By
Rebecca Gibson |
Although the shipping industry understandably needs to focus on technological savings, it is in real danger of not paying enough attention to its customer and revenue potential. Boardrooms are beginning to see the value of focusing on the guest experience; they want to attract passengers and ultimately increase revenues by changing old patterns.
Specialised IT solutions company Carus has designed a module to make this a reality. Linking onboard point of sale with reservations and departure control solutions, qPOS helps ferry and cruise companies recognise their customers and increase passenger spend per head. The new module enables clients to see beyond the traditional customer relationship management (CRM) model and to understand that relationships with their passengers are ever present. Rundberg explains: “With qPOS, the company is taking technology one step further by providing a common platform between reservation and departure, and onboard point of sale. This latest module enables ferry operators to truly engage and interact with their customers throughout the entire journey process from the time a booking is made, through boarding, travelling and onboard services, to the time they leave the ferry and continue their journeys, when a valuable feedback option is available.”
The qPOS technology facilitates good customer relations by allowing passengers to purchase food and beverages by pre-ordering and pre-paying, while also issuing discount vouchers for redeeming onboard, booking upgrades, creating packages and product bundles, linking onboard campaigns with tickets and rewarding loyal customers with specific offers, as well as making restaurant reservations. Providing instant rewards for frequent travellers and the opportunity to sell catering and retail products together – in advance or onboard – delivers immediate benefits to ferry companies. “It is a huge advantage having a single feed of both onboard and shoreside activities into corporate finance systems and being able to produce consolidated reports across the business,” Rundberg says. “Ferry operators are able to see beyond the traditional CRM model and truly engage with their clients at every customer touch point.”
Operators can do much more than simply transport passengers, Rundberg believes. “The qPOS module helps to fulfil a more engaged vision,” he says. “It is the next natural step as it provides operators with a sound platform for offering enhanced customer service and boosting their staff productivity.”
Carus is already well known in the passenger shipping industry for providing specialised IT solutions through its standard applications for sales systems, e-commerce, bookings and check-ins with CRM and business intelligence functions. “We are constantly evolving our products to meet the ever-changing operational demands of ferry and cruise companies,” says Rundberg. “This latest development will see the launch of Carus OnBoard and qPOS with our client Wightlink later this year.”
This article appeared in the Autumn/Winter 2014 edition of International Cruise & Ferry Review. To read other articles, you can subscribe to the magazine in printed or digital formats.