ALL ABOUT YOU — MYSTERY SHOPPER
L
CRUISE
THIS WEEK’S WINNING AGENT
Kirsty Briddon senior sales consultant
Bolsover Cruise Club
90%
“I have worked at Bolsover for two years and before that I was with the Co-op for four years. I joined Bolsover because I wanted to work for a family-owned business and I love selling cruises. I love the range of destinations there is with cruises.”
The website was well laid out and easy to use. I felt that I could have easily found something to suit my requirements. The phone number was prominent and my call was answered quickly by an enthusiastic and friendly agent. She gave me her contact details, and also those of a colleague. The agent had a great cruise knowledge and readily gave recommendations. The first was with P&O Cruises, sailing on Oceana for £3,398 in an outside cabin. The agent said it would include £260 on-board credit. The second was for £4,010, also in an outside cabin on Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas. I was given balcony quotes for both lines but they were overbudget, and I was also given a final quote for an ex-UK option with Celebrity Cruises for £4,710. The agent gave full
81%
Cruise.co.uk
SCORING SYSTEM 50%
Advice and product knowledge
25% 15%
10%
TIME OUT
Customer service
External/internal appearance
Overall experience
Any agency that keeps Mystery Shopper waiting for 15 minutes without acknowledgement will fail to score!
Iglu Cruise
I found it easy to find spa cruises on the company’s website, and the phone number was easy to spot. I called and spoke to an agent, who didn’t seem overly enthusiastic about my holiday request. I felt I could have been listened to more and consideration should have been taken of my lack
56 •
travelweekly.co.uk — 15 January 2015
of cruise knowledge in handling my enquiry. I was told that Celebrity Cruises was my only option. The first quote I received was overbudget, but the agent came back with a suitable suggestion on Celebrity Reflection, sailing on a 12-night eastern Mediterranean cruise for £4,150.
60%
The website was very informative, but I found it hard to block out things that weren’t relevant to what I was looking for. The company’s phone number was at the top of the page and an agent answered my call within a couple of minutes. I liked the fact there was an option to leave a voicemail. The agent who assisted me
was incredibly friendly, enthusiastic and patient, and I was impressed with her knowledge. She recommended Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises. I was given one quote for Princess and two for Celebrity, all ranging in price from £3,833 to £3,998. I would have felt confident about booking with this friendly consultant.
WINNER!
details of the extras I could get if I booked early and followed up with an email. This was first- class service and I would have been happy to book.
MYSTERY SHOPPER
This Week: Cruise specialists Wanted: A cruise for a pair of first-timers
A couple would like a 14-night fly-cruise in May or June. They’re novices and need an agent’s advice to pick the right cruise line, but would like good spa facilities. Budget: £4,500. Verdict: The winning agent was thorough and knowledgeable.
E
S
N
P
E
I
C
T
I
D
A
I
O
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112