. Her commitment went way beyond the clock.
Mt. Everest climber Brian O’Malley describes such dedication as “Sherpa customer service,” inspired by the spirit to help. Beth displays it, as do other top-notch agents I’ve recruited to work from home.
The characteristics of corporate travel agents are broad and deep. They’re proficient in airline systems, such as Sabre, Native Sabre and Sabre Red. Their experience also spans Worldspan, Amadeus and Apollo.
The job is as demanding as it is diverse—entailing customer care, sales and sometimes technical support. Client programs include global travel agencies, hoteliers and transportation rental services.
Travel specialists handle seasonal peaks, cross different cultures and provide white-glove service. As Expected: With 20+ years of getting 10,000s of travelers from here to there, Beth epitomizes going the distance for customers.
