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Develop and maintain customers’ profiles

URN: PPLTT26
Business Sectors (Suites): Travel and Tourism
Developed by: People 1st
Approved on: 2021

Overview

This standard is about developing and maintaining customer profiles for travellers. Such profiles are used to guide and inform the recommendation and booking of travel arrangements for the individual concerned or the travel policy as agreed by a company for the business traveller. They are also very valuable in the marketing of travel and tourism products and services, enabling travel trends to be spotted and customer needs and preferences to be promptly identified.

The standard is for anyone involved with customer contact roles and in a position to obtain customer information.

When you have completed this standard, you will have demonstrated your understanding of and your ability to:
• Develop and maintain customers’ profiles

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

1. Obtain new customer contact details, information on travel preferences and travel document data to develop customers’ profiles in line with organisational procedures 2. Check the contact details and information held on existing customers’ personal travel preferences and travel document data is up-to-date and maintained in line with organisational procedures 3. Confirm the content of customers’ profiles developed is compatible with your organisation's travel offer and supplier availability 4. Confirm business customers’ profile content accurately reflects the travellers' requirements and preferences within the boundaries of their business travel policy, if relevant 5. Obtain the customer’s permission to store the details and information in their profile in line with Data protection legislation requirements 6. Following your organisation’s procedures for checking and agreeing customers’ profiles 7. Store customer profiles securely and ensure they are available or accessible only to authorised users in line with organisational procedures and current Data protection legislation

Knowledge and Understanding

You need to know and understand:

1. The benefits of developing and maintaining customer profiles 2. How and where to access detailed information on your organisation’s and suppliers' products and services 3. The characteristics of different types of buyer 4. When and how to update customer profiles 5. The type, quantity and quality of personal customer information to collect and format required for recording it 6. The importance of recording and maintaining accurate customer details and information 7. The importance of ensuring customers’ profiles are compatible with your organisation’s travel offers and supplier availability 8. Your organisation’s procedures for checking and agreeing customers’ profiles 9. How your organisation and your customers benefit from supplier loyalty schemes 10. How to access and use your organisation's Global Distribution System (GDS) 11. The relationship and inter-dependency between the traveller’s personal profile and the business profile the traveller works for 12. The importance of obtaining permission from customers to store the details and information in the profiles 13. Who has access to customer profiles 14. How customers can access and manage their own electronic profile 15. Your organisation's procedures and current Data protection legislation for maintaining the confidentiality and security of customer profiles

Scope/range

Contact details:

a) name and title
b) relevant address/es
c) telephone numbers
d) electronic communication details
e) organisation department

Personal travel preferences:

a) Seating
b)  room type
c)  car hire
d)  airline
e)  departure airport
f)  smoking
g)  diet
h)  mobility requirements
i)  visual and hearing requirements
j)  route
k)  mode of transport
l)   sustainability requirements
m) class of travel

Travel document data:

a) passport number and expiry date
b) nationality
c) visas held
d) vaccination certificates held and expiry dates
e) restricted entry endorsements
f) insurance details

Scope Performance

Scope Knowledge

Values

Behaviours

1. Demonstrate a clear understanding of different customers and their real and perceived needs 2. Use cost-effective, time-efficient and ethical means to gather, store and retrieve customer information 3. Comply with, and ensure that others comply with, legal requirements,industry regulations, organisational policies and professional codes 4. Brief colleagues and check their understanding 5. Monitor the validity and reliability of customer information 6. Check that customers' profiles are fit for purpose and adjust collection and analysis processes as necessary 7. Reflect regularly on your own and others' experiences and use these to inform future action

Skills

Glossary

Customers;
For tourism and leisure travel businesses the customer will often be the individual traveller. For corporate or business travel businesses the customer will be both the individual traveller plus the company the traveller works for.

Links To Other NOS

External Links

Version Number

2

Indicative Review Date

2026

Validity

Current

Status

Original

Originating Organisation

People 1st

Original URN

PPLTT26

Relevant Occupations

Leisure and Travel Service Occupations, Personal Service Occupations, Senior Leisure Travel Consultant, Tourism Assistant, Tourism Information Officer

SOC Code

6212

Keywords

develop, maintain, customer, profiles, corporate, business, traveller