See changes below outlined by lead status:
"New Lead", "In Process", "In Conversation", "Booking Confirmed", etc.
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'New Lead' - Notification & Introduction
Each lead is matched with a supplier, introduction emails are sent to connect both parties. We will only send you fully qualified leads with appropriate budgets, dates, valid emails, etc. Note that during the customer's questionnaire they are seeing updated dynamic price ranges based on their choices so that those who complete the form understand realistic estimated budgets.
Suggested Itinerary:
All future Travelstride lead notifications and match introductions will be accompanied by a suggested draft itinerary created by Travelstride (See example), based on the travel request information submitted. Please keep in mind that this is a sample itinerary generated by Travelstride and seen by the traveler, this does not mean that the itinerary and quote you build needs to be exactly the same. Feel free to use your own processes and products of your brand, to create and share a next 'refined draft' custom itinerary to the customer, based on your expertise and product knowledge.
The usual request details will be shared with you as part of the lead, in addition to several new pieces of information. Their preferences should be discussed and tweaked as needed, then booked when the customer is ready. The price and inclusions may change based on your feedback as a tour operator, and additional requests by the customer. You are not bound by the initial price range estimate, which is only a starting point to give them an idea of costs involved.
Estimated Budget:
Based on user feedback and our partner custom trip profiles and budget per person/day, we've decided to not ask customers for their preferred budget, as most dislike and are confused by this. Instead our algorithm is providing the user a real time estimate, updating as they select/change the following attributes of their travel arrangements:
- Number of passengers and rooms
- Hotel Preference: Standard (3-star), Premium (4-star), or Luxury (5-star)
- Tours & Excursions: Independent, Shared, Private, or Mixed (Shared+Private)
- Dates and seasonality
'In Progress' - Tour operator responds
Tour operator emails customer within 48 hours, cc'ing custom-trips@travelstride.com
**Note: See ‘Contact Preference’ in the lead overview properties
- Clarifying Questions - Ask add'l questions with example itinerary/ies for clarification.
- Draft Itinerary - Provide your own custom itinerary and/or refined quote estimate.
- Follow-up Reminders - Emails sent periodically to follow up with unresponsive leads.
Email communications are monitored closely by Travelstride and automated follow-up emails sent by Travelstride to ensure timely communication, to help facilitate successful bookings. Travelstride engages with the customer at multiple stages after matching with a custom tour operator. If the customer is responsive, feedback is shared with the tour operator to help understand customer needs.
'In Conversation' - Customer responds
The customer and supplier have successfully connected via email, having both received and responded to matched leads. Note, that this is tracked via email, so even if you make contact via phone please have the traveler respond to your email so the stage can be advanced. If not, the customer will get automated reminders to respond to you.
After this stage, the customer and supplier are actively engaged, and the connection is considered successful. Booking discussions or confirmations take place here.
Automated follow-up emails will be sent by Travelstride to ensure the customer feels it's a good match. If responsive, feedback is shared with the tour operator to help understand customer needs.
'Booking Confirmed'
Use the Booking Confirmation Form to report confirmed bookings once a deposit has been received. Travelstride will send one invoice per booking on a monthly basis.
Booking Canceled
If a booking is canceled by the customer, please use the Booking Cancellation Form to report the cancellation and provide any relevant details, such as reasons for the cancellation, deposit status, and any incurred fees or penalties. This information will be shared with Travelstride, and the customer will be guided through the cancellation process.
Please note that while cancellations can happen, Travelstride will continue to monitor the customer’s preferences and may follow up to re-engage them in the future for another potential trip. We encourage suppliers to offer flexible terms, rescheduling options, or alternative solutions to retain the customer when possible.
‘Booking Canceled’
If a booking is confirmed, then canceled by the customer, update the lead status in the Monthly Supplier Report (soon to be Supplier Portal) to report the cancellation and provide any relevant details, such as reasons for the cancellation, deposit status, and any incurred fees or penalties.
Please note that while cancellations can happen, Travelstride and/or the Tour Operator will follow up to re-engage them in the future for another potential trip. We encourage suppliers to offer flexible terms, rescheduling options, or alternative solutions to retain the customer (and/or deposited/paid funds) when possible.
‘Booking Lost’
If a booking is lost, meaning the customer has chosen not to proceed with a proposed itinerary, or has booked with another provider, log this outcome in the Monthly Supplier Report (soon to be Supplier Portal). This helps us track performance, identify potential areas of improvement, and analyze why the booking was not completed.
In some cases, Travelstride may follow up with the customer for additional feedback. Lost bookings are part of the process, but timely communication and understanding the reasons behind the loss can help refine future offers and improve overall lead conversion rates.
‘Invalid/Rejected’
When a lead is deemed invalid or rejected, either due to incorrect or incomplete information, unrealistic budget expectations, or the customer opting not to pursue travel after initial interest, you can mark this in the Monthly Supplier Portal (soon to be Supplier Portal) to categorize and report these cases.
Leads that fall into this category will be reviewed by Travelstride to determine if there is any potential for re-engagement or if the lead should be discarded from further follow-up. By flagging these cases, you help us maintain the integrity of the lead pool and ensure more qualified leads in the future. This will also provide us with the opportunity to evaluate our lead qualification process to continually improve the quality of leads provided to our partners.
