p26-27 Letters Sept25 22/9/09 16:43 Page 26
Your letters
Worldchoice’s ‘preferred’
plan makes me want to quit
Any move towards directional selling would
make me seriously consider my TTA-Worldchoice
membership (TTG September 18).
I ‘bait’ buyers by
The last thing I want to be is branded in the
same way as the multiples for pushing the
wrong product.
Having a single preferred operator for a
particular sector is denying the client access
honouring prices
to other, possibly, more suitable suppliers.
Additionally, I know my customers better
than anyone and I also know, after 40 years in
the trade, which operators service their needs
best. I don’t need a committee or a not-yet- LET
appointed “sales manager” to tell me. A PROPORTION of internet
OF THE
TER
print the results. Maybe Trading
companies clearly chooses to Standards or another body could
Rob Tait deceive and hoodwink clients
WEEK
look into this too.
director, GB Travel Group into handing over card details and I do not sell holidays online. This
personal details prior to making a gives me the distinct advantage over
Thanks, Mark Warner, for reservation via their websites (“Online online operators of knowing always that
letting us beat your web price agents rap rivals’ ‘unobtainable’ prices”, the price I give is a price I can honour if the
In common with all retail agents, we have a ttglive.com). customer wishes to book their holiday at the
constant battle to match prices offered by This leaves the client thinking they have time of the quote.
operators on their websites. So we would like to made a reservation, only to later receive a call They trust me and have confidence in me.
thank Mark Warner for its excellent support. to be told the price has increased and they And this is why customers keep returning to
Not only did it recently help us secure a must pay the difference or receive a refund. me, why I have 80% repeat business and
group booking. It also allowed us to match, and Unfortunately, this ploy is not much why, without any incentives from me, they
better, its web price. different from Teletext companies that have, are happy to refer me to friends, family and
It is a pleasure to feel we are working for years, advertised non-existent holidays. work colleagues.
together and not in competition. This is just the web’s way of taking it one
step further. Steve Norris.
Cheryl Essam Perhaps TTG might like to mystery-shop personal travel counsellor,
director, Sunways Travel, Longfield, Kent some of these internet companies and then Travel Counsellors
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26 25.09.2009
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