Examining E-mail Response Quality in Turkish Travel Agencies

ABDULLAH TANRISEVDI
Adnan Menderes University

MURAT HANCER
Oklahoma State University

ABSTRACT
Electronic mail plays an increasingly important role in services of travel agencies, with most firms utilizing an interactive channel to reach customers in an interactive manner. This study aimed at investigating how far travel agencies in Turkey meet expectations of on-line shoppers using e-mails to receive travel related information.
A mystery shopper method was utilized to understand the quality of e-mail responses from selected travel agencies. A random sample of 213 travel agencies from Turkey was included in this study. T - test and ANOVA were used to examine the differences between the groups and the categories of the agencies. Study findings revealed that the agencies treat e-mail requests poorly. Further, the quality and speed of responsiveness to e-mail was affected by the agency categories and official agency groups they belong.

Key words: E-mail management, Internet, E-mail response quality, Customer service.