Operations
Group Handovers Summary
When a tour has been sold by Business Development, the group is handed over to Customer Care (client focus) and Operations (supplier focus).
Operations will match what has been sold to the client with what is inserted in Tourplan, checking that everything is inserted correctly and is doable with respect to coaching hours and opening times. This is done to ensure every group is booked up to the client’s best interest.
A handover is done after a tour has been sold to ensure that the services inserted in Tourplan match what has been sold to the client and to prepare a group as well as possible before non-accommodation services are being booked up.
Main steps of a handover are
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Matching the offer sent by Business Development to the service list
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Checking for any incorrect suppliers, if applicable, or wrong/ missing service lines
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Inserting times for all visits, lunches etc.
*note: this is from an Operational point of view. Handovers are also done between Business Development and Customer Care; there may be differences in procedure.
Handover triggers
Handover messages are queued to Operations by either Business Development or Customer Care:
BDHAND - Handover inserted in TP
CCHAND - Customer Care to Operations - File handed over
SEHAND - Group Series Handover inserted
At the time a group handover is inserted into the Operations message queue, the group booking status usually is on CH – Confirmed/ handed over. Some handovers take place at CP – Confirmed/ prepared stage already if things need to be done quickly; but this is rare.
Where the offer/ important notes are found
1. Ad-hoc groups:
Handover notes are stored in the Offer Recap notes section in Group Book (Offer Recap (International) for US/long-haul groups). This includes a link to the offer, to the agent’s program where applicable, and additional notes left by Business Development to ensure all important information is passed on to the Customer Care staff handling the group thereafter.
2. Tour series
Handover notes for tour series are stored in one central place as opposed to inserted into the Offer Recap note for every group of the series.
Series handover notes are saved in Debtors\ Notes\ Series. This section can be accessed through Group Book in each individual group for the respective client, by opening the Agent Notes section \ Series.
The Handover
Having the notes, offer, agent’s program (where needed) and a map at hand, an Operations full-time staff member will now go through the service list day by day and check
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If all services are inserted
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If the correct suppliers and service options are used
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If there is a possibility to save money by switching suppliers or the order of the day
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If the inserted supplier is open, and the distances fit into legal driving hours
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etc.
Times will be planned at this stage – according to driving hours, driving distances and suppliers’ opening times- , and new suppliers that had not been set up in Tourplan by Business Development beforehand are contacted and set up.
Header details, such as language/ nationality, departure date or similar will also be double-checked at handover stage.
Should any suppliers be contained in the program that are particularly difficult to book and that have not been requested yet, then these bookings will be sent out straight away.
At the end of each handover, the Operations staff member will queue a message to Operations to create the technical itinerary for this group.