Eliminating Manual Stop Sales Processes in Travel

Working in the travel industry involves coordinating with numerous partner companies, each contributing different elements to a holiday - whether it's a hotel, holiday park, excursion, or other services. This fast-paced and exciting environment, however, raises a critical question... What happens when one of these partners reaches full capacity??

The crucial role of stop sales?

Stop sales are a vital yet time-consuming aspect of the travel industry. When a supplier reaches full capacity, they send a stop sales request to their partners, instructing them to pause bookings for that experience, accommodation, or service during specified dates. Acting on these requests promptly is crucial to prevent overbooking and any customer dissatisfaction that may follow due to booking errors.?

The Risks of Relying on Manual Stop Sales?

Although it sounds straightforward, managing stop sales manually can come with a lot of challenges. In companies with many partner suppliers, monitoring the stop sales inbox can become a full-time job, with some teams handling up to 2,000 requests daily. The manual process of searching, cross-checking, and updating records is not only time-consuming but also prone to human error. This can result in backlogs and delays, with the risk of continued bookings despite the lack of availability, leading to overbooking issues that frustrate both suppliers and customers.

Unleashing the power of automation?

The most effective way to address these challenges is through intelligent automation. AI and RPA technology can efficiently extract and process information from emails and attachments, regardless of language or layout. This makes automation the ideal solution for managing stop sales. By setting specific rules for handling these requests, the system can cross-check data against supplier contracts to ensure that quotas are met, making the process faster, more accurate, and significantly more efficient.?

The Competitive Advantage of Automation?

Automation simplifies processes for your staff and streamlines your business operations, offering several key benefits:?

Accuracy?

Automation bots strictly follow set parameters, ensuring all stop sales requests are processed accurately, with no risk of errors or deviations.?

Efficiency?

An automation bot can handle far more requests per hour than a manual team, speeding up processing times and reducing the risk of backlogs.?

Real-time updates?

Automation works around the clock, processing stop sales requests immediately upon receipt and keeping your system continuously updated, which minimises the risk of booking errors.?

Improved data integration?

Automated solutions integrate seamlessly with existing systems, ensuring that data remains up-to-date and easily accessible at all times.?

See your expenses shrink?

The cost savings from implementing an automated stop sales solution are significant, often reducing expenses by 50-60% compared to manual processing. In one case, an offshore team of 25 people managing stop sales as a full-time job was costing ￡30,000 for the business, but implementing an automated solution reduced this cost down to ￡20,000. While these savings primarily come from reduced manual labour, it's important to note that the goal of automation is not to eliminate anyone’s jobs. Automated solutions are designed to work alongside human workers, allowing them to focus on higher-value tasks that improve business operations and customer experiences.?

Conclusion?

In an industry as rapidly moving and dynamic as travel, the ability to manage operations efficiently is crucial. This is especially true with the time sensitive task of processing stop sales requests from suppliers. When you automate the process of stop sales, it not only streamlines a traditionally time-consuming process, but also significantly reduces errors, enhances productivity, and drives cost savings. By embracing automation, you can empower your team to focus on what truly matters—delivering exceptional experiences to your customers.

To learn more about how automation can transform the way your business handles stop sales processes, watch the full episode for free here!?