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`No profit,
no deal.'' It sounded rather aggressive, even ruthless, coming from Chaladol
Ussamarn, president of CBS Successive Tour, a company specialising in
inbound as well as outbound tours, as he talked about his business
philosophy. No wonder the company, that began operations four years ago, has succeeded in scaling heights others in the business haven't even come close to emulating. For the record, since its inception the company has managed to retain 99% of its customers despite the cut-throat competition in an industry characterised by price wars. It serves an average of 50,000 foreign tourists annually organising holidays to Thailand and Indochinese countries. ``Foreign clients have given CBS their vote of confidence after finding us reliable and trustworthy for the tours we organised and advisory service offered them and it will come as a bit of a surprise,'' he said, ``if I tell you that we managed to win their trust despite the fact that many Thais are not even aware of our presence in the market.'' CBS focuses on tourists from Europe, Japan, South America, Singapore and the Middle East. Tourists from these countries usually first come to Thailand and then proceed to visit Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. After 29 years with Diethelm Travel, he quit the company and founded CBS in January of 1999. ``I was the only senior executive at Diethelm Travel who took that route,'' he said of his decision to terminate his contract with former employers. Chaladol began as operations assistant in 1969 when Diethelm Travel had a staff of less than 50 people, more or less the same as CBS employs today. |
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He goes through every communication
with clients personally to ensure rapid response to queries. ``Complaint letters are a priority,'' he added. He feels that while many tour operators from time to time engage in price wars, the best way to compete was through superior service. ``Client service is the most important factor in this business. If you do not look after them (clients) they would not care who you are. ``The client is always right. But if you cannot deliver, just tell the truth,'' he said of his working philosophy. Chaladol said his staff make every effort to meet the client's demand, so providing the right product to the right client is important. The first key to success is to know what the client exactly wants. ``If the client asks for five-star hotels, we must offer five-star accommodation, not three-star and say it's a five-star property. We cannot use that classification. But if our standard is higher, tell them as well. So, everything must be clear, even the price,'' he said. All information and advice about the product and package must be clear from the beginning. The clients must be told of what they can expect if they want to stay at a certain place. For instance, if the resort your client has chosen to stay has no entertainment facilities, he must be informed accordingly. ``We should try to understand the mentality of tourists from different market perspectives,'' he advised. Though his business is doing well, Chaladol said new projects are in the pipeline to help CBS retain its competitive edge. (24-April-2003) |
Foreign clients have given
CBS their vote of confidence after finding us reliable and
trustworthy 