<B> Stevens Fields Web Site</B>
<I>New York</I> - Intent on harnessing technology to enhance both customer service and its own profitability, Stevens Travel Management has introduced a Web site that offers corporate travelers full access to their company's travel policy, preferred vendors, management reports, travel advisories, copies of tickets or invoices and their own personal profiles, as well as online booking capabilities.
Stevens this spring also is releasing an interactive voice- response system that will allow travelers to request copies of tickets, management reports or passport, visa, immunization and travel advisories, said Sabina Terrades, senior vice president of marketing and communications, who designed the two new systems.
Stevens expects travelers to embrace the voice system, which uses technology from New Jersey-based IVS to allow them to communicate verbally rather than punching in requests on a telephone keypad. To speed up the process, the system allows travelers to request reports by number. Reports are e-mailed or faxed to the address stored in profiles in the system.
Harold Stevens, president of the agency and its affiliated Insight Data technology arm, said sweeping changes in the industry are forcing him to harness technology. "Where agents now book $1.25 million in air and 12 to 13 transactions a day, we need to get them up to $2 million and 15 to 20 transactions a day," Stevens said. "Our philosophy is to have better agents," dedicated to customer service, while technology fulfills the routine requests, such as replacing lost tickets.
In designing the Web site, at www.stevenstravel.com, Terrades essentially built links to the proprietary software products that Insight Data has been building for the past eight years. One such product, for example, offers travel advisories and passport and visa requirements for countries around the world, while another stores clients' preferred hotels.
The site also allows customers to access agency newsletters and broadcast faxes, and to book air, car and hotel.