introduction
why was the service needed?
the background
Suntours (Aurinkomatkat) is a market leading tour operator in Finland and Estonia. Before the design and development of the Suntours app, the digital customer journey of Suntours was fragmented and ended before the start of the customer’s holiday. Other than traditional face-to-face encounters with destination guides, Suntours had no way to enrich the customer’s holiday experience. What’s more, Suntours needed measurable information about customer behaviour while on holiday. The analysis of this information would help Suntours enhance experiences in a customer-centric way, increasing overall customer satisfaction and excursion sales.
logo
founded in
1963
Trips to
34
different countries
competitors
where is the demand?
the customer lifecycle & strategic position
Because the digital customer experience was ending before the holiday began, the primary strategic position for the digital solution would be to serve customers while they are enjoying their holiday at the destination. This would help Suntours to ensure a successful experience from a customer point of view, as well as enhance the general experience at the destination. There would also be a strategic focus to serve customers after booking, while they are preparing for their trip.
the approach
what did we want to achieve?
identifying the principal customer needs and the pain points of the experience
The strategic goal of Suntours was to establish the first on-site digital service that targets Suntours customers. Therefore, it was essential to have a customer-centric approach in order to find out what kind of digital partner Suntours customers would prefer. Because customers have greatly enjoyed the traditional destination guide work with a human touch, it became apparent that a mobile service supporting this would enhance the overall customer experience in an optimal way.
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Detailed mapping of the customer journey & touchpoints
We identified the relevant touchpoints of an entire trip by mapping the customer journey. With the help of Suntours’ customer experience experts, we also identified the pain points of the customer journey and the areas needing improvement.
the knowledge & the expertise of customer service and destination guides put to use
By interviewing destination guides and people who work in customer service, we found out that the digitalisation of on-site communication with customers would be appreciated, as guides had limited and scattered physical resources to handle assistance requests. The digitalisation of destination information and excursion and service booking was in high demand, too. Digitalisation would not only decrease the amount of manual labour needed, but would also give guides resources to focus on meaningful encounters, enhancing the overall customer experience.
prototyping the hypothesis and listening to customers
Most important of all was listening to the customers, which is why we conducted face-to-face interviews in Phuket, Thailand. We reflected our early thinking back to them in an understandable format, along with a prototype. It became apparent that customers wanted to have a great overall experience at the destination, valued personal assistance and availability of the destination guides, and needed destination information such as where to eat and what to do. A clear and visible holiday schedule was also in high demand, as missing information caused stress throughout each phase of the customer journey.
what were the holistic conclusions?
the insights
the heart of the travel experience is the experience itself
The main driver behind travel is to have a great time with family and friends at the destination. Any digital solution designed for destination usage should not consume this valuable time, but rather, increase it.
mobility & 24/7 connectivity has become the new convention
Mobility has become a permanent and integrated part of our lives. Because they are a source of unlimited travel information, smartphones have largely replaced books.
relevancy & contextuality will save time & effort
People are being offered a vast amount of information, and they can easily feel flooded. Contextuality offers a more customer-friendly way to slice information into relevant, well-timed pieces.
tailoring & customisation make things fit and create engagement
Offering everyone the same solution is a no-go. Customers want to tailor their holidays to their personal preferences. They should feel empowered to do this, as it increases the likelihood of holiday repetition.
the concept
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what do customers want from their trips?
the 4 principal customer needs on a holiday
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What were the problems in the customer experience?
the pain points of a holiday
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the idea & solution
a stress-free experience saving holiday time & effort
A CONTEXTUAL, INFORMATIONAL TRIP CALENDAR TO ORGANISE THE HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
From the customer point of view, there were multiple moments within the customer journey where uncertainty or unavailable information caused stress. These issues also encumbered customer service as they converted to contacts. A linear calendar would help resolve these issues by bringing more structure, clarity and transparency to the experience.
PERSONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE CHAT AVAILABLE ANY TIME, ANY PLACE
It is difficult for customers when destination guides are only available for a short period of time in a predetermined place. What’s more, customers wanted the option to contact destination guides before their trips. With chat, the comprehensive destination knowledge of the destination guides would be available any time and place, and customers would be able to get instant assistance no matter where they are.
EXCURSION & SERVICE BOOKING AVAILABLE ANY TIME, ANY PLACE
The excursion and service offering was only available in flyers handed out to customers in airport busses and in booklets in hotel lobbies. This print material was inconvenient for customers, and difficult to keep updated. During the holiday, it was only possible to book excursions and services by meeting the destination guide. With excursion and service booking enabled in the app, Suntours would offer more unforgettable experiences to its customers in a more convenient format.
DESTINATION INFO AVAILABLE ON A MAP BEFORE AND DURING THE TRIP
Every target group we interviewed preferred to have detailed information about destination-specific services such as hotels, restaurants, beaches and sights. The same themes repeated as we interviewed the destination guides. By making both information and maps available for customers, even without an internet connection, we would drastically enhance their holiday experience.
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the concept
contextual service concept based on the principal customer needs
trip calendar
Trip Calendar is designed to ensure a stress-free holiday experience for everyone. It gathers all the important holiday-related information and required user actions on an easy-to-use timeline. The context of the timeline changes depending on whether the user is still preparing for the holiday or is at the destination.
functionality
before the trip
holiday counter
Counting the days
Shows the number of days before the holiday starts and offers tips for the upcoming trip.
holiday & excursion tips
Planning the trip beforehand
Shows relevant excursions and services that fit the customer’s schedule.
airport & flight times
stress-free travel
Shows all travel-related times such as check-in, boarding, flight info, and hotel transfer.
functionality
during the trip
Check-in, boarding & flight info notifications
travel times as notifications
Delivers all travel-related information, including changes to flight times, as push notifications.
holiday weatherforecast
daily weather at the destination
Shows the forecast during the holiday, for planning how days are best spent at the destination.
holiday schedule on a timeline
stress-free scheduling
Shows holiday-related information such as excursions and services, pick-up times and flight times.
personal customer service chat
Customer service chat digitalises the personal communication between customers and destination guides. It removes the dependency on a place and time, so that communication can be done anywhere and at any time. Customer service chat not only saves customers valuable holiday time, but also increases efficiency of destination guides, as there is less daily traveling to meet customers.
functionality
before the trip
QUESTIONS ABOUT PREPARATION AND PACKING
get tips from an expert
While still at home, customers can ask guides at the destination questions about preparing for the trip.
functionality
during the trip
personal assistance at the destination
A DESTINATION GUIDE ALWAYS AT HAND
Customers can get in touch with destination guides at any time, no matter where they are.
excursion & service booking
Excursion and service booking digitalises information that was previously only available at the destination in physical touchpoints and as print material. With information about excursions and services available digitally, they can be booked before the holiday. This means that customers can enjoy their holiday without needing to make an appointment with a destination guide to book excursions and services. Booking can now be done at the beach or a restaurant, saving valuable holiday time for more memorable activities.
functionality
before & during the trip
excursions & services available on your holiday
THINGS TO SEE AND DO
Lists all relevant excursions and services available at the destination.
detailed excursion information
Excursions & services in detail
Shows realistic excursion and service details written by destination guides.
EXCURSION BOOKING - SELECTING TRAVELERS
EASY TRAVELER SELECTION
Auto-selects the travelers so that no traveler detail input is required.
excursion booking - payment methods
Selecting payment method
Allows customers to pay with bank credentials or credits cards without re-entering details.
excursion booking - the ticket & confirmation
Digital ticket
Customers get a digital ticket showing the pick-up time, participants and the total price paid.
excursion booking - trip calendar entry
holiday to-do list
After booking, excursions and services will appear on the trip calendar as part of the holiday programme.
functionality
during the trip
excursion reminder
NOTIFICATION TO GET READY
Shows the time of the pick-up, including any changes in the schedule.
destination info
Destination info digitalises the information that was previously only available at the destination in physical touchpoints and as print material. With destination information and holiday tips at hand, customers can start planning while still at home. Once the holiday begins, the destination info serves as a local travel pocket guide, and includes maps and everything customers need to know in order to have a successful holiday. The information is written by guides working at the destination, so it is accurate, relevant, and matches the customer’s preferences.
functionality
before & during the trip
main view
comprehensive travel guide
Collects all the information needed to plan the holiday at home, or to use at the destination..
destination map
24/7 OFFLINE MAP
The map, which includes customer-specific locations, works even without an internet connection..
HOLIDAY TIPS
LEARNING THE LOCAL CUSTOMS
Shows cultural tips for the holiday, such as where to take the best photos and how to respect the local customs.
sights to see
cultural heritage explained
Shows the most important sights of the destination and includes location, history and other details.
beaches
your guide to beachlife
Shows the destination’s top beaches and includes location, quality, features and activities.
restaurants & nightlife
local food explained
Presents local culinary highlights and delicacies, from how they are prepared to where to find them.
shopping
SOUVENIERS TO BUY
Shows the destination’s shopping options, including location, offering and price range..
activities
activities at the destination
Shows the destination’s sports and activities by type, quality and location..
general information
help always at hand
Shows the contact details and locations of hospitals, and helps with lost luggage and emergency situations.
transportation
transportation at the destination
Explains local public transportation and taxis with locations and practical tips.
customs & luggage
WHAT TO PACK (AND WHAT NOT TO)
Explains airline restrictions, with practical tips for packing.
destination guide services
Personal assistance at hand
Shows instructions about what to do in urgent situations, and lists the local emergency numbers.
flight information
EASY FLIGHT DETAILS
Shows departure and arrival times of the flights, as well as flight lengths and fare classes.
hotel information
Your hotel on a map
Shows hotels and relevant information on a navigable destination map.
The results
Investing in a new digital channel paid off. The Suntours app increased ancillary sales and helped Suntours to better understand its customers. Most importantly, it helped users have a better, more memorable holiday.
A Better holiday with the app
4.3 / 5
holiday experience
More than 40 000 customers who have used the app have estimated their overall holiday experience to be 4.3 / 5. The result is significantly better than customers who did not use the app during their holidays (4.1 / 5).
easy excursion booking
+78%
excursion sales increase
Buying excursions digitally during the trip let customers browse and buy whenever and wherever they liked.Promoting the excursions in the trip calendar, easy booking, an enhanced buying experience and well-selected push notifications played significant roles in raising excursions sales by an outstanding 78%.
conversion rate improvement
+46%
monthly increase in conversion
The number of customers who have used the app within a year has increased sevenfold, and customers convert better each month, with a bigger average purchase (13% increase per month).
Awards
Webby Award Nominee // Apps, Mobile, and Voice: Travel
the winner of Apps // Travel
the winner of Interface & User Experience Design // Service Design
The Winner of German Design Award - Special
the winner (bronze award) // Utilities & Services
the winner // service design & UX
