Today I heard a company promotion which was something like this: “We are not selling boats. We are selling time on the water.” Think about it, there is a company on earth which sells entertaining time on the water. Wouldn’t you want to buy it? Doesn’t it excite you? What do you imagine when you hear time on the water? I will tell you mine, I imagine myself having fun with my family and friends on a boat on a sunny day. Swimming, playing, basically being happy. That was the customer experience I wanted to have!
But when you say that “We sell boats.” It’s boring. Don’t be boring. The customer is buying your product to use it in exciting times. So, they should be excited to buy it as well! But when the companies downgrade their value proposition, it is almost like discouraging the customer. Don’t discourage the customer. Don’t discourage anyone!
What do I mean by Customer Experience in a Tourism Sector?
I used to sell yacht tours. What I was focusing on was the chillness you get on the yacht. I would talk about the relaxation, the sound of the sea and enjoying the sun on the deck. Because this is what the customers are actually buying. The experience of living on a yacht temporarily. The opportunity to stay away from any problems on earth. Being able to clear your mind. This is the main purpose of going on vacation!
When you book a vacation from a travel agency, what do you look for? Let me give you a few hints. Travel agencies don’t sell transportation. They don’t sell the information about the touristic sites either. They sell the quality time or in another words, good customer experience. You have limited vacation days and it is travel agents job to make sure it goes frictionless, relaxing, and entertaining.
What happens when people forget this? You get an agent that sells you a travel plan as if it is just a piece of paper. Robotized, boring explanations on itinerary and no feeling. Only focusing on selling the most profitable tour to get the most money out of you. Without thinking about how it suits you at all. And you only realize this after its too late. So, if you have a terrible vacation in the future, now you know the actual reason behind it.
Photo Credits: Oliver Sjöström, https://ollivves.com
