Delta Vacations - Sales Distinction of the Year

Company: Delta Vacations, Minot, ND
Company Description: Delta Vacations is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines and one of the largest providers of vacation packages in the United States. Delta Vacations has been in the vacation business for more than 45 years and offers travelers convenient, one-stop shopping for custom-designed vacation packages to more than 300 of the world’s top leisure destinations.
Nomination Category: Sales Awards Distinction Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Sales Distinction of the Year - Hospitality & Tourism

Nomination Title: Being "the difference" for our customers

Tell the story about what this nominated organization achieved since the beginning of July 2017 (up to 650 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes: REDACTED FOR PUBLICATION

If you look up the word “distinction” you will find many definitions, the majority of which allude to differences. At Delta Vacations, we focus on one thing, and that’s being the difference for our employees and as a result, for our customers.

Our employees are “the difference”

It may seem bold to say that our CEC employees make the difference, but the proof is in the numbers. The first six months of 2018 have shown year over year growth in the following key performance indicators:

• 7% increase in revenue per sales call
• 6.5% increase in revenue per booking
• 23% increase total revenue
• 5.7% increase in close rate

How have we done it? By capturing revenue premium. Customers can book a vacation with us by calling in to the CEC or via our customer-facing websites. We average 2.5 touchpoints with customers on their vacation booking; meaning that even if they purchased it online, at some point they still call into the CEC.

When they call in, they speak first-hand to a well-trained, well-traveled individual focused on making their vacation experience everything it can be. Our employees know that this could be the first time the customer has ever been on this kind of vacation, so they use their knowledge and personal travel experience to provide customers with options such as:

• Starting their trip off right with priority boarding, more leg room, and increased amenities by upgrading their seat accommodations on the plane.
• Finding that perfect hotel room that includes a balcony to let the customer listen to the waves as they drift to sleep and then awaken to the sun rising over the ocean.
• Minimizing the stresses of crowded shuttles or multiple drop-off points by booking private car transfers from the airport to their hotel.
• Savoring the destination on their own time by recommending unique or small-group tours, such as snorkeling or cultural immersions.

Now, instead of having just a good vacation, they have one that they’re sharing on their social media pages before they even head home.

Customer experience is paramount

Each time we speak to a customer, we offer an opportunity for them to rate the interaction they just had with us. A simple, one-question survey asks: “On a scale of 1 to 5, if you ran a customer service company, would you hire the last person you spoke to?” A score of 1 meaning ‘Definitely No’, and a score of 5 meaning ‘Definitely Yes’. Scores are then calculated to arrive at an associate Net Promotor Score (NPS).

Our difference is what makes us distinctive

Our employees are the difference when it comes to guiding our customers to the best vacation experience possible. This is best shown by the difference in the growth of our in-house bookings compared to our web bookings, with in-house consistently outperforming the web:

Our results show that when our customers have the opportunity to talk to our employees and learn about all of the options they have to turn their standard vacation into a truly memorable one, they seize the opportunity.

For some people, a vacation is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, while others are lifelong travelers. Either way, the personal commitment our employees have to creating an unforgettable customer experience is what makes us the difference. This, along with our continued growth, is why Delta Vacations deserves to be recognized for “Sales Distinction of the Year.”