THE LEADERBOARD Who’s the best travel seller in the UK so far this year?
Go to
ttgdigital.com/mysteryshopper for profiles of former winners and to see our Mystery Shopper leaderboard.
The runners up 2nd
Independence Travel 11 Norwich Street
The window looked cluttered and showed offers that were out of date. I was the only customer, and I was greeted immediately by two friendly consultants who worked together to fulfil my needs. They checked Ryanair’s website for information about cycle carriage, but the flights were not on sale yet, so they looked at British Airways and printed off the information relating to bikes. They didn’t ask about my budget and the flight from Gatwick was more than I wanted to pay. They advised me that it was cheaper to pre-book baggage rather than pay at the airport. They didn’t offer to follow up when Ryanair prices were released. The consultants were friendly and efficient but there was little attempt to close the sale or take my details.
WIN 3rd
Thomas Cook 1 Millers Walk
4th
Norwegian
Norwegian.com
The outside of the shop was neat and tidy. I wasn’t acknowledged on entry, and it took a while for me to be served, which was off-putting. When a consultant became free they did thank me for waiting. They were friendly and gave me their full attention, taking an interest in my overall travel plans. The British Airways flight from Heathrow fell within my budget at £446. They seemed knowledgeable about taking bikes on to planes, but advised me to call the airline myself to book this. The consultant was enthusiastic and efficient, but no attempt was made to secure my business, and they didn’t take my contact details.
The website wasn’t top of the search list, but it stood out because it mentioned bicycles. It was an eye-catching, bold site, with offers and deals, but it took a while to locate a phone number in the small print. The route involved a stopover in Copenhagen, which had to be an overnight on the way out. The tickets were restrictive, as I could not amend them once booked, but this was the only search with the option to book the flight and bike carriage simultaneously. At £603, the flights were over budget, which did not justify the hassle of flying indirect, and there was no incentive to book.
TTGhas teamed up with React Surveys to simulate a realistic booking process each week – that means a mystery shopper looking for the best deal from agents and operators on the high street, online, on TV or in newspapers. The Mystery Shopper research is carried out on behalf of TTGby React Surveys, and no further details or information can be disclosed. Researchers take into consideration first impression, sales process, product and budget match and extras offered before giving an unbiased opinion
of which channel/company they would have booked with on that occasion. We do not claim that the winner is the best in an area or specialist sector, as we may report on competing travel firms in the future. Please note that the aim of Mystery Shopper is not to criticise individual agents or companies, but to promote good sales technique for the benefit of all in the travel trade.
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