Tour Providers Increase Interest with Web Chat Software

Whether your visitors fancy a one day trip to popular tourist attractions or a break away to European delights, UK tour providers have been implementing web chat software to help their website visitors make the best choices whilst ultimately increasing their bookings.

Live chat is an instant one-to-one communication channel, connecting a website visitor to an advisor in real-time. They converse via text-based messages allowing agents to handle multiple enquiries at the same time; questions are usually not too complex and operators have access to features such as Predefined Replies to help answer frequently asked questions more efficiently than repetitively typing out the same response.

The communication channel is easily added to any site simply by copying and pasting a small piece of HTML script into the backend of the website. This will display the web chat software button; its status is controlled by agents’ availability.

• If at least one agent is logged in and set to online, the chat button will be available.
• If all agents are either logged off or set to offline, the chat button will be unavailable.

If the button is presented as unavailable, when clicked an offline form is presented, allowing your company to continue receiving enquiries even when your agents are busy or not in the office (out of hours). This form can be customised to collect any contact details your organisation requires, or it can simply state that the channel is offline and provide operational times. Alternatively, the chat button can be hidden when it is offline instead. The choice is yours.

Tour Providers Usage

Now you know about the basics of how web chat software works on a website, this section will explore how certain tour providers are using the communication channel.

Shortlisted for ‘Best Holiday Company to Western Europe & Ireland’ in the upcoming British Travel Awards 2019, and previous winners of this category, Star Tours have been working with Click4Assistance for 3 and a half years.

The family-run company provides tour-led breaks across Europe, Asia, Africa etc. lasting from one day to over 12 days, supplying an array of iconic locations made famous on screen and in literature.

When approaching Click4Assistance in early 2016, the tour provider knew they wanted live chat on their website therefore they were keen to learn how:

• It would work on their website
• They can customise it to fit with their website design
• What would happen when they are offline

Once implemented and customised to their branding the company monitored the communication channel, reporting that they “get plenty of chats and are making sales from it.”

Another tour provider who has also reported that they are “generating decent revenue from using the web chat software” is Golden Tours. They have been working with us since 2015 and commented that their “call centre love the software.”

Golden Tours have implemented the chat channel across their website allowing visitors to enquire about any of the trips they provide.

Their Head of Ecommerce commented that it’s a “good tool. The online chat offered by Click4Assistance ensures that we are able to offer customers another way of communicating with us. I like that they and all of the data is based in the UK.”

It’s not just tour providers increasing revenue with Click4Assistance live chat, cruise companies and travel agencies have also experienced an increase in their bookings. The Senior Trade Relations Manager at Red Sea Holidays commented that they have received “great service and value for money,” explaining that “integration was very simple. Since we have had this we have had some very good engagement from customers and seen a conversion in business generating some great revenue.” He praises his account manager “who has been on hand every step of the way and more than happy to answer all of questions, no matter how trivial!”

Red Sea Holidays optimised the quiet period between 2017 and 2018 to try out the instant communication channel and ensure their advisors were fully trained and comfortable with using the service. They have fully customised the chat journey to their corporate branding, which includes their logo within the dialogue window, helping visitors to identify that they are speaking directly with the company.

The offline form has been a particularly useful function for the travel company to continue receiving enquiries when inundated with live sessions and all agents are unavailable or during out of office hours. The call back form has been designed to manage the visitor’s expectation as it includes the time frame of when a response is likely to be received. 

Click4Assistance has been providing live chat software for over 15 years to the travel industry. To find out how our web chat software can be tailored specifically to your website and increase your sales, contact our team on 01268 524628 or email theteam@click4assistance.co.uk.

Alternatively, we offer a 21 free no obligation trial, allowing you to evaluate the software in your own time and reap the benefits.