ALL ABOUT YOU — MYSTERY SHOPPER
WINNER!
THIS WEEK’S WINNING AGENT
Sharon Pye senior travel advisor
Garstang Travel 52B MARKET PLACE
95%
“I’ve worked at Garstang for 12 years and there’s a great team spirit here. We’ve had an increase in customers asking for China trips; I had several in one week, so recent training with Travel Indochina definitely helped. I was able to call them for this request because the April dates weren’t in the brochure.”
SCORING SYSTEM 50%
Advice and product knowledge
25% 15%
10%
TIME OUT
Customer service
External/internal appearance
Overall experience
Any agency that keeps Mystery Shopper waiting for 15 minutes without acknowledgement will fail to score!
Thomas Cook 43 FISHERGATE
I wasn’t acknowledged until it was my turn to be served, which was more than 20 minutes after entering the branch. The agent was enthusiastic and friendly, but not overly patient. The agent became a little irate with the customer before me. Initially I was told Thomas Cook Signature would be the
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travelweekly.co.uk — 28 August 2014
best option, so the agent made a call and after 20 minutes of silence I was told it wasn’t possible and I was given a quote with Kuoni. I wasn’t told about the hotel, but that the trip would cost £4,532 with British Airways flights. I was left waiting for long periods and was in the branch for more than two hours.
I was acknowledged by two agents as soon as I entered. The agent who assisted me was patient and enthusiastic. She asked where I wanted to go, when and if I had any specific requirements. We looked at several options and the agent was keen on showing me the benefits of each rather than going for the first one. I was quoted £6,852 for Travel Indochina’s 15-day China Panaroma tour. The agent sought advice from a colleague who knew someone who had recently been on the tour. I was given brochures and lots of other materials. The agent encouraged me to book and told me how much the deposit would be, but backtracked on pushing the sale and asked if I needed to speak to my husband.
80%
STA Travel 65-67 FYLDE ROAD
The agent who assisted me was very patient and friendly from the moment I walked in. I was asked numerous questions to find out my needs and the agent was very knowledgeable about the destination and trip. I was quoted £2,226 tour-only for a trip that involved staying in several hostels, an
overnight train cabin and a night bus. The agent said dates would be subject to me confirming because places were very limited. I would have liked more detail and flight information because the detail given was a little vague. I also would have liked for the agent to have attempted to close the deal.
I would definitely recommend this company. I was made to feel welcome and nothing was too much trouble for this agent.
TIME OUT
MYSTERY SHOPPER
This Week: Preston, Lancashire Wanted: An adventure through China
A couple want a holiday-of-a-lifetime in China. They can take up to three weeks in April and want to tour the country, either independently or as part of an escorted tour. Budget: £8,000 Verdict:The winning agent did everything she could to tick all the boxes.
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