Tui hails ‘industry leading’ system as it launches Connect

Tui Travel has launched a multimillion-pound system linking its digital, retail and call centre-booking businesses across the UK.

Tui Travel announced the launch of a multimillion-pound system linking its digital, retail and call centre-booking businesses across the UK.


The company said the state-of-the-art system, called Connect, would see it “deliver industry-leading standards of customer satisfaction”.


Earlier, Tui UK managing director Dave Burling told Travolution sister publication Travel Weekly: “Over half our UK summer 2014 bookings have been made online.


“We are at a high level but growing the web business at a faster rate and investing in technology in services.


“We’ve got the product, we’ve got the hotels and we’ve got the technology.”


Connect will allow customer information to be shared across booking platforms, meaning online or call-centre bookings can be followed up in shops.


The system will make customer data available from the point of booking onwards, allowing frontline staff to offer a more personalised service and, Tui said, “to recognise and reward loyal customers more effectively”.


Connect will be rolled out across the company over the next nine months.


Tui said the launch marked the first of a series of technology enhancements, in line with the company’s TUInnovate programme.


This has already seen the introduction of free Wi-Fi in key hotels this summer and the re-launch of the Thomson and First Choice websites.


The Connect system is supported by a customer-engagement platform developed by technology firm Pegasystems.


Tui UK and Ireland customer operations director Fraser Ellacott said: “TUI strives to put the customer at the heart of everything it does and this new system will make it much easier to do.


“By connecting frontline staff here and overseas we’ll be able to offer customers a much more personalised service.


“It will also help us share even more information across the business so we can answer anything customers want to know.”


Ellacott added: “This is just the beginning.”