New crisis communications tool for travel launched by d-flo

New crisis communications tool for travel launched by d-flo

A new communications management tool to help travel firms improve their response in crises has been unveiled by d-flo. CrisisComms has been developed by the Windsor-based communications technology specialist on its TravelComms platform used by the likes of Riviera Travel, … Continue reading

A new communications management tool to help travel firms improve their response in crises has been unveiled by d-flo.

CrisisComms has been developed by the Windsor-based communications technology specialist on its TravelComms platform used by the likes of Riviera Travel, Hurtigruten and Great Rail Journeys.

The system allows firms to immediately contact their clients in an emergency as well as members of staff and to manage its public communications on sites like Twitter.

Colin Brimson, business development director and founder of d-flo, said procedures in the travel industry today are largely manual meaning crises can be chaotic, complex and poorly handled.

“Speaking to a lot of travel companies it’s clear that the way they deal with crises is to throw as many people at the problem for as long as they have to.

“It’s very much a manual process, a case of running reports direct from their systems, setting up emails and SMS text alerts. Some companies don’t even have a standard SMS solution.

“Some have to send out messages via personal phones. It’s a dangerous solution to managing what is already a bad situation. This is about giving travel companies the ability to contact people instantly when they need to be contacted.”

Like TravelComms, CrisisComms integrates with the travel firm’s booking system enabling all the relevant information to be extracted so that communications can be sent to a target audience.

The system will differentiate between customers in destination and those about to travel so that the message can be tailored accordingly.

Then the most appropriate channel for the message can be selected and the message be personalised and branded before being sent.

“It’s a simple and intuitive web-based UI (user interface) which can be easily adopted, configured and integrated in a matter of days,” said Brimson.

He added, CrisisComms is intended to compliment the services of a crisis management PR firm – providing the capabilities and speed to deliver the right message to the right audience.

“The world is a turbulent place with travellers swept into geo-political upheavals, natural disasters and medical emergencies.

“People still want to travel but safely and security is increasingly top of mind and impacting on their choice of travel company and destination.

“A business that fails to instil confidence and convince customers that is has a plan in place to keep them safe and informed risks brand damage, anxious customers and stressed out staff.”

Brimson said CrisisComms requires no upfront capital investment and offers a low cost solution based on a message-plan contract.

Firms will pay a fixed monthly fee based on an annual message allowance. Sunvil and Great Rail Journeys are the first two travel firms to sign up to use CrisisComms.