{"id":13517,"date":"2020-06-10T00:44:19","date_gmt":"2020-06-09T23:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qstory.ai\/us\/?p=13517"},"modified":"2025-07-04T11:21:52","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T10:21:52","slug":"could-remote-working-point-a-way-forward-for-the-travel-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qstory.ai\/us\/blog\/2020\/06\/10\/could-remote-working-point-a-way-forward-for-the-travel-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Could Remote Working Point a Way Forward for the Travel Industry?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Remote working has taken off during the pandemic out of necessity, but the benefits mean that it could become standard practice for the next decade.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Every now and again events happen which fundamentally change society, business and culture. COVID-19 is one of those events. In the blink of an eye the travel industry was forced to cancel thousands of trips and flights and repatriate travellers from around the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even before the crisis travel firms were under pressure and there were some high profile casualties. The current situation has only increased pressure on the sector and perhaps there are more closures to come?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The COVID-19 global pandemic forced companies to rethink operating models under extreme pressure, simply to stay open. There is still no clarity about if and when people will be able to travel for leisure again and business travel is even more of an unknown.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Travel companies who manage to survive the current crisis are undoubtedly going to have to be more dynamic, flexible and creative in their approach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We are noticing some businesses have been open to remote working. A concept that would have been unthinkable for many of them, until recently.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Going mobile<\/b><\/p>\n

Traditionally, contact centres worked in a highly centralised way. Just 4% of agents worked from home permanently. However, recently things have begun to change. A survey of 200 UK Contact centres, carried out in 2019 found that 26% of UK\u2019s contact centres were using home working with 9% either conducting a pilot scheme or planning to set one up.<\/span><\/p>\n

Interest was growing although it remained a small niche with the vast majority of agents still working from a central office. However, the coronavirus crisis is forcing companies to rethink their approach.<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout the last couple of months, working from home has become the norm, with companies doing everything they can to ensure people can continue doing their jobs from their home offices.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But what started as a means of adapting to the crisis, has opened up longer term opportunities for companies who have seen greater value from home working.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n