Now that I have started travelling full time, I have gotten used to booking through internet travel websites, hospitality services, AirBnB, airlines websites and much more. Each time I use a service, I get an email from the vendor asking me to rate his service. This could be a room stay at the Taj or a week in OYO Rooms. Even sites like makemytrip.com, goibibo.com and trip advisor ask travellers to answer a feedback form to rate their services. The ratings are generally from one to 10 or Excellent to Poor. One has to rate the hospitality or air service on various parameters and then send the reply with your name and e-mail id. Taj gives free inner circle points which are added to your card. These can be redeemed as free dinner and drinks or even a free night stay facility.

As an incentive, these sites give the customer who fully replies to the survey freebies, free points, e-cash, discount coupons etc. This is just a bait for people to take the trouble to answer the feedback forms and is also a great customer data building and customer profiling tool. This can be used by the brand marketing teams of the service providers and give them insights as to how to retain and attract new customers. makemytrip.com has a free e-wallet facility and straight away adds cash to your e-wallet so that you can use it next time you make a purchase from the website. It is also a very effective direct marketing tool and a great way to analyse consumer behaviour.

I have ended up answering a few and have won free points or e-cash as an incentive. Airline companies like Jet offer customers with free extra miles if they answer a survey or do their ticket bookings online. At times, one can also save on the service tax on the ticket. All this adds up to your savings. The relationship that you build with the service provider helps in the future as they target you with more incentives and more lucrative travel services and offers. So go ahead and fill those feedback forms and e-surveys, you will become a great travel critique and that will also help you better internalise your own travel experience.