Thomson has implemented Transversal‘s Metafaq eService solution to provide fast answers to holiday queries.Thomson estimates that more than half of all holidays will be bought online within the next four years and the Transversal implementation is part of its strategy to increase online sales. This ties in with Thomson’s plan to broaden its holiday offer by giving holidaymakers greater choice in creating their own tailor-made holiday through dynamic packaging.

More than 80 per cent of users on Thomson’s main site (www.thomson.co.uk) are now receiving answers online, avoiding the need to email or call the Thomson contact centre.

“The rapid increase in online travel has created a new breed of holidaymaker who demands tailored information and fast answers when they are looking to book over the web,” commented Graham Donaghue, head of new media for Thomson,. “Deploying Transversal gives us the ability to answer questions on the spot, providing consumers with all the information they need to book without having to resort to other communication channels. Metafaq was fast and painless to implement and is simple to manage.”

Using Transversal’s advanced online eService solution, holidaymakers can find exact answers to their queries by using natural language search.  Questions can be entered in complete sentences and Transversal’s Metafaq solution finds the relevant answers with its advanced ‘brain-like’ human language understanding.  Transversal’s Metafaq solution uses a dynamic, self-organising, self-learning knowledgebase of answers that is fast and simple to populate without specialist staff.

“In a competitive market such as travel, the ability to provide fast, accurate and tailored information is a vital differentiator,” commented Davin Yap, CEO and co-founder, Transversal.  “Thomson has ambitious plans for the online travel market and we believe that Metafaq will help it deliver major growth through enhanced customer service and increased sales.”

The online travel market is expected to reach £28 billion, 17 per cent of the total UK travel market by 2007, according to the Association of British Travel Agents. Data from Hitwise reports that visits to travel websites have increased 20 per cent year-on-year.
——-