Recent research conducted by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) estimated that time zone differences could dramatically reduce international tourism. Read on to see how travel professionals can counteract this!
The age of globalisation has brought about incredible benefits, especially in the travel industry. Today, it is possible to comfortably run your business remotely from anywhere in the world, with employees across international borders. By hiring talented local professionals, remote work also benefits professionals from international boundaries. With remote working comes the challenge of working in different time zones.
A travel professional cannot always connect with customers, especially in an after-hours emergency. Not addressing a travelling customer’s queries can lead to loss of business and even reputation. Remote travel support is gaining momentum, but travel professionals are still figuring out how to manage workflows successfully across different time zones.
Working in a different time zone is a challenge if a travel business seeks expansion opportunities. It might be 6 PM for you, but the clock is ticking differently in other countries, even where your customers are travelling. Therefore, travel professionals will need to seek strategies to grow their businesses without compromising customer service. Working with a team located across the globe can pose challenges such as cultural differences and language barriers. Bottom line, you want to be careful when deciding who you work with.
You want someone with a British touch who still has strong professional ties to your offshore team.
This month, Technomine Travel Solutions is sharing some of the best tips for travel agencies to manage their work across different time zones. Read our blog to discover how you can overcome the time gap, help your existing team adjust to working remotely, and improve communication for better travel service.
How do time zone differences impact travellers?
Time zone differences affect tourism more than ever.
Research by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) estimated that an 8-hour time zone difference reduces international tourism by 88%.
Many busy travellers need a travel professional to stay connected, communicate effectively, and manage last-minute changes. But you may not always have staff on hand to address after-hours concerns. If no one is available to handle last-minute changes due to time zone differences, clients are more likely to switch to travel companies that offer round-the-clock support.
What if you can just find someone well-versed in virtual travel support to hire, train and manage customer service staff on your behalf – without sacrificing the quality of service or paying exorbitant fees?
Is a remote travel help desk feasible?
If your travel agency struggles with working across different time zones, you are not alone. You might wonder how a travel solutions company works across different time zones without compromising the quality of service, English-speaking skills, or professional standards. Here are some of the practices we adopt at Technomine Travel Solutions that help keep our professional travel clients happy.
Look for ways to boost productivity
According to a new study, travel professionals are most productive in the mornings. Do you think this is true? Maybe this is a generalisation, but if you can have a virtual travel desk clear a backlog of work from the previous day, you may be able to get your in-house travel staff on board with more clients, address more queries and even improve customer satisfaction.
Set your expectations
Work may seem never-ending when clients worldwide are sending help requests at all hours of the day. A remote team associated with the travel agency should be able to work independently to resolve any questions raised by the travel professionals. Every individual needs to take ownership of their working hours to avoid the potential burnout of being online 24 hours a day.
Do not forget to communicate details
As a travel professional, you know the importance of regular and open communication. When working across different time zones, it is essential to be even more communicative about needs and expectations than in a local setting. Sometimes, a travel professional might overlook essential details, such as booking procedures and service requirements, due to a busy schedule. At this point, the virtual desk is responsible for thoroughly checking the requirements and ensuring that the client’s demands are met. Working across time zones can be an advantage rather than a barrier to communication. You can get qualified professionals at a reasonable rate, eager to offer excellent service.
Be clear about the requirements
There can be mishaps, emergencies, and delays whenever someone is travelling. You do not have to deal with all of these traveller queries alone. A remote travel desk can assign someone to coordinate and confirm the date, time, and day of your request, so your customers don’t have to wait when they arrive at their destination.
Technomine Travel Solutions works around the clock, so you do not have to worry about your clients; someone is always available to handle any changes to the travel plan. With us, travel professionals will be kept constantly updated on their clients, ensuring smooth communication among all parties.
The key to time-zone etiquette
At the start of the blog, we promised you some tips for working in different time zones. If your business is ready to shift towards a virtual travel help desk, you want a remote team with a great working culture that embraces respect, empathy and inclusion.
Looking into the future of travel support, 70% of the workforce will be working remotely by 2025. Travellers are looking for travel professionals like you working round-the-clock so that if there is a last-minute change, even in the middle of the night, someone is always there to help them navigate.
You don’t have to offer 24/7/365 service on your own. This is where Technomine Travel Solutions can help. You do not have to worry about your clients and their last-minute changes alone. The time-zone difference is an advantage for us, we have a trained, professional workforce proficient in English. Our out-of-hours services help complete the pending work on your behalf after your employees have logged off for the day, giving you a quick head start the next day.
If you are looking for tailored services that deliver quality to your clients, Technomine Travel Solutions is the right place. Contact us to sign up for a demo call and learn about our 24*7 availability.
FAQ
- What is the advantage of having different time zones?
Working across different time zones means that you are not confined to a local market. A company that smoothly manages work across different time zones is able to deal with both national and international clients. A wider market is covered, and companies get an advantage to find more talented employees to boost their business productivity. - How do you work effectively across time zones?
To work effectively across time zones, follow the tips below- Look for ways to boost your productivity
- Set your working expectations
- Do not forget to communicate the details
- Be clear about the requirements
- How do you communicate across time zones?
When communicating across time zones, focus on the following points- Be aware of time zones when working with remote teams
- Use the same chat support and emails
- Find a good video conferencing system
- Encourage and support in-person visits
- Find the right communication tool