p7 news May1 29/4/09 22:17 Page 7
ttglive.com
news
‘Rock’s failure
Gold Medal’s sales drive
policy let-down’
Lee Hayhurst.
regional dinners in June. A further four bookings
GOLD Medal is offering six Mini cars to agents in will make them eligible for the fam trip.
a sales incentive which it hopes will double its Marshall said winning agents will have to
AN AGENT has raised questions about an sales to Dubai’s Atlantis Palm resort. demonstrate what they have done above and
insurance policy hailed as the potential answer The Golden Ticket incentive launches this beyond the ordinary to grow sales to Atlantis.
to the industry’s consumer protection problems week and will culminate in a fam trip for 50 “There is too much doom and gloom at the
after it refused to pay out on a £45,000 claim. agents to Atlantis in September, during which moment, and our objective is to really turn
Guy Widman, of Journey the World, said Rock the cars will be won. agents on. We want to give them something to
Insurance’s supplier failure cover “could have Five agents will win a Mini for a year, while one be really excited about,” he said.
been the answer to all our prayers”. will win the star prize of a convertible Mini for “For us the real growth opportunity is with
But he said Rock refused to pay out, telling three years. agents who currently do not book Dubai Atlantis
him the firm he booked with was known to be in Lee Marshall, Gold Medal’s head of travel or are not booking with us.”
financial difficulty at the time of booking. industry sales, said: “We wanted to put an Marshall said the go-ahead for the incentive
Widman has taken the case up with Abta, and incentive in place to take us back to the good was given after a The Apprentice-style pitch to
head of legal Simon Bunce has written to Rock times, when there were really exciting initiatives Atlantis bosses.
asking for clarification of the policy’s terms. in the market.” Dubai hotels have reported reduced occu-
Widman contrasted the way Rock handled his Initially, every agent who makes a booking will pancy, but Marshall said Atlantis sales “had a
case with its response to the XL Leisure Group receive a portable DVD player including their good start” since its opening in September.
collapse, when it paid out on flight-only bookings. Golden Ticket and pre-loaded with a message He added: “It’s one of the most exciting
“How can they expect me or the customer to from Gold Medal. properties anyone’s ever seen. It’s a premium
make a full financial check on their suppliers and Those who make another three bookings will property with a premium price but when you get
how can they turn my claim down when they become eligible to be invited to one of seven under the skin of what it does, it’s fantastic.”
covered customers of XL, which was known to be
in trouble for a long time,” he said.
Widman took out the policy at £4 a head for
J AMAICA ANTIGUA ST. LUCIA BAHAMAS
nine customers who booked a £45,000 stay at
the luxury Indigo ski lodges in the French Alps.
They booked the holiday in autumn last year,
and paid the balance in December. Indigo failed
in January.
Rock Insurance was unavailable for comment
as TTG went to press.
■ Rock boss slams Abta and Atol: Letters, p32
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