Why a Database is so Important to the Success of your Business…
by Darla Garber

Do you feel your office is totally organized? Are there areas where you could better prepare yourself to quickly access necessary information? Could you quickly create mailing labels for all your clients that are interested in cruising? Having an organized electronic database of client information will greatly assist you in your everyday tasks. A database containing your client data including historical reservations and marketing criteria will keep you a step ahead of your competition. It’s easy for your clients to surf the net and find travel deals, but it’s a comfort for to them to know that their personal travel agent (YOU) knows them and their preferences. You become their personalized service provider by doing their travel research and getting the best deals for them to make their travel choice. Keep your existing clients happy and earn new clients by proving yourself as an efficient and effective travel service provider.

With all the new affordable and technologically advanced product offerings out there to assist you in organizing your agency, how do you become more attractive than your competitors? As a service provider, you need to be customer-oriented. You must arm yourself with a Customer Relations Management (CRM) database to assist in maintaining or even improving your customer satisfaction level. It is a proven fact that it will cost you 10 times more to bring in a new client than it does to retain an existing one. In addition, your competition is not only other travel agencies, but also the Internet as a whole with all the so-called “travel deals” advertised everyday. So to be successful you must make the most of every chance you have to contact your clients. Information becomes your key to success. This information is readily at hand if stored in a database.

What should be stored in a database? As much client information as possible will allow for a better customer focus. Maintaining data on how to contact the client is one thing, but taking it a step further will improve your client satisfaction. Keep data that tells you the client’s travel interests, favorite destinations, future travel plans, historical travel, birthdays and special occasions. This type of data will allow you to quickly market specialized travel deals to them quickly. You should be able to efficiently pull up all clients in specific age groups interested in Alaskan cruises. This narrows your focus and allows you to target market to those most likely in a specific travel deal and not waste your time sending to those not interested. A good database will allow quick and easy access to this data within a matter of a few keystrokes. Your database of choice should be user-friendly enough to have an email list or mailing label file ready to go without wasting time trying to figure out “how” to use the software. Another advantage is portability of your data. An Internet database will allow you to work from home, office or while you are traveling, giving your client’s service 365 days a year. Internet access does not tie you to just one computer and gives you the freedom you need in this day of mobility. Enter your data once and access it from anywhere.

Really get to know your clients. Record as much information about them as possible. Client retention is key to your business. Keep the following in mind:

1. The cost of keeping an existing client is less than replacing them.
   
   
2. Marketing and selling to them creates loyalty and therefore more business.
   
   
3. The analysis of client information allows for target marketing, better service and support, which creates lower overheads.
   
   
4. A satisfied client will tell 3-4 potential clients, thus creating new business.

A good database not only works for the clients, it performs other tasks for your office as well. You should be able to efficiently pull sales volume reports to see which suppliers you sell the most. You should be able to track your commissions – see those paid vs. unpaid (also allowing you easy access to past due commissions to follow-up on). You should be able to quickly organize group travel with rooming lists and sales volume/commission reports along with the ability to market to your group or print off mailing labels to mail out the documents. You should be able to send an itinerary to your clients via email or have the ability to print off a professional itinerary or invoice at any time for your clients. You also need a fast easy way to keep track of deposits and final payments that are due for your clients. Give yourself the edge whether you are a home-based agent or multiple location agency, an electronic database will be a major factor in your key to success. The more organized you are with your agency the easier and faster you can grow your business!

With all the travel service options out there today, you can’t just sit back and wait for the clients to come to you. You need to reach out and touch your clients. Become a true customer service agency by knowing your clients and having access to them with a touch of a couple buttons. You may not realize that even though your client data remains on a computer, you can get more efficient and effective personalized service from using a client database. Don’t be fooled by the concept of “electronic” data – it’s your answer to organizing your office and maintaining high client satisfaction levels!

Darla Graber
President, ITAMS Ltd.
ClientEase Internet Software
www.ClientEase.com

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