Name of Process:

Canceled & Rescheduled Process

Process Owner:

Ajay Sharma

Created By:

Sumit Saurabh

Last Updated By:

Date Created:

Mar 03, 2023

Last Revision Date:

Process Purpose:

The purpose of the rescheduling process for a travel booking is to allow travelers to make changes to their travel plans when unexpected events occur or when their plans change.

Overall, the rescheduling process helps to provide travelers with greater flexibility and peace of mind when planning their travels, knowing that they can make changes if needed without too much hassle or financial impact

Process Scope:

The scope of the Rescheduled process includes all customer bookings that are eligible for cancellation and rescheduling.

Process Input:

The CX Rescheduled process typically requires the following inputs:

Customer Information

Rescheduled Reason

Refund Amount &  Method

Re-Booking

Documentation

Process Boundaries:

The Rescheduled process has certain boundaries that help define its scope and ensure that it is implemented correctly. The boundaries of the process typically include the following:

Eligible Bookings: The Rescheduled process applies only to bookings/purchases that are eligible for cancellation and rescheduling, as per our company's policies

Time Limits: The process may be subject to time limits, which dictate how long after the purchase the customer can initiate reschedule request

Verification Process: The process may require verification of the customer's identity and booking details to ensure that the cancellation and refund request is legitimate. This may include the customer providing the ticket pass reference code (6-digit alphanumeric code), contact information, and order details, as well as any other information that may be required

Notification: If the transaction amount is higher than the available wallet credit, then the difference can be paid via the available payment method. In cases where the transaction amount is lesser, the balance will be stored in your wallet for future use. No credit will be given for any discount coupons used on the ticket

Availability check: Once the customer has requested to reschedule, the process boundary would define the steps taken to check the availability of seats or resources for the new booking date and time

Refund Methods: Our rescheduling process requires canceling the previous booking and issuing a refund before re-booking. The process may be subject to restrictions on the types of refund methods available to the customer, such as receiving store credit in their wallet or having the funds returned to the original payment source. We recommend using wallet store credits as a refund method to ensure there are no delays in using the same funds for re-booking

Process Flow:

Tickets purchased via the OurBus platform and reschedule requested 24 hrs prior to the departure time:

As our reschedule goes via cancelation, customer have to cancel the previous booking and the customer can re-book the future tickets as per their choice

Before we or customer(s) proceeds with this, we have to check the availability of the trip and seat(s) availability to which customer is trying to reschedule

Cancellation in the above process will happen if the departure time is prior to 24 hours

Either the funds can be moved to the OurBus Wallet or back to the original form of payment depending on the customer's confirmation

Back to the original payment source refund takes 3-5 business days to reflect

Refund to the OurBus wallet as store credits reflects immediately in customer(s) OurBus account

Steps for Customer to follow for Cancelation, if the departure time is prior to 24 hours:

Click on the "Cancel ticket"  option that can be found at the bottom of the ticket received on email

Customer/User will be prompted to select "Cancel ticket" on a new page that will open, once they click on "Cancel ticket" in the ticket emailed to them

URL for the new page will be in the format https://www.ourbus.com/cancel/ticket?pass_refer=XXXXXX&[email protected]

XXXXXX will be replaced by the 6 digits alphanumeric pass reference code

[email protected] to be replaced by the email id of the customer

The paid amount will be added to their OurBus Wallet or original payment source as per customer selection after they choose to cancel the ticket

Alternatively, customer/user can cancel when they are logged into their account at OurBus.com or on our mobile app

Tickets purchased through OTA (Wanderu, Go Euro) and canceled within 24 hours, or up to 30 minutes before departure - Customer wants to reschedule: 

OTA stands for Other Travel Aggregators. OTA’s are similar search engines or booking aggregators that combine information about bus transportation providers and assist in bookings. Different OTA with us:

Wanderu (wanderu.com)

Omio (Go Euro) (omio.com) 

Bus Bud (busbud.com)

The previous ticket needs to be canceled before buying a new one

The only option if the ticket was bought from a third party/OTA is to add the money to the OurBus wallet as credit. There is no alternative here for a refund back to the original payment source

After getting the funds in their OurBus wallet as store credits, customer can use the same while re-booking the tickets as per their choice

Before we or customer(s) proceeds with this, we have to check the availability of the trip and seat(s) availability to which customer is trying to reschedule

Tickets purchased through OurBus, canceled within 24 hours to 30 minutes of the departure time - Customer wants to Reschedule:

The previous ticket needs to be canceled before buying a new one

Before we or customer(s) proceeds with this, we have to check the availability of the trip and seat(s) availability to which customer is trying to reschedule

In this instance, cancelation is possible and the paid amount from the canceled ticket can be transferred as credit to the OurBus wallet

The customer has the option to cancel their current bus ticket within 24 hours to 30 minutes prior to the departure time

The amount will be transferred to their OurBus wallet, which they can use immediately or at any time in the next 5 years

Ticket purchased through OurBus, canceled within 30 minutes of the scheduled departure time

No canceling and rescheduling are possible in this case

We won't be able to cancel the ticket and transfer the money to the customer's OurBus wallet if customers contact us less than 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time; instead, we'll treat the situation as a missed bus and issue a coupon for 50% of the original ticket price

OurBus Initiated Changes (OBIC) Rescheduled

When there has been a change in the customer’s trip from our side. Terminology for such change or cancelation is OBIC (OurBus Initiated Change)

OBIC occurs when there is a change related to Pick/Drop location change, departure/arrival time change

It also happens when we have to discontinue a trip due to weather or any operator related concern such as Driver not available and no alternative can be arranged

We send an email to the customer with the updated itinerary (ticket) in the body of the mail along with the below message:

Hi {customer name}

There has been a modification to your upcoming trip. Please review the details of the new itinerary below. If this new itinerary does not work for you, please contact customer service for additional assistance. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.

-The OurBus Team

The subject line of OBIC mall is “Important: A change to your upcoming trip”

Process Output:

The Canceled & Rescheduled process typically results in the following outputs:

Cancellation Confirmation: Once the cancellation request is processed, the customer receives a confirmation that the booking has been canceled. This typically includes an email notification with a canceled stamp on the ticket.

Also, if the refund medium selected is OurBus Wallet Store Credits, the wallet activation information will also be available on the cancelation email

New Booking (Re-booking) Confirmation: After the cancellation of the previous ticket and refund is processed, the customer can place the new booking as per their choice on our website/app. The customer will receive the ticket of new booking on their email address

Seat Update (Release Seat): The booking inventory is updated to reflect the cancellation (of the previous booking), and the seat is made available for booking again.

Analytics Data: The CX Canceled & Rescheduled process generates data that can be used for analysis, such as the number of cancellations, refunds, and re-bookings, the reasons for cancellations, and the average time it takes to process a refund.

By providing these outputs, the Canceled & Rescheduled process aims to provide clear and transparent communication to the customer, ensure that the refund is processed and re-booking accurately and efficiently, and enable our company to make data-driven decisions about our products and services. Customers should review the output information carefully to ensure that their refund is accurate and that they are satisfied with the outcome of the cancellation and refund process

Exceptions to Normal Process Flow:

Although the CX Canceled & Rescheduled process is designed to be consistent and reliable, there are some exceptions to the normal process flow that may occur. Some scenarios of exceptions that may require additional handling include

1. Customer asking for refund due to OBIC:

   1. OBIC occurs when there is a change related to Pick/Drop location change, departure/arrival time change

   2. It also happens when we have to discontinue a trip due to weather or any operator-related concern such as the Driver not being available and no alternative can be arranged

   3. In this case, we can initiate a refund as per the customer's choice, if the change is not aligned with the customer's itinerary

   4. Irrespective of the timeline, the ticket can be canceled and refunded

2. COVID: The customer is suffering from COVID and has shared a positive report. We can reschedule or initiate a refund as per the customer's choice, as an exception

3. Operator Related: The operator informs us that the trip has to be canceled, we can reschedule or initiate a refund as per the customer's choice. The reason can be Border Crossing issues, Driver Shortage issues

4. If the bus provider is Best Bus/DC Trail, tickets can be canceled 60 minutes before the departure time, unlike our regular cancellation/reschedule policy, which is 30 minutes.

   1. A new ticket should be purchased for the later departure time with the same transportation company, after we have taken customer approval

   2. If the ticket was purchased for the last bus for the day, we could purchase another ticket with the same transportation company for the next available departure

   3. Ensure that the customer has provided approval for the ticket to be purchased at the new departure times

   4. Initial points (1 to 3) provided above are applicable for BestBus/DC Trail, but the initial check is to be done with our Internal Ops/Dispatch team over Slack

Control Points and Measurements:

1. Cancellation and Reschedule Policy: The cancellation policy should be clearly stated on the website and communicated to customers during the booking process. The policy should include information on the deadline for cancellations, any fees that may be charged, and the rescheduling process. Currently, the T&Cs are mentioned on the ticket which is emailed to the customer's registered email address with the hyperlink to “Cancel Ticket” and ”Reschedule Ticket”

2. Customer Support: The travel booking site should have a dedicated customer support team available to assist customers with cancellations and refunds. The team should be knowledgeable about the cancellation policy and refund process and able to respond promptly to customer inquiries. Refer steps to follow for cancelation on the Admin Panel, this is for Rally OurBus team.

3. Refund Processing Time: Provide a clear timeline for processing refunds, which should be communicated to customers at the time of cancellation. The timeline should be reasonable and in line with industry standards

   1. Back to the original payment source refund takes 3-5 business days to reflect

   2. Refund to the OurBus wallet as store credits reflect immediately in the customer(s) OurBus account

4. Notification of Cancellation and Refund (of the previous booking): We notify our customer promptly when a cancellation is made and when a refund is processed

5. Record-keeping and Reporting: Maintaining accurate records of cancellations, refunds, and re-booking (reschedule), including the reason for cancellation, the amount refunded, the rescheduled booking, and the date and time of the transaction(s). This information should be available for reporting and analysis to identify trends and opportunities for improvement

6. Review and Feedback: Regularly review the cancelation and rescheduled process and gather customer feedback to identify areas for improvement. This information should be used to refine policies and procedures to provide a better customer experience