By: David J. Wardell

© 2001 By: David J. Wardell.  Reproduction or redistribution in any form without written permission is strictly prohibited.

We think of the desirable personal attributes of perseverance, honesty, dedication, and character not only because these persons possessed and lived these principles, but because the promotion that surrounded their rise to prominence echo years later

The political machine is frequently in full operation and together with ambitious party functionaries, an image for the aspiring leader is conceived. Humble origins are brought into focus and a "man of the people," compared to often more aristocratic opponents, is highlighted.

Political considerations aside, that "of the people" theme is alive and well in travel distribution. The seminar-attending public, trade press, and association meetings never seem to tire of listening to high-profile executives of alternative electronic agents, of one sort or other, tell mainstream agents to get back to "their roots."

"If agents would just return to their roots and focus upon service, customer relationships, and consultation, why they have nothing whatever to fear from the Interactive age"--or so the story goes.

If you try, you can almost see the early pioneers, seated in log cabins with only kerosene lamps to light their way, busily scribbling tickets by hand while enthusiastic crowds line up for their services.

I exaggerate to illustrate a point: electronic commerce, interactivity, and disintermediation are all inevitable consequences of today's business environment. One can no more alter that fact than one can remove the affects of technology in any of a hundred other ways it has changed society.

As a practical matter, no one should want to.

In general, technology and the social, commercial, and personal advances it enables are positive. The "good old days" never were how we recall them. It's been said that clear sign you're no longer young is when enthusiasm for the future is replaced by nostalgia for the past. Very few businesses succeed by delivering what their customers wanted yesterday.

The basics of customer service are essential to survival in any business environment (a lesson many on-line retailers need to learn), but the call to "basics" as an escape from the business and technology pressures of the moment is absurd. Being "of the people" or "customer-focused" does not equate to being "of the past." One can only speculate why so many voices have adopted the "basics" line, but the fact that this is a simplistic platitude requiring little real thought must surely be one reason.

Successful travel distributors of the 21st century are those that enthusiastically embrace the substantial opportunities enabled by interactive and other technological advances and integrate these with the suite of services--old and new--that customers truly want to buy. The hesitancy of both emerging on-line retailers and those using more traditional methods so to do is among the major factors limiting the competitiveness of both.

Key Points:

1. The "call to basics" is an overly simplistic view of travel distribution and often masks an inability to appreciate the real issues.
2. Successful travel distributors must embrace traditional business vales and leading-edge tools in order to continue delivering effective customer service.
3. Those in either the high-tech or high-touch realm who fail to achieve the right service mix and thereby deliver what their customers truly want to buy are the ones whose survival is at risk.