Expedia's customer survey & brand loyalty

[Justchecking]

After booking a flight with expedia recently I was asked to take their customer survey. Since I had a few minutes I thought why not? Curiously the survey didn't ask the things I expected, like how easy did you find our website to use etc. Instead it focused on my loyalty to the Expedia company and whether or not I would recommend them. I answered truthfully and was pretty shocked to discover my own attitudes. In short while I had only a positive experience with them, I was not prepared to either use them again or recommend them to anyone else. Since my entire experience of Expedia was completely faceless, I did the online booking myself, got my e-ticket and wentthis my holiday, this company ranked about the same in my psyche as a vending machine or ATM. I don't seek out particular ATMs or vending machines for future use, I just use them without even recognizing who owns them. And so it seems that at least for this little consumer the lack of interpersonal interaction means I will have zero brand loyalty to a fully automated business. <br><br>

So where does this leave airlines who's primary interface with their customers is automation and DIY? We like the convenience of it, for sure, but without the warm fuzzies of human interaction I am unlikely to remember the brand or seek it out twice. If my automated experience goes smoothly it merely fulfills my expectations, but I cannot be wowed. If it goes wrong I will hate the company that gave it to me and rue the lack of human interaction in getting my problem fixed. Is it wise for travel businesses who rely on repeat business to automate to the point where I can be a customer of their business without ever interacting with a real person? Discuss...

 

[Cynicor]

I am moderately loyal to Expedia. I booked with them once and since it went off without a hitch I use them if they are the cheapest or very close to a competitor's price. Since then I have used them for more and more and have grown more loyal. They have very low wait times and no cancellation fees for hotel bookings, and the money returns to your account within days.

That said, I do not seek to book through them if I can book directly at the same price, as I feel introducing a middle man is silly for simple itineraries. For me, loyalty is not won through the WWW front-end but by the service I receive, so I can still grow loyal when the inevitable issue crops up. It is pretty hard for a company to eliminate every shred of human interaction and that is their opportunity to build brand loyalty.

 

[Vinny]

I have used expedia.com.au numerous times for flights and hotels. Always reliable and the bonus is that it allows me to explore multiple stop overs on a journey that many other sites, including airline sites won't allow. It often beats airlines' websites.

When looking at flights I have always gone to expedia first to get a good idea then scout around, but lately I've used Cheap flights | Free flight comparison at au.skyscanner.com as it scans all the booking engines.

It pays to shop around as we all know but I do trust expedia.

 

[Foreigner]

Have used Expedia (US) since 2004. I'm aware of the newer Australian website but somehow check the former first. All things being equal, I would book hotels with Expedia although for air travel, I would likely book directly with airlines. For air travel in the US, I am inclined to book with Expedia.