A survey by the technology company, undertaken earlier this month, found agents currently spend up to 80% of their time processing bookings, from the initial information search through to the final ticket issue.
Almost half believe that up to 25% of their time is spent on tasks that could be completed more quickly through an increased use of automated processes and technology.
And over 65% said they were committed to offering improved customer service if they had more time.
Amadeus said the findings suggested there was a growing ‘Agent 2.0’ community that is keen to harness the power of new technology to enable greater customer focus.
However, the results also revealed that technology adoption is not at the level it should be.
Elaine Seeto, director of marketing, Amadeus UK, commented: ‘Agents may not be using the services and software on offer to their full advantage.
‘For example, Amadeus e-Support can help throughout the whole booking lifecycle. When an agent is searching for a flight, e-Support enables agents to search for the information needed to overcome an issue without having to call the helpdesk.
‘By using technology to gain instant access to information, time spent trouble-shooting is reduced, leaving agents free to focus on customer service.’
Seeto added that intuitive technology and process automation were not limited to support systems, pointing out that Amadeus Fare World increases productivity by allowing agents to compare low-cost carrier, consolidator and published fares in one search.
And Amadeus Ticket Changer saves agents time when modifying existing bookings, reducing the process from the standard fourteen steps to four.
See also:
GDS woos package providers (02/12/2009)
Amadeus unveils ‘intuitive’ search solution (18/11/2009)
DIY technology boosts agents’ bottom line (30/03/2009)
Advantage Focus and Amadeus renew deal (20/03/2009)
Amadeus to launch ticket change tool (12/02/2009)
Amadeus enhances e-Travel Management (06/02/2009)