When Bruce Atwell, Mike Kennedy and Michael Spremulli acquired Captain Cruise & Crew Travel in July 2005, they agreed to focus on old-school customer service.
“There are always things about other businesses that you don’t like,” Spremulli said. “So we agreed we were going to run it from a standpoint that if we didn’t like it, we weren’t going to bring that into the office.”
The approach has translated into providing personal cellphone numbers, after-hours availability, individually tailored customer service and relying heavily on word-of-mouth referrals. Spremulli says prior to 2005 the business was just months away from going completely bankrupt, but after they took over and altered the approach, the business has yielded revenue increases each year since – even through the Great Recession.
“The fourth quarter of 2008 and the first two quarters of 2009 were a little tough because of the financial market and not many people were spending money anywhere, but once we got past that and the economy starting coming back a little bit we’ve been running well,” said Kennedy.
Despite the total number of brick-and-mortar travel agencies in the United States falling from about 34,000 in the mid-1990s to about 13,000 in 2013, according to a CNN report, Spremulli says he doesn’t even see online travel agencies, such as Expedia.com or Travelocity.com, as competition because the online services don’t provide a high level of location analysis.
“It’s the companies we book through that pay us and their prices are equal if not lower than some of these online vendors,” he said. “You’re not going to get the customer service if you have an issue and if you try to get in touch with the same person from when you booked; you’re going to get a telemarketer without any product knowledge.”
And more so now than before, he adds, people are looking for a personal touch in every industry.
“Nowadays people are looking for somebody they can reach,” he said. “It’s not just about getting a good deal at a couple dollars less; it’s about having confidence and knowing it’s worth it.”
What’s challenging about the travel business for Spremulli, who along with Atwell is a member of the East Providence police force, isn’t the competition from the online agencies, but rather the behind-the-scenes logistics that go into connecting travelers with the cruises, resorts and honeymoon excursions offered through their products.
The partners will look to continue to grow revenue but are not rushing to expand the business. They don’t want to lose the old-school customer service they abide by.
“Our motto is personalized service at online pricing and one thing we don’t want to lose here that differentiates us from a lot of places is that personal service,” Spremulli said. “The bigger you are, the less personalized it becomes.
“It’s important to us that you’re not a number when you walk in here,” he added. •
