The world’s destinations are your presents and you’re the Christmas baby! Yup, that’s what we at Pickyourtrail would like to believe and help you unwrap the world. Being one of the fastest-growing DIY platforms for itinerary building, impeccable service comes as a given. But how else can the art of travel be mastered? Well, we believe that the magical experience of travel is best enhanced with the proper usage of technology and skills. The amazing product that we have will literally leave you spoiled for choice. Even then, how exactly would you narrow down the most recommended places in the travel buffet? This is where the “Rockstar Team” of Pickyourtrail comes to your rescue. A personalised end-to-end process is adhered to, so much so, that your vacation is considered as our own! So let’s take a look at what happens behind the scenes making us one of a kind.
Partnerships & Contracting Team – The Amazing Product coupled with Jaw Dropping Deals
A business’s future is determined by the quality of its existing product. Serving as the face of the company on many levels, the product that comes with Pickyourtrail is unique. From staycation deals to international vacations, there’s so much to explore within the product itself. Crazy discounts and best pricing are what we breathe and the mastermind behind all of this would be the work of the superstar team. Back in 2020, even before flights became operational to Maldives, we had taken a leap of faith and launched a campaign for Oblu by Atmosphere at Helengeli- a luxury 4-star property in Maldives. The key highlights of this deal included never-before-seen pricing and travel validity of up to one year. This was our first step towards making history.
Eventually, as flights started operating, one of our best-ever partnerships with Coco Bodu Hithi Resort blossomed. Not only did it end up being a property loved by all customers alike, but it gave us that much-needed boost for kickstarting the travel Ferris wheel! “Post-covid has been a major platform of growth for Maldives as well as staycations. So much so, that we have had celebrity check-ins happen in both zones. On the staycations front, we have hit record bookings with properties like Radisson Blu Temple Bay Mamallapuram, Tamara Coorg, Tamara Kodai, Intercontinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort, Whispering Palms Goa and Holiday Inn Goa . The pent-up demand was exciting, to say the least as we saw the travel baby slowly learning to walk again,” exclaims Santosh, Head of Contracting and Partnerships.
All of these wins wouldn’t have been possible without the starlit team filled with contracting masters. Partnership master Sunil deserves a pat on the back for bringing out one of the best deals anyone had ever seen in the form of Whispering Palms Goa. An all-inclusive package contracted with the resort brought in bookings left, right and center. If this was not mind-boggling enough, say hello to Shekhar, the B2B king of the team. Consistent scaling B2B has become a habit for him month on month! Now that’s some serious negotiation goals right? Becoming a complete outbound travel company, indulging in direct contracting for staycations and scaling bookings for the resorts, the contracting and partnerships team has gone above and beyond!
Customer Experience (CX) Team – The Unsung Champions
Has a nice ring to it right? Our operations and customer happiness team were two separate entities pre-covid. But the pandemic brought both the teams together since both of them contributed to customer service in some form or the other. And thus was born the Customer Experience (CX) Team. These troopers are the unsung champions of Pickyourtrail working their backs off behind the scenes. But guess what, not only have they cruised past this with flying colours but have learnt so much as well. Handling a customer issue or request is a cakewalk for them now since they have handled the highest magnitude of traveller sentiments the world had ever seen.
Recalling a specific incident, CX Champs Shyamnath and Janani mention, “We had to claim a refund for a particular flight when the Maldives had imposed a travel ban recently for South-East Asian travellers. When all efforts to connect with the airlines offline went in vain, we went a step ahead and used Twitter to get their attention. Not only did we manage to get the money back, but this step ensured we turned an unhappy customer into a happy one.” Cancellations and Refunds Chiefs Noor and Sahal also said, “When vacations had to be cancelled owing to Covid-19 pandemic, we wanted to maintain 100% transparency in our cancellation and refund process. The pandemic has been hard for everyone. And we went the extra mile to secure maximum refunds for our customers, even in cases of non-refundable bookings. This went a long way in winning customers’ trust, ensuring they had funds for their personal emergencies and maintaining Pickyourtrail’s customer-first attitude.“
Did you know that the CX team went all out to stay in touch with customers back in 2020 as well? CX army cadets Shamanthika and Alex said, “When the travel ban came into effect on 22nd March 2020, a few of our customers were stranded in Australia and New Zealand. As the ban continued to extend, the team was constantly in touch with them, even setting up video calls to reassure them. Similarly, we have had cases of customers getting stuck in Maldives when their test results were positive for Covid-19. Even in such scenarios, constant support has been provided.” This kind of empathy does not come easily and that’s exactly what makes the CX team special.
On a separate note, it must be mentioned that we have had our collections warrior Priyadharshini who has made sure that the payment process has been foolproof and smooth for both the customers and the team. Reacting to teamwork and the members doing other jobs as well, Head of Customer Experience, Ajit says with pride, “ When Covid-19 hit and the entire travel industry came to a standstill, my team who had pioneered servicing customers had to find an alternative role. With ease, they picked up Content writing and collaborated with the Marketing team on additional projects. Folks who had passion took to writing easily. Others built a passion towards it with time. It’s amazing how teams can come together when there’s a common goal and objective set.” Such camaraderie is rare to see, but the CX team breathes it day in and day out.
Speaking of achieving the common objective, CX perfectionists Preetha and Kajani feel, “The past two years have been testing times for all of us, but for the CX team, it has been the toughest exam to crack. The sentiments have certainly changed this time around. Last year, we were all unsure as to when the situation would improve, but with vaccination drives and safety protocols, we know that it’s only a matter of weeks before it all comes back to normal. We just can’t wait to see our customers sending us elated updates about their experience and referring their loved ones for future trips as well!“
The Star-Studded Revenue Drivers
The revenue drivers’ performance can make or break any business. However, the starry team at Pickyourtrail can tame any market situation like a boss! We all have fallen and risen above the first wave, the second wave and are ready to take on any number of waves that are yet to come. The one thought ingrained in all our minds is that travel can never come to a stop. The best way to nurture this thought and effectively communicate the same to the clients is facilitated through, “Book Now, Travel Anytime” deals. In the words of Sales Heroine Sowmya, “The intention is to help the client in the best way possible. When they book a trip with us, free rescheduling is arranged if an exceptional circumstance arises. If the client wants to cancel the trip, a complete refund would be offered if it’s done well within the cancellation period.”
A logical and foolproof approach ensures that we have tonnes of clients coming back to us for trips in the future as well. This is irrespective of whether clients have travelled with us or not. “Customers have in fact started redeeming their flight credit notes and Pickyourtrail credit shells as well. One of my clients had received credit notes for his cancelled Greece trip in 2020 and he ended up booking for Maldives in April 2021 to celebrate his wife’s birthday. Not only did he call me back after the trip to thank me but promised to refer his friends to book with us in future“, says Sales Rockstar Swathi with a smile. Proper knowledge about what we sell and customer empathy reels within the travel consultants, since after all, the customer’s trip is like a trip of their own.
Scaling up the past couple of months with Maldives and staycations has been nothing short of exhilarating. With multiple destinations opening up soon, we just can’t wait to see what it would be like to go back to customer interactions. While the very satisfaction of closing a deal is irreplaceable, the joy in a customer’s voice post-trip completion is worth every drop of blood and sweat. As a wise soul once said, “Become the person who would attract the results you seek.” This very motto coupled with Pickyourtrail’s love for customer empathy is what will continue to act as a stimulus to make us skilled- revenue drivers.
Safety Protocols Inside Out
As a travel company, we are in fact front-line warriors ourselves for having suffered the brunt of the pandemic. We understand the emotion behind ensuring a safe environment for your loved ones. That’s the reason we follow strict measures of social distancing, sanitization and mandatory masks at our office itself. The same effort is what goes into ensuring safe stays for our customers as well. The supply team goes the extra mile to only onboard the resorts which follow strict safety measures. Living examples of these are the various celebrity testimonials that we have got over the past few months and multiple customer travelogues as well. All the teams have burnt the midnight oil to ensure that every customer has an unforgettable trip. So much so, that our positive Google reviews have skyrocketed ever since travel resumed.
Partnerships and Contracting hero Sanjay fondly remembers, “We recently had an Instagram Travel Influencer who went for a staycation in Kolkata. She wanted to extend her stay by 3 more days and we managed to arrange it at a reduced price even though she had already made the booking directly. She personally thanked me, mentioned my name and even tagged Pickyourtrail on her Instagram handle.” Now, that’s a big win right? In fact, it’s a clear example of how the quality of service can win the heart of a customer. We believe that this is just the beginning and early signs of revenge travel spreading rapidly.
Think Travel, Pick Your Trail 😉
Travel. Doesn’t the word itself make you smile and heartbeat million times? That’s because you always associate it with fond memories which once used to be a regular affair. These memories have been so deeply engraved in our hearts for the past two years that it still feels like a distant dream. Having said that, it’s now the perfect time to get back on track and plan your trip. When you plan your trip, the best bet would be to pick your trail with us. Well, all you desire is top-notch knowledge on destinations from experts and a great deal right? Well, look no further and choose Pickyourtrail. Get ready to spam your Instagram handle that you visited the very resorts your favourite celebrities visited and give ultimate travel goals to your followers. It all surely correlates with what Pickyourtrail stands for, and that’s why when you think of travel, think Pickyourtrail. Let the vacations begin! Ready, set, travel!
TLDR
- A tale of how a travel baby was reincarnated from the fire of the travel industry during and after the pandemic.
- An insight into the synthesis of incredible deals and partnerships.
- Customer experiences sewn to perfection ever so delicately.
- Revenue drivers and their driving skills.
- Safety and addressing the concerns of the clients equal Pickyourtrail’s motto.
- Why the word ‘Travel’ etches deeply into the hearts of everyone who picks the offbeat trail.
