Some reviews sparkle with gratitude:

“The ITM was so helpful, I booked in minutes. Best service ever!”

Others sting a little:

“No one told me I couldn’t change my ticket. Worst experience ever.”

So what really makes the difference between a five-star smile and a one-star frown?

The answer is often not the product itself, but the experience surrounding it. In the world of flight tickets and travel, that experience usually comes down to communication, clarity, and expectations.

Today, let’s take a walk through the customer journey—step by step—and unpack why some experiences end up great while others don’t. Along the way, we’ll highlight where things go wrong, what we’re already doing well, and what we can improve to make sure more reviews land on the happy side of the scale.

The First Step: Calls & Requests

Let’s start at the beginning.

When a customer places a new request through the platform, something important happens: a freelancer can immediately take it on. From there, the platform recommendation is clear – we follow up for four full days two calls a day.

Why four? Because not everyone makes a decision on day one. Some customers need time, reassurance, or extra details before they commit. We don’t want anyone to feel abandoned, so those four days ensure that every request gets the attention it deserves.

But here’s the best part: the customer has control!

If you don’t like phone calls (and let’s be honest, many people don’t), you can simply say so. We’ll switch to your preferred mode of communication – WhatsApp, SMS, or email. The goal is to make you comfortable, not to bug you.

This small flexibility often shapes the experience. Some customers love a friendly follow-up call. Others would rather read a WhatsApp message in their own time. When we match the communication to the customer’s preference, the experience feels smooth and respectful.

Funny enough, this is where we already start seeing the two types of reviews forming.

• The customer who appreciates persistence → “They cared enough to follow up with me.”
• The customer who hates calls but didn’t tell us → “They kept calling me too much!”

Moral of the story: clarity works both ways.

When Customers Call Us…?

Now let’s flip the situation. Instead of us calling the customer, the customer calls us.

In this case, any available freelancer may respond to the incoming request . That’s intentional – it ensures that no one waits endlessly for “their” ITM to be free. Whoever answers is equipped to provide clear information and support clients in choosing suitable travel options.

This is efficient. It keeps things moving. It makes sure every customer gets help fast.

But efficiency has its trade-offs. Some customers might expect to always speak to “their” ITM when they call our general line, and when a new voice answers, they feel like they’re starting from scratch. For others, it doesn’t matter at all.

Again, the same situation leads to two very different reviews:

• “I called and immediately got help, thank you!”
• “I had to repeat myself; why wasn’t I speaking to the same person?”

What’s the difference? Expectation vs. reality.

This leads us to the real villain in most bad experiences…

At the very start of the customer journey, we already see why reviews split between five stars and one star. It’s rarely about the ticket itself – it’s about communication and expectations. And at the heart of most frustrations sits a hidden villain: lack of clarity.
In Part II, we’ll pull back the curtain on how we fight that villain – through training, better conversations, and a system designed to turn reviews into lasting trust.