Best Low-Cost CRM for Travel Industry

aeon
Member

Posted 04-Jun-2004 09:22 AM
I run a small travel service in Thialand, we would like to take our services online. We deal in services like Tours, Tickets, Hotels reservations etc... Can U advse us about what is the best Web Based CRM for a travel service that likes to put a lot of emphasis on customer support and guidance? Also we are considering inplimenting a reverse auction system in the near future.

Thank You

Aeon

Justin
Member

Posted 10-Jun-2004 08:06 AM
The real trick these days for SMBs is to find a solution that caters to their specific vertical market. Some SMBs can and will find a full utilization with an 'out-of-the-box' type solution, as they only need very basic functionality (ie contact management, account management, and revenue forecasts), and not necessarily a full-blown CRM solution.

However, this is where the problem exists. Most CRM solutions, whether they are on-demand (web hosted) or on-premise (software) solutions, aren't 'tailor-made' to fit your business needs. Some companies do offer a 'template' of sorts for different vertical markets, however that is not necessarily what you need either, though it's a step in the right direction.

What you need to do is come up with a list of business needs that you want your CRM solution to fulfill. Especially in a customer-centric industry like travel, where your customers travelling experience may make or break their continued patronage of your company, everything you can do to make a 'personalized' environment for your customer will only help. A CRM solution is a good step in that direction—but remember, CRM is 90% corporate strategy, and 10% project implementation. Make sure that everyone in your organization is on-board with a more customer-centric focus, from the travel agents right up to the CEO, and then compare your business needs against what the CRM provider offers.

In an SMB environment, on-demand or web hosted CRM is generally preferred due to the low cost of acquisition and compatibility with existing legacy systems. However, the other feature which is extremely useful to an SMB with specific needs is customization. For an extremely marginal increase in price, most on-demand CRM providers can customize an edition tailor-made for your business needs, and have it rolled out and deployed for you in less time than a traditional software implementation would take. But in the meantime—sign up for the trial usages. Most companies offer 30 day free trial of the basic incarnation of the service, so you can see what you're getting into before investing any capital.

For a specific recommendation: My company used Salesboom.com and are very happy with the results. Check out the free trial and get in touch with them for any customization needs you might have.
Alternatives to check out as well would be Salesforce.com, Netsuite.com, and if you don't mind paying a bit more, you can try out Siebel Systems/IBM crmondemand.com

Let me know how your experiences are!

-Justin

Meraj k Huda
Member

Posted 17-Jun-2004 09:10 PM
I am a CRM/e-marketing specialist for the travel sector. I have consulted on various eCRM solutions for the travel business, and I have e-marketing solutions that cater for all sizes of travel businesses.

You can reply to me at meraj_huda@forumline.com.

Thanks.

Meraj K Huda
Principal Consultant
forumline

Mike Q
Member

Posted 18-Jun-2004 06:27 AM
You may look at the VICO suite of applications.
www.scorpiosoft.com

Has Customer Suport/Sales force and many other features that you may need.

Mike