Thomas Cook Expands Use of RightNow for Agent Support
Contact Centre, Retail and Home-Based Agents to Use RightNow to Improve the Customer Experience
Maidenhead, United Kingdom, August 19, 2008
Thomas Cook, one of the leading leisure travel groups in the UK and Ireland, has continued to expand its relationship with RightNow® (NASDAQ: RNOW). Thomas Cook Group brands, MyTravel, Airtours, thomascook.com and flythomascook.com already use RightNow. The travel company will extend RightNow to support agents in its two main sales centres and more than 17,000 retail travel agents across a network of its own 800 high street stores and third party travel agents. With RightNow, agents will have fast access to information essential to serving customers.
Frontline retail agents can become more self sufficient when serving customers by accessing the RightNow knowledge foundation that contains information critical for serving in-store customers as quickly as possible. Branded 'Ask Thomas', it will contain helpful details specific to the Thomas Cook Group tour operating brands and products, such as paying deposits and how to book twin centre holidays.
In addition, more than 200 Thomas Cook sales centre and home-located agents, who handle customer calls and emails, will also have access to a separate RightNow powered 'Ask Thomas' knowledge repository. This will contain a range of customer related information such as flight details and special travel requirements, and answers to process questions, such as how to handle a refund.
By making essential information available at the frontline of the business, Thomas Cook expects customers and travel agents to benefit from an improved experience with speedier resolutions to travel enquiries, in-store and through its phone and email channels. With agents better equipped, the travel group also anticipates increases in transactional customer engagements and reduced handling and hold times.
"Historically, agents in the Thomas Cook sales centre used various sources of information while store staff called the agent support team, often with the customer sitting opposite them. Now both can be confident that they have fingertip access to knowledge, specifically tailored to empower them in the delivery of efficient and pleasant customer service. We're confident this strategy is a win-win for both customer and agent; customers will be served more efficiently, while agents will find it easier to handle enquiries," said Nicola Yeomans, Thomas Cook's director, sales centres.
Thomas Cook chose RightNow after reviewing the benefits that RightNow provides to its eCommerce arm, thomascook.com and online flights only website, flythomascook.com. Thomas Cook Group brands MyTravel, Airtours, thomascook.com and flythomascook.com have been a RightNow customer since April 2005.
About Thomas Cook UK & Ireland
Thomas Cook UK & Ireland is the second largest leisure travel group in the UK with around 19,000 employees. The company operates a fleet of 42 aircraft, has a network of more than 800 high street stores (Thomas Cook and Going Places), leading websites (www.thomascook.com and www.flythomascook.com), its own television channel Thomas Cook TV (Sky channel 645) and some of the world's favourite travel brands.
These brands include Airtours, Club 18-30, Bridge, Cresta, CruiseThomasCook, Direct Holidays, Flexibletrips, flythomascook.com, Latitude, Manos, Neilson, Panorama, Style Holidays, Sunset, Sunworld Holidays, Thomas Cook, Thomas Cook Signature, Thomas Cook Sport, Tradewinds, www.hotels4u.com and Elegant Resorts.
The company's airline, Thomas Cook Airlines, flies from various regional airports to destinations worldwide. Thomas Cook offers a range of financial services, including foreign exchange at competitive rates, the Thomas Cook Credit Card in conjunction with Barclays Bank, the cash passport and a wide range of travel insurance policies. It is the only major travel company to be FSA regulated for its travel insurance, which is underwritten by AXA. The company also owns White Horse Insurance Ireland Ltd.
Thomas Cook also has a leading publishing division and currently has more than 150 guidebooks and publications on offer.
Thomas Cook UK & Ireland is part of Thomas Cook Group plc
About RightNow Technologies
RightNow (NASDAQ: RNOW) delivers the high-impact technology solutions and services organisations need to cost-efficiently deliver a consistently superior customer experience across their frontline service, sales and marketing touch-points. Approximately 1,900 corporations and government agencies worldwide depend on RightNow to achieve their strategic objectives and better meet the needs of those they serve. RightNow is headquartered in Bozeman, Montana. For more information, please visit www.rightnowtech.co.uk.
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Greg Gianforte