"nordstar's approach to mapping the entire customer journey was instrumental in shaping the app's features, ensuring it targeted the most impactful touch points. Their focus on seamless integration with our existing systems and understanding needs of customers and agents meant the app exceeded our expectations and laid foundation for future digital innovation".
The Brief:
Hays Travel, the UK's largest independent travel agent, sought to enhance customer service by developing a bespoke app. The app aimed to provide a centralised platform for managing travel documents, payments, customer support, and holiday extras, whilst offering features to boost customer satisfaction and loyalty. The key objectives included addressing priority areas of the customer journey to enhance post-booking engagement. Additionally, they aimed to align the app's functionality with customer expectations while supporting their broader goals for technological transformation.
Response & Delivery:
Hays Travel partnered with digitaltravel.io and nordstar* after a competitive procurement process. The development process was informed by in-depth mapping of customer journeys, feedback from internal trials, and alignment with strategic goals. The app, launched on the App Store and Google Play, enhances key customer touch points by centralising travel management, offering secure payment options, and the addition of holiday extras such as airport parking. It also features interactive elements such as games, and integrates with Hays Travel agents to complement in-branch services. Development involved extensive testing by retail and head office staff, followed by a customer trial phase where the app was rolled out across retail divisions for feedback and adoption.
The Impact:
The introduction of a centralised, user-friendly platform has streamlined the customer experience, enabling customers to manage their bookings with ease. Interactive features like games and badges have boosted customer engagement and app adoption, while reducing workloads for branch colleagues by empowering customers to handle routine tasks independently.
