There are countless business books, leadership theories and customer service philosophies that promise to transform the way you work. Yet one of the most valuable lessons I have ever learned can be summed up in just six words:
Be easy to do business with.
I first heard this phrase around 2013 while working for a major gym brand. At the time, the industry was going through a significant shift in how customers wanted to engage with businesses. Long-standing contracts, rigid policies and cumbersome processes were being challenged by a simple question:
“Is this easy for the customer?”
It sounds obvious today, but at the time it was a genuinely transformative way of thinking.
Instead of designing processes around what suited the business, we were encouraged to think about what suited the customer. We began stripping away unnecessary barriers and questioning practices that existed simply because “that’s how we’ve always done it.”
That experience left a lasting impression on me, and it’s a philosophy that has followed me throughout my career in travel.
The reality is that customers lead our business.
People don’t book travel because they enjoy comparing fare classes, reading cancellation policies or navigating airline schedules. They book travel because they have a destination, a goal or an experience they’re looking forward to.
Our role is to make that process as seamless as possible.
Sometimes that means taking a call after hours on a Friday because a client’s travel plans have changed.
Sometimes it means processing a cancellation quickly and without unnecessary friction.
And sometimes it means preparing multiple itinerary options across several destinations, fare classes and airlines so a client can make a fully informed decision. While we might quietly wish they could narrow down the options a little, it’s our job to help them find the solution that’s right for them.
Being easy to do business with doesn’t mean saying yes to everything or being all things to all people. It doesn’t mean we never make mistakes.
What it does mean is approaching every client interaction with the mindset of making things simpler, clearer and more convenient wherever possible.
Not every client will be the right fit for our business, and that’s okay.
But one principle that sits at the heart of how we operate is this:
Doing business with us should be easy.
When clients choose to work with us, they should feel supported, understood and confident that we’re doing everything we can to make their journey smoother.
That’s what being easy to do business with means to me, and it’s a standard we strive to uphold every day.
Yours in travel,
Alex xx