Interview By: Andy Ogg – Editor for Travel Professional NEWS
Interviewing: John Ische, President, Trisept Solutions
Thank you for taking the time today John and we really appreciate your willingness to interact with our great community of Travel Professionals!
Can you give us a brief history of your career and how you came to arrive at Trisept Solutions?
I started as a software developer (a long time ago, 1985!), right when we re-architected our system. It was a great learning experience since it required that I learn the business from top to bottom to rebuild the system. Since that time, I’ve been able to take this experience and develop an exceptional team. Together we’ve been able to deliver some of the largest innovations in leisure travel distribution.
What is your current role at Trisept Solutions?
I’m the president of Trisept and it’s my privilege to lead the team of 185 travel technology professionals we have in our Milwaukee and Dallas offices.
How long has Xcelerator been available for Travel Professionals?
Xcelerator released in the market in December of 2015 as a free beta test for agents. It was great to receive agent feedback about our product. We then fully launched Xcelerator in December 2016 and so we just came up on our first complete year in the market.
Can you tell us about the CRM function that Xcelerator has to offer Travel Professionals?
The Client Relationship Management feature of Xcelerator is one of its the many highly- valued capabilities of Xcelerator. From seamless integration with VAX VacationAccess to creating agency-branded travel itineraries, the CRM function is a one-stop solution for end-to-end client management. A Travel Professional can capture everything they need to help provide the most superior level of consultation for their clients. The platform provides real-time updates regarding activities relevant to trips and payments for different date ranges.
That is fantastic! Can you share with us what new features were just released with Xcelerator 1.1?
Xcelerator 1.1 was the fifth release of enhancements this year and one with some significant design, usability and functionality improvements. The biggest functional improvement was with the integration of the automatic reservation import from major cruise and tour suppliers. Xcelerator has always had the capability to import VAX reservations, but with this release, we have opened up our system to more suppliers. Agents can now import their agent invoice PDFs from leading suppliers and have the pertinent details automatically feed right into Xcelerator. We started with five major suppliers and will continue to add others.
Another major enhancement with Xcelerator 1.1 includes a new workflow for more efficient customer management. We have also improved the usability for daily tasks, to-dos and agent productivity.
In regards to Travel Professionals that are already working with Xcelerator, can you tell us how it is affecting their business so far?
With any new tool, it takes a little getting used to before it becomes a daily staple. That’s what Xcelerator has become to many of our agents, their go-to business manager. Agents who have been using Xcelerator anywhere from a few years to a few weeks see an immediate improvement in their business performance and client retention. Most consistently, we hear about how Xcelerator is a huge time saver in that it’s really helped travel agencies automate daily tasks and humanize client relationships. Agents who supplement their business with Xcelerator have more time to sell superior travel experiences.
Here’s a direct quote from an Xcelerator user, Stacy Billhartz with Total Access Travel Co: “Using technology day to day keeps a business person organized with daily tasks, appointments, reminders. It is easy to lose a to-do list, but if it is right there every time you log in, it makes it easy. It is important to utilize the technology that is provided because it makes the job easier. Xcelerator tracks the travel and payments due, one look at the task manager and you know what needs to be completed today, this week and next week. Xcelerator is a great help to the daily workload, and it keeps my business organized.”
What do you feel is the best tool that Xcelerator offers a Travel Professional?
Modern technology tools come in different forms to help Travel Professionals stay productive and competitive. However, even some of the most tech savvy individuals find themselves juggling multiple tools to help run their entire business. These individuals still rely on spreadsheets, email inboxes, multiple websites and word processors to manage just one client’s trip with one supplier. That’s a lot of time and effort wasted on managing a workspace, especially if an agent is still using notepads and filing cabinets to stay organized.
The best tool that Xcelerator offers is the overall functionality to manage the entirety of a Travel Professional’s workflow on one secure platform. Agents who use Xcelerator as a complete toolkit reap the most success, whether it’s measured in more return customers or their improved quality of sales. Xcelerator allows any Travel Professional with any level of technical expertise to quickly master the art of providing expert travel consultation while being a smart entrepreneur.
What’s next for the Xcelerator program?
We have a lot of great new enhancements rolling out in the coming months for Xcelerator. We continue to interact with agents who use Xcelerator and those still shopping in the travel tech marketplace. With all the feedback we have gotten, we will be taking huge strides to make sure Xcelerator users will need fewer tools outside of our platform to do everything they need with their travel business. This includes client engagement features, a re-designed itinerary function and more reporting capabilities. We will stay consistent with our usability and design enhancements throughout the app, and will be adding more suppliers to the reservation import feature.
Are there any current promotions or specials for Travel Professionals looking to sign up with Xcelerator?
Absolutely! By signing up today, the first month is on us, completely risk free. After that it’s only $20 per month, per user.
Where can our readers register and start using Xcelerator?
Readers can register by visiting http://triseptsolutions.com/Xcelerator/ When you subscribe and start your free trial, be sure to indicate that you heard about Xcelerator through your trusted travel publication, Travel Professional NEWS!
Thank you so much for the time today John, as well as the very valuable information that you have shared and we look forward to the what’s next for Trisept Solutions and Xcelerator!