Mobile technology ‘can slash industry’s costs’

Mobile technology offers the travel sector “significant opportunities to drive down costs and improve customer loyalty”, according to Oxygen8 Communications.

The global billing and communications company claims the industry’s revenues have plummeted in the past two years, it said in a report.

It added that while the internet had helped streamline some processes to reduce cost and provide rapid access to information, there were still huge untapped opportunities to increase revenue, drive down customer service costs and streamline booking and check-in processes.

Oxygen8 outlines the potential, from SMS-based booking confirmation to transforming the entire travel process by using the mobile to hold ticket, boarding pass, baggage tracking and biometric data.

Commercial director Gary Corbett said: “With growing numbers of users now opting for the mobile as the primary way of accessing the internet, mobile marketing has become a key component of the sales process.

“One major Japanese airline already claims to generate 5% of its sales via mobiles; 80% of travel companies now use SMS to communicate with customers; and 60% use SMS internally to make business processes more efficient. But this approach is merely scratching the surface.

“Mobile technology offers significant additional opportunities to drive down costs and improve customer loyalty,” added Corbett.

“The challenge is prioritising activity and ensuring that service quality matches the demands of an increasingly savvy mobile user population.

“There is a real opportunity to streamline the post-sales process, leveraging proven, robust mobile solutions to deliver value-added customer services that make the travel process smoother for the customer, but also less expensive to deliver for the industry.”

For a full copy of Oxygen8 Communications’ report, go to oxygen8.com.