When travel goes wrong.
WHAT COMMONLY GOES WRONG
Flights delayed or cancelled Missed connections Accommodation not as booked or unavailable Lost baggage Illness or injury Documentation refused Local disruption
WHY HANDLING MATTERS MORE THAN PREVENTION
Disruption is inevitable, and response is what clients remember.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
A contact reachable while clients travel Authority for that person to spend and decide Supplier contacts for every element
WHY AUTHORITY TO SPEND
Problems requiring approval from someone unreachable become worse.
WHAT TO DO WHEN DISRUPTION OCCURS
Establish the facts Contact the client Establish what they need immediately Arrange alternatives Keep them informed
WHY CONTACT THE CLIENT FIRST
Clients stranded and uninformed lose confidence entirely.
WHAT TO PRIORITISE
Safety, shelter and onward travel.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH ABOUT COST
Who bears it: airline, insurer, supplier or client.
WHY IN ADVANCE
Arguing about it while the client is stranded is unacceptable.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT COSTS INCURRED
Record everything, with receipts.
WHY
Recovery from airlines and insurers depends on documentation.
WHAT TO EXPLAIN TO CLIENTS
What they are entitled to, and from whom.
WHAT TO AVOID
Blaming suppliers to the client Being unreachable Promising recovery you cannot deliver
WHAT TO DO AFTERWARDS
Follow up, and assist with claims.
WHY
It converts a bad experience into a retained client.
WHAT TO RECORD
Every incident and its resolution.
