INSIGHTS
Delivering world-class service: FCM assistant team leader and travel expert, Cassy Nguyen
Bringing a world of knowledge for unparalleled customer service
With a remarkable six-year tenure at FCM and nearly 13 years within the Flight Centre Travel Group, Cassy Nguyen stands as a beacon of expertise and dedication in her position as an Assistant Team Leader at FCM Travel Solutions.
Drawing from a diverse background in retail and corporate travel, Cassy brings a wealth of knowledge to her role, ensuring that each client receives unparalleled service and support. Through her emphasis on strong communication and personalised care, Cassy and her team cultivate enduring relationships with their clients, raising every travel experience to new heights.
It's really important to be in sync with what the customer needs and communicate what we can deliver, as well as any changes that come through. Staying in touch, whether through review meetings or special events, highlights how much we value our relationships with our customers.
Going the extra mile for customers
Cassy and her team uphold a superior standard for customer care by prioritising a holistic approach to serving clients in every step of the travel experience. With a deep understanding of the unique needs of long-term clients, they provide tailored advice on constructing efficient travel programs and maximising savings.
It's about providing top-tier service. It's more than just taking orders — it's about anticipating our customers' needs and considering their entire journey. We don't simply book flights; we look at accommodation, car hire, transfers, and everything else they might need. Even for international travel, we consider visa requirements, seating preferences, and frequent flyer details. These extra touches may seem minor, but they greatly enhance the overall customer experience.
I love hearing about the personal relationships our customers have developed with our team. For example, one of our consultants mainly looks after C-level executives and VIPs. Without looking at any references, she will know that a particular person likes to sit in Row 13A because it’s a window seat near the front. And I think that level of attention to detail across the team through every step of the journey is our core strength.
Digging deep to develop cross-industry expertise
With a wide-ranging clientele, Cassy's team manages a diverse array of industries, each presenting its own unique needs and challenges. From flagship accounts in mining and engineering to clients in consulting, health, insurance, superannuation, and education, their portfolio encompasses a broad spectrum. This means Cassy's team needs to possess expertise across industries outside of their own, ensuring they understand the specific demands of each industry to provide tailored solutions that meet the distinct requirements of their clients.
In the mining industry for example, our main focus is managing FIFO schedules. We make sure crews fly at the same time every week or every couple of weeks, sticking to set rosters. Planning ahead is key to avoid disruptions to their operations.
We also deal with sudden changes, like project delays or crew changes, which need quick adjustments. Specific site needs, like mine-spec vehicles, also add complexity, often needing creative solutions. Despite these hurdles, we're good at finding solutions and making travel smooth for our mining clients.
Another industry with unique, and often unpredictable needs, is insurance. For example, a sudden natural disaster can displace thousands of people. Our team then needs to mobilise quickly by calling a ‘code red’ and prioritising support for those people. We share resources efficiently to help customers find accommodation, sometimes even for weeks. Plus, it’s a volatile situation as people cope with loss, so there also needs to be a level of sensitivity from our team to address their needs beyond just booking flights.
Saving time, stress & money to foster lasting relationships
Cassy highlights the immense value of partnering with a travel management company like FCM, particularly for multinational clients whose consultants command high billable hours. The swift assistance from Cassy’s team saves their customers both time and money, ensuring seamless travel experiences from quoting to booking changes. Their proactive approach to handling disruptions effectively relieves travellers of the hassle while also saving customers significant expenses.
“Many of our multinational clients hire consultants for specific projects and pay for their travel. Their time is valuable, with some consultants charging up to $350 an hour. So when travel plans change, our team helps them avoid wasting hours on hold with airlines, saving both time and money for themselves and their companies.
Our booking fees pay off with proactive assistance throughout, from quoting to changes and cancellations. We're always here to help, reacting swiftly to airline schedule changes, making travel hassle-free for our clients.”
Championing win-win outcomes
In one of her most challenging experiences while based in Canada, Cassy found herself orchestrating travel logistics for multiple educational institutions managing their sports programs from Canada.
So, during the Canadian winter, there were severe snowstorms, which meant having to rebook hundreds of people due to every possible flight being cancelled. There were additional requirements too because as athletes, they needed access to certain gyms for training to not disrupt their finals matches.
In the end, I managed to rebook every single person, even working around the clock to secure last-minute accommodation. Despite the logistical challenges of coordinating arrivals from various locations, all institutions arrived in time for their games, without any disruption to their championships.
It may seem like it’s just arranging travel at the end of the day, but for our customers, it can make or break their chances of winning a trophy.”
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