You've heard that location - location - location is key to a successful retail business. In the broader sense, what we are talking about here is accessibility. How accessible is your travel agency to the customer?

Whether you are a click business (online agency), or a bricks (traditional travel agency), staying accessible to your customers is part of delivering good customer service.

"In this information-overloaded society, the act of simply finding you can be a challenge to your customers and prospects," said Timothy Foster, author of a book on customer satisfaction.

If you do not have a street-front address, there are other ways to be found. Consider:

• Advertising
• Cross-referrals from associated businesses
• Directories
• Flyers
• Promotion and publicity
• Public Relations
• Word of mouth
• The Internet
• Search engines (especially if you are an online agent)

Location
If you are a traditional retail agency, make sure your customers do not have to jump through hoops to get to you. Make sure your address is clear in all your marketing collaterals. Give location advice (for example, next to ABC Bank) wherever and whenever possible. Train your frontline staffs who receive calls from potential customers, to give out clear directions to your shop. Offer to fax maps showing the location of the agency, especially if you are in a more obscure location. Provide public transportation information – best ways to get there.

Contact information
Ensure all contact information printed on marketing collaterals (advertisements, name cards, brochures) are accurate and well-serviced. In other words, a customer should not have to call the number listed on your advertisement and be constantly put on hold, or worse yet, hear a busy dial tone. If you are running a promotion, make sure you boost your phone lines with enough staff to handle the expected (and unexpected!) traffic.

Emails should be answered promptly. With today's pace, emails are usually expected to be answered within 24 hours. If you are unable to give them a full response quickly, an acknowledgement of receipt of the email and an estimated time of response thereafter is good manners. "What customers hate is uncertainty. They hate waiting, but they can handle it if they know how long and why the delay," says Foster.

"Good customer service can be summed up in one word: respect. Respect for the customer's time and intelligence. The customer is crying out: ‘Don't waste my time!'", says Foster.

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