A couple want a three-week tailor-made trip to celebrate a milestone anniversary. They write: "We'd love something special in Southeast Asia next spring." The travel specialist needs to know far more: which countries, how much time, what budget, beaches or culture, luxury or boutique, active or relaxed. A long email exchange follows. By the time a proposal is ready, the couple have booked with a company that asked the right questions at the start.
Tailor-made trips are valuable and personal. Capturing a proper brief at first contact is what makes them work.
Step 1: know what you need
A useful brief covers:
- Destination or region, and flexibility
- Dates, length and flexibility
- Number of travellers and ages
- Budget range per person or in total
- Travel style: luxury, boutique, family-friendly, adventurous
- Interests: food, culture, wildlife, beaches, hiking
- Special occasions
- Must-haves and things to avoid
- Any accessibility or dietary needs
Step 2: ask in a friendly way
A tailor-made trip is exciting. Questions should feel like the start of planning, not a form. Ask one or two at a time, and explain why: "So the specialist can suggest the right places for you."
Step 3: capture at any hour
Most people plan trips in the evening and at weekends, as described in holiday enquiries that book elsewhere by morning. Capturing the brief then, rather than waiting until Monday, gives the specialist a head start.
SpideyChat for travel and tourism businesses asks these questions in conversation, in the traveller's language, answers questions about your destinations and services from your own pages and captures the brief for your team.
Traveller: We'd love something special in Southeast Asia next spring for our anniversary. Assistant: How lovely. The tailor-made page shows trips across Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. So the specialist can suggest ideas, could you share how long you'd like to travel, a rough budget, whether you prefer beaches, culture or a mix, and the kind of places you like to stay?
Step 4: review and prioritise
Review captured briefs first thing and prioritise the most complete and time-sensitive. Garages use the same approach with repair requests, described in repair quote enquiries captured with the right details: complete details mean faster, more accurate replies.
Step 5: reply with something concrete
A reply with a short draft outline, or two or three focused questions, keeps momentum. A reply that simply says "thanks, we'll be in touch" does not.
Step 6: plan for peak periods
Bank holidays and the new year bring waves of trip planning, as described in bank holiday enquiries and holiday season enquiry surge. Capturing briefs properly during those peaks prevents a backlog of vague requests.
Step 6b: handle the dreamers kindly
Some enquiries come from people who are dreaming rather than booking, perhaps planning a trip for several years away. They are still worth capturing. A friendly reply, perhaps with a short inspiration guide, keeps the business in mind for when they are ready. Many travel businesses find that today's dreamers become next year's clients, and they often remember who treated them well when they were just exploring.
Step 7: keep the brief with the booking
Once a trip is booked, the original brief is useful for preparing documents, arranging special touches and following up after the trip.
Setting it up
Train the assistant on your destination and tailor-made pages, then set the questions you want it to ask. The guides to installing the widget and training your bot explain how, and you can try SpideyChat first.