SOP: Handling Travel Guarantee Cases for Trains
Document Information
Table of contents
Purpose
Define the Standard Operating Procedure to handle cases wherein customers have opted for TG or are trying to redeem the TG Coupon on a new booking.
Introduction
What is Travel Guarantee?
ixigo's 'Travel Guarantee' feature ensures confirmed seats or a refund of double the ticket fare if your booking remains waitlisted at the time of chart preparation.
Important Points
The Travel Guarantee feature is only applicable for selected trains/classes booked via ixigo.
Under Travel Guarantee, you’ll receive a refund (3X for flight, 3X for bus, or 2X for train) only if your booking remains fully waitlisted at the time of chart preparation.
At the time of claiming the coupon, you will receive a refund based on the selected travel mode: 3X for flight, 3X for bus, or 2X for train.
- In the case of a 3X refund, 1X will be credited to the original payment mode, and 2X will be refunded as a Travel Guarantee Coupon.
- In the case of a 2X refund, 1X will be credited to the original payment mode, and 1X will be refunded as a Travel Guarantee Coupon.Here 'ticket fare' is the booking amount that does not include ixigo service charges, convenience charge, payment gateway charges, discounts and Travel Guarantee charges, etc.
The maximum permissible value for the Travel Guarantee Coupon is ₹6000. For example: If your ticket fare is ₹4000 and you are eligible for a 3X refund, then ₹4000 will be refunded to the original payment mode, and only ₹6000 will be given as a Travel Guarantee Coupon instead of ₹8000.
You will not be eligible for a refund under Travel Guarantee (3X for flight, 3X for bus, or 2X for train) in the following cases:
- RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) bookings after chart preparation.
- Partially confirmed bookings: For example, if a booking (with multiple passengers) is not confirmed for some passengers, it will still not be eligible for a 3X refund.
- Cancellation after opting for the feature: If you cancel the ticket after opting for Travel Guarantee, you will not be eligible for a refund under this feature.
- Cancellation before chart preparation: If you cancel your waitlisted train ticket before chart preparation, you'll receive a full refund of the ticket fare. However, you will not be eligible for a refund under Travel Guarantee.
- Confirmed ticket cancellation: If your ticket is confirmed but you cancel it before or after chart preparation, IRCTC cancellation rules will apply. Any applicable refund will be credited accordingly.
- Train cancellation by IRCTC: If the train is cancelled by IRCTC, a full refund for your booking will be initiated automatically.The travel mode must be selected when claiming the coupon, and this mode cannot be changed afterwards.
The coupon can only be claimed once for the selected travel mode (Train/bus/flight).
The coupon can only be claimed & redeemed within 7 days (from the train's departure date). When using the Travel Guarantee Coupon for your next booking, your new travel date should also be within this 7-day period.
In the case of a flight booking, the coupon can only be redeemed for a one-way domestic flight.
The coupon code cannot be clubbed with any other offer and is non-transferable.
The coupon code discount will only be applicable on the ticket fare.
While using the coupon, if the booking amount is higher than the coupon amount, then you need to pay the fare difference. If the booking amount is lower than the coupon amount, the balance amount will lapse and will not be refunded.
You will receive a full refund of the ticket fare, including IRCTC cancellation charges, only if you cancel a booking that is fully waitlisted (for all passengers in the case of a multiple passenger booking).
Train chart preparation schedule is controlled by the Indian Railways. The chart is usually prepared 4 hours prior to the train’s departure time from the source station. For early morning trains, the chart is typically prepared on the previous night.
IRCTC convenience charge, ixigo service charges, payment gateway charges, discounts and Travel Guarantee charges will be non-refundable.
The number of passengers in the alternate mode of travel must be equal to or less than the number of passengers in the original train booking where you had opted for Travel Guarantee. Passenger names must also be the same as in your original train booking.
Any Assured Flex benefits such as booking modification or free cancellation cannot be clubbed with Travel Guarantee.
Under Travel Guarantee, you can book a maximum of three tickets per month.
For L1, when commiting the TG premium refund for the first time, inform the customer that this is a one-time exception and will not be accommodated in the future.
When communicating the TG premium refund, deduct the clerkage charges based on the booking class before confirming the final amount to the customer or discuss with your supervisor.
Do not promise a TG premium refund to repeat customers. The TG premium can only be refunded once per customer. Always check the compensation history under the Customer Details tab in OneView. Refer to the attached screenshot -
Oneview Screenshots
Coupon claimed for Train -
Coupon claimed for Flights/Bus -
TG Process for coupon redemption
Opting for TG -
Coupon Redemption -
How is a 2x or 3x refund credited?
When opting for Travel Guarantee, you will receive a refund based on the selected travel mode (3X of the ticket fare for flight, 3X for bus, or 2X for train), if your booking remains waitlisted at the time of chart preparation.
Here is an example to help you understand the refund process -
If your ticket fare was ₹2000 and you have opted for Travel Guarantee, assuming you will be eligible for a 3X refund of the ticket fare which is ₹6000.
₹6000 will be refunded as follows:
₹2000 Will be refunded to the original payment mode
₹4000 Will be refunded as a Travel Guarantee Coupon
Please note: You will only be eligible for a (3X for flight, 3X for bus, or 2X for train) refund on your booking, if it is not confirmed at the time of chart preparation. Bookings under RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) or partially confirmed status will not be eligible for this refund.
Corner Cases -
Case I : Where the user applied TG Coupon on a WL ticket and it remained WL post Chart Prep. Now user is looking for a refund of TG Coupon as well, as IRCTC refunds fully in case of WL tickets.
1. Initial Response:
- Action: Politely deny the refund request for the TG coupon.
- Communication: Inform the user that TG coupons are non-refundable as per the terms and conditions.
- Follow-up: Share the T&Cs link for TG coupons with the user : https://www.ixigo.com/travel-guarantee
2. Handling Persistent Requests:
- Criteria: If the user is adamant and falls within the top 10% persona based on Gross Merchandise Value (GMV):
- Action: Refund the TG voucher amount as ixigo money (voice agents need to raise to trains support queue, or chats will raise to L2)
- Communication: Highlight the benefits of ixigo money, emphasizing the 100% usage proposition on flights and hotels.
3. High-Value Customers:
- Criteria: If the user falls within the top 1% persona:
- Action: Offer a refund in the original payment method (source) or as ixigo money, based on the user’s preference. (voice agents need to raise to train support queue, or chats will raise to L2)
- Communication: Clearly present both options to the user and proceed according to their choice.
4. Documentation:
- Record all actions taken on Freshdesk for future reference and quality assurance. Train Support queue to fill loss tracker wherever issuing delight to users
5. Escalation:
- If any issues arise (for points 2 and 3), escalate to a supervisor or train support queue for further guidance.
Case II : User Claims to have not received the TG Coupon via email or whatsapp
Quick Checks :
Check if the user was eligible to receive the TG coupon or not. ( did his/her ticket remain fully WL after chart preparation)
Check with the user if he/she has claimed the coupon on the ixigo app/web/mweb
Check the email id of the user on oneview to understand if it is an actual/usable email id
If the user satisfies all the above criteria, raise this case to Train Support or L2 team (share TAT of 12 hours max), so that coupon can be shared with the user. L2/Trains Support team to raise to tech and get the coupon shared with the user.
Case III : User does not see the option to opt for TG while booking -
Quick Checks :
Check if the user is booking a confirmed ticket or not. TG can only be opted in case of WL tickets
TG and Assured cannot be opted together
TG is currently available only on select trains and classes
TG is currently applicable on confirmation prediction chances of 70% or more, and this can change from time to time
TG is available only on mweb for now, which will eventually get extended to all platforms
If the user satisfies all the above criteria, and still faces an issue, raise this case to Trains Support or chat L2 team (share TAT of 12 hours max).
Case IV : User not able to apply the coupon -
Quick Checks :
Once a user is eligible for a 2x refund after chart preparation, simply claim the Travel Guarantee Coupon from the trip details page. Here, select your preferred travel mode and proceed. Your coupon code will be sent to you via WhatsApp and email. Apply this code for a discount on your next booking.
Note: The coupon is valid for only 7 days from the train’s departure date. When applying the Travel Guarantee coupon, your new travel date should also be within this 7-day period. The coupon discount will apply only to the ticket fare. It is non-refundable in case of booking cancellation and non-transferable. You can apply the code for a single booking for the selected travel mode (train/bus/flight), and any balance amount will expire.
If the user satisfies all the above criteria, and still faces an issue, raise this case to Trains Support or L2 team (share TAT of 12 hours max).
Case V : PSBF and Rebooked Case -
Cases where users press the forgot password and retries booking after that, TG is getting auto-removed in such cases. Such cases need to be raised to tech for investigation and further handling suggestions
Case VI : TG coupon stuck on PSBF/Payment failed/Payment pending bookings -
Cases where users have claimed the TG coupon successfully, however unable to redeem or apply on a new booking, check if TG coupon is stuck on a PSBF/Payment failed/Payment pending booking and raise this case to Train Support or chat L2 team internally (share TAT of 2 hours max with the customer).