In an era where travel enthusiasts tend to incline more towards the convenience of all-in-one bookings, the question of safety takes the center stage. While many travel companies rise and fall in the market every year, the concern of consistency and credibility of any tour organizer inevitably hinges on the trust it builds among its customers.
As the competition gets tight with the emergence of new technology and trends, different travel companies alter their strategies, often compromising the safety and security of their customers.
On my hunt to find a travel company that closely resonates with the mindset and concerns of today’s contemporary travelers, I came across the name of ‘Thrillophilia’, time and again.
But the main question is- Is Thrillophilia really safe?
My quest to ascertain the trustworthiness of Thrillophilia as a travel company, extended beyond online ratings and website testimonials. It involved personally reaching out to travelers, which was again, not an easy task. So I decided to go with the trend and searched ‘#thrillophilia’ on Instagram which led me to over 235k search results. This did build somewhat credibility for Thrillophilia, as I saw so many travelers hashtagging Thrillophilia in their posts/ reels.
I then did my part of homework, filtered and reached out to 300+ users who have shared their personal stories and experiences on the platform. The sole goal was to verify authenticity and gain firsthand insights into their journeys.
Besides, I also decided to reach out to the team of Thrillophilia to have an in-depth idea of booking safety and functionality of the company
The aim of this comprehensive review of Thrillophilia is therefore, to provide a transparent and informative outlook, before you embark on your next dream adventure with the travel-tech platform.
Is Booking from Thrillophilia Safe?- Hearing from Real Travelers
The bedrock of any reliable travel company lies in the trust it instills in its customers over the years. So, I decided to delve deep into how Thrillophilia builds trust, into three phases- pre-booking, post booking, during the trip.
Me and my team had a conversation with 127+ travelers, out of 300 travelers and could draw certain highlights from the same-
Pre-booking
Among the 127+ people I talked with, almost 90% of them highlighted how promptly the company’s representative responded to the enquiry- mostly within 24 hours. They further mentioned that the destination expert assigned, was experienced, had good knowledge about the destination, helped them throughout their booking process; guiding them through the itinerary and assisting them in customization. They also highlighted the best time to visit and things to do.
Overall, one thing which came out of my conversation was the competitive pricing the company offers for diverse tours and activities in comparison to others in the market, and multiple of these buyers mentioned that there were no hidden costs during the trip or any last minute surprises.
However, I came across 10% of the customers who expressed their disappointment in terms of the unavailability of dates and services that they opted for, from Thrillophilia which finally made them choose some other package. This highlighted one drawback where many of their website deals get sold out quickly, some even under 24 hours while travelers were trying to book them.
Post booking
When asked about the experience post booking, 120 of them highlighted how they received confirmation calls from the GEO (Guest Experience Officer) within 24 hours of booking. Interestingly, they mentioned that they also received calls a few days before their date of travel in which they were thoroughly educated about the destination- its weather, limitations and the things they need to carry.
However, I also came across almost 25 people who did not find the information provided to be enough or at times, outdated. They were expecting more details on attraction visits, language issues, vegetarian places to eat etc.
During the trip
Almost 127 of the travelers I shared a conversation with, mentioned how they received a call on the first day of the trip from the GEO taking feedback on various facets such as- timely pick-up, behavior of driver and hotel check-in. Among them, almost 110 of them also expressed their delight over how they continued receiving feedback calls/ messages from the GEO in the middle of their trip and also after their trip ended.
Quite a significant number of them also mentioned that their minor issues were promptly resolved on ground and the quality of the services were not compromised. However, 15 travelers mentioned that they were not happy with the resolution provided and pointed out a possible room for improvement.
In my conversation, I also came across 40+ travelers who had booked 5+ times with Thrillophilia. So I would give some more brownie points to Thrillophilia for their good retention rate, in addition to consistent performance.
What Thrillophilia does to ensure safe booking?- In Conversation with its Leaders
The best offerings of a company can only be learnt and understood from the ones who provide it. To shed light on whether booking from Thrillophilia is safe or not, I contacted the Thrillophilia’s team directly and had the opportunity to dive even deeper into the functional framework of the company. I also sought insights into the meticulous steps they take to ensure that every travel experience chosen from them is as comfortable and adventurous as promised.
- Priyanka Sharma, the Customer Delight Manager at Thrillophilia, shared with me different matrices of customer safety undertaken by the company. She clearly affirmed that safety and quality are paramount, and the company leaves no stone unturned to ensure the same for its customers, throughout the trip. She emphasized on how automation and technology plays a critical role in customer experience, which also impressively resonated with what the real travelers had to say.
She, quite in detail, explained the two sections of the operations team- the guest experience team and the supplier allocation team, and how both of them work hand in hand. She mentioned that one dedicated GEO (Guest Experience Officer) is assigned against each booking and how that person remains connected with the customer throughout- from post booking to the end of the trip ensuring a delightful experience for each customer.
‘Our GEO gets connected to the customer within 24 hours to verify and share the details of their trip. The customer further receives a confirmation mail from our end, where we take the customer through booking details. We then make an ‘All About The Trip’ call, usually 3 days before the date of travel in which we educate the customer on the destination- its climatic limitations, documentation, rules and regulations and the things they need to carry,’ mentioned Priyanka.
On asked about what they do to ensure the quality of their service during the trip, Priyanka said,
‘Our GEO makes the third call on the first day of the trip asking for feedback on vital aspects such as- punctuality of pick-up and drop, behavior of the driver and the first impression of the hotel provided. If anything goes uphill, our GEO coordinates the same with the internal supplier team who resolves the issue at the earliest. That’s not it; our GEO also makes a mid-trip call to confirm that everything is going as planned including sightseeing, food, driver and itinerary. If not, a red flag is generated in our system, the issue is picked up and solved on priority.’
But, I was personally really impressed when she further mentioned that the GEO also makes a call after the end of the trip and asks for feedback. The feedback is internally generated on their system and using a lot of data analysis, is used for the betterment of future trips.
The supplier ratings, GEO ratings, and hotel ratings are all calculated based on the feedback ensuring that the next set of customers are even more delighted. This is a continuous process used for experience and product improvement by their team. In the online meet, she showed me a few of the dashboards of their data analysis, which looked quite impressive to me.
Now, I was quite curious about how the company handles hiccups.
“While at ground zero level, we have a help system built-in where customers can find answers to most common questions; post this we also have three matrices of customer support which range from GEO, the customer support manager and finally the ‘Customer Experience Directorate’. So, if the GEO fails to address any issue, we make sure that the 24/7 customer support manager is always available. Considering that the resolution given by the customer support might not be satisfactory at times, the Customer Experience Directorate is also readily available at rescue and ensures the smooth execution of the trip. Distinct tickets are raised for each issue against individual customers and the entire operations team dedicatedly works towards enhancing the overall travel experience”.
- During our conversation, Mr. Abhishek Puri, VP at Thrillophilia, mentioned Thrillophilia’s stringent supplier onboarding process.
He mentioned how each and every supplier they work with mandatorily needs to be the best in the experience they deliver on ground, and are carefully chosen after multiple on ground checks of different vendors. He quite enthusiastically explained the entire process- how their local ratings are checked, their assets, equipment are verified, and a strict contract is agreed upon which significantly mentions the pros and cons of the same. He made a special mention of how hotels are hand-picked by the team, amenities are cross-checked and a physical audit is done from time to time to ensure that they offer exactly everything that they promise.
“Trips create the best memories of the lifetime and we want each of our customers to have the best trip of their life, everytime they travel with us. As a brand we are obsessed with customer delight. We hold a resolute commitment to curating experiences, creating delightful trips, that not only inspire but also prioritize safety above all else. Our dedicated team of experts diligently handpicks and scrutinizes every single supplier we collaborate with, ensuring that they meet the highest quality standards. In addition, we forge partnerships with seasoned local guides, and experts providing them with ongoing education, our own learnings from other destinations, to guarantee the utmost safety throughout a traveler’s journey with us. We have served more than 4 Million customers across 55+ countries and have learnt so much about the user behaviors, patterns and things which delight the travelers. We use this data to make our future experiences better and better ensuring our customers have a delightful experience.”
While Thrillophilia offers a range of positive attributes, it’s essential to acknowledge that no company is without its imperfections. During my research, I also encountered some criticism that ranged from occasional communication gaps to issues regarding accommodation.
While these were not universal experiences, they serve as a reminder that no company can entirely eliminate challenges and thus it’s essential to make any travel decision with a discerning eye.
Is booking from Thrillophilia safe? What Others Had to Say
Before coming to a conclusion, I also decided to check how travelers rated their experience with Thrillophilia across other reviewing platforms such as TrustPilot, Quora, Tripadvisor and Mouth Shut.
TrustPilot has a rating of 4.2 while diving deeper into the reviews that people have left on the platform, I found 68% of the reviews to be 5 star, 21% to be 4 star and almost 1-8% to be 2 star and 1 star which indicates certain areas of improvement.
When I checked the same on Quora, I came across almost 100 reviews out of which 84% were positive feedback, 4% negative feedback and 12% were mixed reviews.
Mouth Shut also has rated Thrillophilia an impressive 4.19. While diving deeper into the ratings, I found that customers have praised ‘Service & Support’ and ‘User-friendliness’ of Thrillophilia and rated them 4.5 out of 5.
Similarly, Tripadvisor has given an average rating of 4.5 against the 2755 reviews that travelers have left on the platform. Out of them, 1868 are ‘excellent’ reviews, 541 are ‘very good’ reviews and average to poor reviews range between 65-32.
Besides, I also came across a blog page of Thrillophilia reviews, where travelers have shared their vivid travel stories with Thrillophilia.
Final Thoughts
So, after summarizing my thorough research, it can be concluded that Thrillophilia with its features and services has positioned itself as a platform that offers secure, reliable, and enjoyable travel experiences. Countless people have shared their experiences emphasizing on how the company ensures you to embark on your dream adventures with confidence.
However, let’s not forget that, for travel decisions, it’s ultimately up to the traveler to decide what aligns best with their preferences and comfort.
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