What Should You Look For in a Tour Operator CRM System?

Over the past few years, many more travel businesses are trending towards acting as tour operators or hybrid businesses. This move away from exclusive travel agents means that more businesses are beginning to understand the depth of the backstage work that goes into not just selling, but creating holidays. With this comes the need for a tour operator CRM platform and software that fits each business.

While there are many things your travel business can greatly benefit from, there’s no doubt that good travel software and a dedicated tour operator CRM platform can be a game-changer. Whatever niche you are in, if you are a tour operator, finding the right fit when it comes to software is vital. You don’t want to start using a platform that can’t fit your specific needs, and equally, you don’t want to be stuck with a lot of features that you just aren’t going to use.

So what should you be looking for in a tour operator CRM platform?

Why Tour Operators Need a CRM

Even if you already use software to support your tour operator business, there is a big difference between having some software, and having a dedicated CRM to support you.

Equally, it is important not to just have any random tour operator CRM at your back. While some tools really don’t vary much with different providers, software and a CRM can vary incredibly widely. This isn’t necessarily about deciding which are good or bad, either. Most CRM platforms have their advantages and disadvantages, but whether they apply is entirely dependent on your specific business.

Maybe having the ability to completely customise everything on every booking is really cool, but if you’re running a niche tour operator that only sells ski holidays in France, and you only have a few specific packages, that feature is going to go completely unused and just cost you extra money. It is important here to prioritise the features that are going to be useful and make your business more efficient.

This is why we say that you want a CRM platform, not just software. You don’t want to be skipping between different pieces of software to do everything you need for each booking, this is just going to waste your time and energy. What you need, that a CRM can provide, is one dedicated space for your specific business needs.

So, what is it that makes a tour operator CRM so important?

1. A CRM allows you to deal with each customer completely from start to finish, from the enquiry to them coming home, everything is there
2. It will have a dedicated process for building packages and itineraries for each customer
3. Supplier elements in one place: whether you need to pay them, add them to a booking or package, or track payments, it will be in the CRM
4. The documentation that customers need can all be stored in a CRM and automatically sent to customers for you
5. And more!

Features To Look For In Your CRM

There are some basics that most CRMs will cover, such as providing a system to document the entire process with each customer. However, some features are more optional and depend on the priorities of that provider, so it’s good to get an idea of what you want to look for before you start searching.

Some Features to Look For:

1. A multi-user friendly system. If you work solo, this one might not apply, but if you have staff, then finding a system that is capable of providing access to multiple users per business will be key.
2. An itinerary builder. If you’re a hybrid business and you’re going to be working directly with customers, then being able to customise the itinerary you provide, without having to go out of software to do it, will save you a lot of time and help your customers maintain confidence with a professional itinerary.
3. An email builder. This may seem small, but you’re probably going to be sending a lot of emails to customers, an easy way to make this less stressful is to find a tour operator CRM where you can build automated and professional emails, taking one less task from your daily list.
4. The ability to add suppliers. If you’re a niche tour operator, you most likely already have a list of suppliers that you rely on. Software that allows you to create profiles for your suppliers will then be very useful, so you can simply click the supplier listing to add it to a booking without having to type out all their information repeatedly.

Why PTS Might Be The Platform For You

If you’ve read this far and are now wondering where to look, allow us to give you an example of what could make PTS the right fit for your tour operator business:

1. A cloud-based, mobile friendly platform – anytime, anywhere, any device, the PTS system is available to run your business. With a 98.6% uptime, the only time you’ll be waiting is when we’re releasing exciting new updates! 
2. A reported 40% reduction in admin time – following a survey of our members it was revealed that not only does the PTS software keep all your admin in one place (and stop it from overcrowding your office), but it has reduced the time members spend doing admin by 40%. That means more time to sell the holidays you love! 
3. Unlimited users and user management – with the PTS software, it doesn’t matter if you’re a one-man-band or if you have hundreds of employees, your business account can have as many users as you need, and you have the ability to set what features each user can control.
4. Flexible, unrestrictive, and simple – let’s be honest, the more amazing features a software has, the more complicated it sounds. Fortunately, our team of travel software experts had just that in mind while designing and updating our system. Not only is it intuitive and easy-to-navigate, but the PTS system is flexible, meaning you only use the features that make sense for your business. Have your own itinerary software that you love? Not a problem. We have no intention to trap you with only our system if you know what’s right for your business. 
5. Organise Your Bookings, Your Way – mark lost leads, filter by date, user, or completely custom data points, upload existing data, and contact clients with automated emails, all managed your way. You can even use the email builder to create custom templates and emails for your clients.
6. Dazzle Your Customers with Brochure-Quality Itineraries – customise to perfection and get your customers excited with sleek and professional itineraries.
7. Legal requirements made simple – with a fully automated, reconciled trust account system, independent trustees, and your ATOL certificates loaded into the software for easy access, ensuring your business is more than just legally compliant is almost mindless.  
8. Your suppliers, your choice – with multiple currencies, management features, invoicing, itineraries, and our database, you have access to over 240 exclusive suppliers and the ability to add your own to your profile, so creating a booking is only a few clicks away.  
9. Keep your money! – no, seriously, with the PTS software system, you get to keep all your commission to yourself, and you can claim profits as soon as the suppliers are paid. So, keep your money, your business deserves it. Plus, you can keep up to date with costs, payments, and live pricing without leaving the system.
10. 72-hour onboarding process – if we’re the right choice for you, then we won’t be holding you back. Once you choose the support of PTS, we can get you set up and growing your business in just 72 hours, so you’re not wasting time away from the work you love.   

With so much to utilise and all the freedom to do so, our members are growing without the unnecessary stress of admin, insolvency, legislation, and beyond.  

Whether they are squeezing every useful ounce out of the PTS travel software system, or they’re happy with their set up and just need a place to sort their finances, our system is designed to keep your business in your hands, however that looks to you.  

So, if you’d like to discuss what our software can do for you, please get in contact with one of Protected Trust Services’ (PTS) lovely staff members by calling 0207 190 9988, or emailing hellopts@protectedtrustservices.com. Or you can visit our member support and travel trust account pages to learn more about how we protect you.