Stephen Monaghan customer service manager, Thomas Cook, Irvine, Scotland
Whole Cover Stars trip was a highlight for Cook agent
Stephen Monaghan’s excitement about the Cover Stars trip to California is infectious.
The customer service manager at Thomas Cook’s Irvine branch certainly didn’t need to be told to “dream big” in line with the destination’s marketing strapline – he was already expecting big things from the trip. “I had never been to California before but had always
wanted to go, and it exceeded all my expectations,” he says. He even struggles to name one single highlight from
the Cover Stars trip – because he enjoyed the whole trip so much. “The full holiday for me was a highlight, from the
hotels we stayed in to the places we went to. It was the trip of a lifetime!” He loved Santa Monica for its choice of restaurants,
friendly vibe, rollerbladers, pier and Ferris wheel; Huntington Beach for its paddleboarding, beach and fire pits; and Palm Springs for its cable car, nature reserve and memorable views. “I really liked Santa Monica; instead of doing a pub crawl you can do a ‘food crawl’. There is so much choice
Stephen’s CV
●2014 to date: customer services manager, Thomas Cook, Irvine
●2007-14: travel sales consultant and foreign exchange consultant, Thomas Cook, Irvine
●2005-06: cabin crew, Thomas Cook Airlines
●2002-05: modern apprentice, Thomas Cook, branches in Kilmarnock and Largs, Scotland
of food; we went to a restaurant serving just raw food! “You can be active and go
cycling or just sit and watch the world go by, it’s so laid back. At Huntington Beach we had marshmallows at the fire pits and chatted, everything was at such a leisurely pace. “When we went up in the
cable car in Palm Springs you could see mountains everywhere and the next day we were in the desert!” While Stephen was bowled
over by the diversity in the scenery and activities on offer, he also loved the chance for a good shop in the Simon retail centres. “I was really surprised how
cheap everything was. I got some nice Converse shoes and Tommy Hilfiger jumpers as well as a bracelet for myself and one for my partner,” he says.
It comes as no surprise that
Stephen’s enthusiasm about California has already led to several sales since he returned from the Cover Stars trip – including a booking for Virgin Atlantic’s upper class cabin. “Quite a few of my customers have booked to go and I have been promoting multi-centres,” he says. “Why go to one place in California when you see so many other, different places [in one trip]?”
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38 •
travelweekly.co.uk — 18 September 2014
CLOTHES COMPLIMENTS OF O’NEILL AT OUTLETS AT ORANGE
READERS’LIVES
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