TravTalk India Online Magazine
In an exclusive interaction with TRAVTALK, Sanjeet Joher, Head – South Asia, VFS Global, shared details on initiatives taken by them to stay fully-prepared ahead of the peak travel season. While its visa application centres will serve agents through counters meant exclusively for them, timings have also been extended for both trade and consumers.
Manas Dwivedi
According to Sanjeet Joher, VFS Global is fully prepared for the upcoming peak season. “We are ready to look after our customers. In fact, we are anxiously waiting for them to come over for visa processing in the upcoming season for different destinations that they would like to travel to. We have taken certain measures that can enhance the customer service for everyone who comes to VFS in 2020,” he said.
VFS has separate dedicated counters for travel agents so that they don’t have to que up with normal customers
Among many different measures, VFS Global has enhanced capacity by 40 per cent across the South Asia for all the missions and deployed around 70 customer relationship managers across the region. “We have taken this step to make the customers’ journey seam- less. We have trained the new workforce very well. They have gone through a one-month training both with regard to grooming, process and on the job training. We have also done a certification for them across all the board and only the qualified candidates have been appointed at the visa centres,” said Joher.
VFS Global has also increased the working hours. “We will now open from 8 am to 6 pm. These are the normal timings and especially for customers who can’t make it in the day- time and if they want to come in the evening hours, we have prime time slots for them from 6pm – 10 pm at a nominal cost. On Saturdays, we will be operational from 9 am- 4 pm. Further, we are going to be more flexible this year. If there is an important customer and if they need any help, we are willing to open on Sundays as well. This way, we are becoming customer centric, service oriented in 2020,” Joher informed.
Sharing information on VFS’ key focus, Joher said that travel agents are the main customer for them. “Travel agent’s customer is our customer and our customers are the customers who are going to the destination of the mission. In this direction, we have introduced travel agent workshops all across South Asia. We have trained them on different missions on what are the things they need to consider when sending their respective team members or customers to VFS for biometrics or for submitting applications. We are very proud to say that the team is fully prepared, and I think, all the travel agents are much better prepared knowledge-wise going forward in season 2020,” he said.
“We have also ensured that in all the major cities, VFS has separate dedicated counters for travel agents so that they don’t have to que up with normal customers at the counters. We are trying to do it wherever we can do according to our best possible availability. Further, we are also coming up with a separate Visa Application Centre (VAC) dedicated for travel agents at Thapar House at Connaught Place in Delhi, which will start functioning in March 2020.
