THE LEADERBOARD
Jamie Harffey from Thomas Cook was top seller for November and wins a £25 attractions voucher. See why Jamie won at
ttgdigital.com/mysteryshopper
high street v internet
Britmen Travel 38 Lincoln Rd
First impressions: The window was vibrant and a friendly agent greeted me immediately. The store was clean and uncluttered. The consultant seemed interested in my custom, and was smartly dressed. 10/10
Sales process: The agent explained they had a lot of work to do as a result of the floods in Thailand and asked if I could leave my details. They asked all the necessary questions and promised to call. 8/15
Product match: The consultant called at 7.30pm that evening but I was unable to talk. When I phoned back they apologised for being unable to book the holiday for me but directed me to three specialist operators that I could book with direct. 6/15
Making the sale: I was not given any information to take away from the store, though the consultant had seemed genuinely enthusiastic about helping me. It was unfortunate that no sale could be attempted. 1/10
Responsible Travel
Responsibletravel.com
First impressions: This website was clearly laid out in neutral colours, and easy to use. There was a contact tab and phone number, with price guidelines alongside a recommended holiday. 8/10
Sales process: The website generated a holiday based around the Asa Wright Centre. The site offered great detail on the suggested itinerary and a quick quote request form. 7/15
Product match: I liked the sound of 12 nights split between Asa Wright Centre on Trinidad and Blue Waters Inn on Tobago with BA Holidays starting at £3,990. 10/15
Making the sale: The site was well written and organised, which made me feel confident about the holiday suggested. 6/10
Geodyssey
Geodyssey.co.uk
First impressions: This website was clearly laid out with inviting colours and a dominant phone number. Changing photos along the top gave an insight into local animal habitats and there was a lot of description of tour options. 8/10
Sales process: When I spoke to an agent, they seemed less interested in asking me questions than guiding me back to the downloadable brochure. I was not asked my budget, though the consultant was knowledgeable about island birds. 9/15
Product match: They could tailor a holiday to my budget but staying at the Asa Wright Centre would be £4,100 for two weeks. The agent said Trinidad was better than Tobago for wildlife watching and that I could save money by limiting my time with a bird guide. 12/15
Making the sale: I was unable to get package details online because the hotel page was unavailable. I did not feel any nearer to booking a holiday after talking with the consultant, though they made me aware of the bird-watching options in a friendly manner. 6/10
50% 62% 70%
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powered by 01.12.2011 37
This week’s winner
Name: Lucy Wing Agency: Thomson How long have you been in travel? Ever since I left school 12 years ago. What do you sell most of? Benidorm and other Mediterranean resorts are our bread and butter, and we sell lots of three or four-week stays to older clients. So do you only sell Thomson? We do 20% of our business through comparable operators such as Olympic Holidays and Jet2. What do you personally specialise in? I love to sell Mexico because I’ve been four times already and plan to go to Cancun again next year. Have you ever sold Tobago? Never, but I called Hayes & Jarvis for advice and researched bird-watching tours that could be booked in-resort. Where is on your wish list? I’m hoping to visit Dubai soon.
Who gets the booking? The Britmen Travel consultant was unable to book for me. Responsible Travel’s site worked well but could only offer me limited options. The Geodyssey site was excellent for researching the destination, but I would have booked with Lucy at Thomson because she found a selection of packages, was knowledgeable and seemed to enjoy the job.
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