CHICAGO—Aug. 5, 2019—Christopherson Business Travel has reinvented how travel management companies approach the customer experience, delivering elevated human interaction in a world inundated with high-tech.
“Customer expectations are shaped by the most dynamic consumer experiences they encounter in other industries,” said Mike Cameron, CEO at Christopherson Business Travel. “While it may seem counter-intuitive in this tech-focused world, being customer-centric requires much more than providing the latest and greatest in technology.”
By focusing on specific consumer touchpoints and the individual needs present at those touchpoints, Christopherson has developed an approach that allows them to not only lead with their robust technology platform, but leverage the depth of their team’s experience and expertise for the benefit of clients.
“We’ll never stop innovating new technology to get data into the hands of those who need it, when and where they need it,” Cameron said. “But we’re also working to shift the customer experience with an elevated layer of consultative and personalized experiences.”
Is Christopherson’s investment working?
“Absolutely, it works,” said Jennifer Phan, senior program manager at University of Southern California’s American Film Showcase. “Technology is essential, but with the travel complexities I manage, I definitely need a travel advisor who is knowledgeable, accessible, and dependable. For me, that person is my travel advisor at Christopherson.”
The more complex the demands, the more important it is for the digital, consultative, and personalized experiences to connect in a symbiotic way. The result is a customer-centric experience that pays in dividends for the client, Cameron said.
“Frequently, travel planning is so complicated that my advisor and I have to get on the phone,” said Phan, who manages 50 programs traveling to 50 countries. “Six months ago, she saved us by providing solutions with a series of international flights. She even worked through her Thanksgiving holiday to arrange very complex flight plans with our people who were traveling and had complicated issues.”
In order to deliver on its promise of customer-centricity, Christopherson has implemented new trainings and technology so travel advisors, account managers, and online support teams have a deep, integrated knowledge of the client, their specific needs and processes, and a personal relationship with them.
“My advisor knows my system—she knows me!” Phan said. “I can count on her to the point that it would be impossible to do my job without her. She’s flexible, understands our needs, is intuitive, has a sense of humor, and follows up. Those qualities have saved me and have made my trust in a travel agent partner, such as Christopherson, locked in solid.”
Christopherson Business Travel, headquartered in Salt Lake City, is the independently owned leader in business travel management, online travel tools, and business travel resources. As the twelfth largest business travel agency in the United States, with more than 480 team members and 5 full-service locations across the country, Christopherson supports more than $682 million in annual travel bookings. Christopherson provides intelligent travel management to more than 1,000 successful companies and organizations, and is an affiliate of BCD Travel. To learn more about Christopherson Business Travel, visit cbtravel.com.
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Media Contact:
Krista Ercin-Maurer
303-694-8770
krista.ercin-maurer@cbtravel.com
