Consumer Travel Interview with Christopher Elliott
Nomadic Matt: How did you get to the consumer travel
Chris Elliott: I was attracted in the early 0s to the consumer travel, as editor of travel Weekly If you work for a journal, you see the world from the inside out - that is, you see companies and their efforts to monetize their customer. I noticed a separation between the products of the industry offered and what their customers actually get.
I became very disillusioned with the travel industry. I had been seduced by him and I felt as if I was just a cog in a huge machine, the vanilla copy spits and leaves advertisers rich, but consumers unaware. So I quit. I made a detour back into the science for a year, leaving the country, got a little perspective, and when I came back, I was determined to follow my conscience.
One of the first calls I got when I came back to the states from a manufacturer on a new website ABCNews.com was called, the search for a new travel columnist.
"I think you have the wrong guy," I said. "I can not say that I love the travel industry."
"No," she said, "You are exactly , which we are looking."
as between 1996 and 00 in a four-year gig, performed as grumpy Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, out my column and blog.
you feel that consumers are really protected or these days have any rights?
No, there is not enough consumer laws on the books, and those that exist do not sufficiently enforced. Nevertheless, you can have a little knowledge about the law and your rights, often if you have a long way to a dispute with a travel company. So it is a matter of using what you have.
If this is the case, what recourse you really consumers have then? It took a guy to make a viral video on United to listen to get it.
There is always the court of public opinion. Anyone who has booked a viral video or a blog post about traveling, knows that social media can be an effective way to convey an argument. But also, I believe courtesy is an underestimated weapon. Nett - and persistent - can the results for a company that you say travelers for sure that their solutions would offer so smoothly with large travel companies
What advice is programmed "no." as possible?
Oh, that's a loaded question! I wrote a whole article on the subject. If the whole thing to read, do not have time, let me offer just one piece of advice: Be brief and polite
What is the one thing you wish you saw in relation to the travel industry to stand. consumer protection?
I want a well-staffed, federal consumer protection agency to see that the consumer protection duties of the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Transportation takes, plus has oversight agencies car rental and hotels. And I want to see a series of harsh laws on the books. The interests of travelers instead of shielding the industry by customers, which serve to protect them failed I know, I know. Dream on!
As the Internet the way companies deal with consumers changed?
It revolutionized. You saw not only the emergence of user-generated forums that the travel industry is responsible, like my blog, TripAdvisor, FlyerTalk, a popular forum for frequent flyers holding. But you also see that now, these pages are drawn by other Internet-based forums accountable.
Let me give you an example. Last week, when TripAdvisor quietly removed a negative review of his website, my readers put it out. Likewise, a few months ago, tried several members of FlyerTalk British Airways a collective failure to match, and they were outed on my blog.
It works vice versa. If I make a mistake on my blog or get it wrong in a story, I have people jump from these forums on me until I fix the problem. And we all have to answer to the great masses on Twitter. The bottom line for all of us if we are consumer advocates, industry cheerleaders or frequent flyer Fanboys, is that there is no place to hide. The Internet holds us all accountable.
Do you think all companies use the Internet effectively to treat customers, PR, or handle problems? There are some signs of hopeless that some companies "get it" and the Internet to embrace?
Yes, there are a few standouts, but most travel companies have to the Internet, reactive, to say they just deal with it when they need to. That is unfortunate. I hope it will change. But I'm not going to hold my breath.
mix as "old media" author who used "new media" as to think the two fields really?
I do not really think in terms of "old" and "new" media more, and I think most of my progressive media colleagues not do it. They are just different platforms. Print is for certain messages. Online suited to other broadcast and for still others. I think anyone who believes that "old" and "new" media are not compatible, the world can be seen in the wrong way and must adjust their perspective.
Where do you see the future of travel to go see written?
I think the future is already here. Travel Writing - and again, I'm not sure, "letter" is the right word - is far more interactive, multimedia, engaging and fun. I know that many of my colleagues with making a transition from "old" to "new" media have to fight, and I'm not really sure whether all of them will it will be successful. The future of travel journalism is far more dynamic and less predictable than what we were used to.
They are a very well known name when it comes to consumer travel. How does it feel to knock over all the fear in the hearts of the customer service representative?
I'm not so sure if that's true. Or should I say, I hope it is not. When I contact someone in the name of a reader, it is never in an accusatory manner. I ask them politely to me to help the reader to answer and it is my sincere hope that the problem only a simple misunderstanding. If you work for a company with a solid commitment to customer service, you are as worried as I am that this case is not properly addressed by the customer service in the first place. You will definitely not be afraid of the results -. Or from me
For more information on the consumer travel by Christopher Elliott, visit his blog at Elliott.org
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