Avon's Kabo Moves To N.Y. Agency

<I>New York</I> - Using 22 years of experience defining customer service to travel vendors, Mike Kabo is now fulfilling others' concepts of service as vice president of national accounts for Ultramar Travel Bureau Inc.

Kabo joined the New York-based agency, with 1996 air volume of $65 million, in mid-March after leaving Avon Products, where he was director of global travel, conferences and administration for the past two years. Prior to Avon, he spent 20 years at Conrail in Philadelphia, leaving as director of administrative services, which included travel management.

At Ultramar, Kabo is responsible for all operations and client services for all Apollo accounts, which adds up to 150 corporate customers. The accounts include Viacom and all its subsidiaries such as Blockbuster, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount, Showtime and Simon & Schuster.

In addition, Kabo is charged with further growing Ultramar's corporate clientele. "Just in the past month, the agency picked up several corporate accounts with volume under $2 million, primarily through word of mouth," he said.

Kabo's job is to ensure that referrals continue to be positive, to aggressively court other customers and to ensure quality service. "In my previous positions, I've been the one defining what service will be, and now I'll be in charge of delivering whatever my clients are defining as quality service," he said.

To learn how travelers and corporate travel executives are defining service, Kabo intends to conduct surveys, providing his clients approve.

Kabo also will take advantage of technology when it can increase service or lower cost and make sure that agents are continuously being trained.