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Tony Bean, the brains behind Vamoos, updates Matthew Parsons on how the app has struck a chord with operators and agents alike since launching in summer 2014, and the latest Apple Watch extra.
Back in August last year, Tony Bean said of travel app Vamoos: “We are developing it with the industry, for the industry.”
Since then, Bean, director of Appex Mobile, which launched the document app, has stuck to his word. Constantly keeping in touch with agents and operators, and asking for their feedback, has over the past 12 months led to a series of innovative additions – and fuelled meteoric growth from five clients to now more than 50.
“It’s called product driven development,” declares Bean.
“We develop what people want, not what we think people want.
“A lot of technology firms develop something, then release it. But I run events every few months to test ideas. It’s a bit of a bun fight sometimes, with people shouting ‘I want this!’”
One recent showcase took place with a group of agents at Abta’s Park Street HQ in central London.
The Vamoos app was originally designed to help agents and operators offer their customers a simple way to store their holiday documents, such as e-tickets, insurance forms, destination information and Atol certificate all in one place. However, the app has evolved significantly as a result of the feedback from his customers.
A new printing option allows documents to be printed from the app, while “points of interest” can now be integrated.
“It’s important for agents to be able to do this, because they sell holidays based on their experiences, so it’s good for them to transfer this experience,” says Bean.
Meanwhile, social media integration has been added – because “people love to brag about their holiday”. Users are able to post to multiple channels – including LinkedIn, which is a relatively uncommon feature – a screengrab of the app’s homepage, which features a destination picture, the exact time until that holiday, and the agent or operator logo.
The latter aspect is “social media marketing” Bean argues, because the logo is being shared online.
However, there is one caveat to Bean’s “product driven development” mantra – in the form of Apple’s Watch.
“Creating the app to work on Watch was a big piece of development,” Bean confides, adding he spent £150,000 on building a Watch-friendly version.
“I wanted to bed that technology in. It’s a bit of a luxury for us at the moment, and you wouldn’t normally invest on something for such a small market, but I know in my heart that Watch will really take off.”
On Watch, users are able to view the home page of Vamoos as they can on their mobile – seeing the background image, client trip title, their name and the agent or operator logo. And one side swipe reveals the countdown ticker and weather for their holiday destination.
Recent Vamoos customers include Full Circle Travel, Black Tomato, Lusso, Original Travel, TransIndus and Wexas Travel, yet Bean is confident growing numbers will continue to sign up over the course of next year, thanks in part to its easy-to-use system and pricing at around £1 per traveller.
Currently there is no set-up charge, and Bean says a recent meeting with a potential customer saw them set up on Vamoos within 45 minutes – they then signed up within an hour. “That only happens when the customer has a lot of faith in you,” he adds.
And as long as Bean keeps the same faith in his trade customers, and acts on their suggestions, next year will likely see further enhancements to improve their own customers’ holiday experiences.
