Putu Sudiana grew up under Mt Batur, Bali’s active volcano with the unforgettable sunrise.
Today he’s an ambassador for his mountain, for his company Your Bali Trekking Tour, and also for GetYourGuide – “a great global brand that we’re proud to be part of”.
His business has reached new heights post-Covid, with 1000 visitors climbing the volcano each day, up from 700 in 2019. With about 130 team members offering more than 40 different experiences, Putu attributes his success to our strong partnership focused on taking customer satisfaction to new altitudes.
Don’t skimp on the facilities
“You can always judge a business by its toilet,” says Putu. “Whether it’s a restaurant or a hotel or a destination, if the toilet is good, you know you’re going to be taken care of there.”
Previously, when tourists were ready for the Mt Batur trek, they would get picked up at their accommodation and dropped off in the car park, or have to head into the bush when nature called. That’s still what most competitors are able to offer.
But not Putu – he built the first meeting point option in the market: a brand new villa exclusively for his guests to relax in prior to the trek, along with clean toilet facilities and showers with hot water to indulge hikers on their return from the summit. The landscaped gardens outside are a professional flourish.
The aim was to build facilities people would want to linger in. Based on the tour’s average rating of 4.8 out of 5, we’d say visitors would be more than happy to come back! And the meeting point has given the business a sales boost, as well – a full 20% of Putu’s bookings come directly from this meeting point option.
Tip: Get inside the heads of your guests. What is it that’s missing from the experience? Something you would wish for if you were them? Clean toilets and hot showers have been a winning bet for Your Bali Trekking Tour. But even if that’s outside your budget, prioritising cleanliness and comfort goes a long way to building trust.
Partner with an OTA to boost your business and access professional services
Putu’s company joined GetYourGuide 7 years ago, as the OTA’s first supplier in Bali. He says partnering with a global brand like GetYourGuide has been a critical part of professionalising his setup and growing his business.
“In the past 2-3 years we’ve had very fast growth, and that’s thanks to GYG.” In fact, as of mid-2024, Putu and his team have grown their business by 170%, compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Partnering to develop new products together and market them successfully are just two of the benefits he sees in working with an OTA. For Putu, it’s also about feeling like someone genuinely has your back.
“GetYourGuide feels like my company now, too. It’s in my soul!”
Make the most of a global brand
As a long-time GetYourGuide ambassador, Putu saw an opportunity to elevate his business’s positioning by aligning his brand with GetYourGuide.
The reality is that, even if you're extremely well-known locally, international visitors are unlikely to know your brand from afar. But they will know a global OTA. It's this trust that Putu has leveraged by aligning with a global company.
That’s why, when a guest gets picked up by one of Putu’s guides, they’ll be collected in a GetYourGuide-branded van. And then there’s the giant, well-lit GetYourGuide sign out the front of his property.
“With our top quality lighting, I’m pretty sure the 1000 people who climb Mt Batur every day can see the GetYourGuide sign from up there,” he says gleefully. “Our property is totally branded as GetYourGuide.”
Now, Your Bali Trekking Tour gets to enjoy the legitimacy afforded by a global brand, while offering GetYourGuide the chance to be seen by thousands of tourists in Bali every single day.
Tip: As your relationship develops with your OTA, seek out opportunities to align your brands. Do you have some advertising real estate you could offer your OTA in exchange for a branding boost?
Incentivise your team with prizes for the best reviews
Another way Your Bali Trekking Tour keeps customer satisfaction high is by focusing on the strength of the reviews they receive on GetYourGuide.
Every month, Putu picks out the top reviews and celebrates his successful staff with cash prizes for first, second and third place.
Incentivising his team is great for staff morale, and it goes a long way to maintaining the excellent standards of service Putu expects for his business.
Weirdest question by a customer?
“How’s the weather going to be tomorrow?” It’s a very popular question, but not one he’s really able to answer.
“We’re in a big valley,” Putu explains, “and the weather at one end of the island can be completely different to the other end. So even if it’s clear here, it might not be where we’re headed.”
Thankfully, Putu and his team are prepared for all weather conditions. And at least trekkers know there’s a hot shower waiting for them at the end of the trip.
How to build a customer-centric experience business
- Invest in facilities that set you apart. Toilets and hot showers have been a gamechanger for Putu’s guests, but they’re not always necessary. Provisions like clean, cold drinking water, towels to dry off or fans to stay cool can all help create a more comfortable experience.
- Develop a strong partnership with an OTA and make the most of their professional chops, so you can focus on your day-to-day operations. Which tasks could you outsource to your OTA? This might include product development, marketing and analytics
- Use GetYourGuide’s brand as a jumping off point. Could you offer some advertising space – think vehicles or signage – to your OTA in exchange for the lift of a global brand?
- Customer reviews are proof positive of your success, so think about what you can do to keep up those ratings. Incentivising staff with prizes keeps this Bali operator’s reviews sky-high
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