WANTED
A middle-aged couple would like to escape for some winter sun but not to fly too far. They like the idea of the Middle East, Egypt and Israel but are happy to consider the Canaries, Madeira or
other parts of North Africa. They want a short break in a relaxing hotel in a beach resort. They’d like to fly from a local airport and can travel any time in December, January or February. BUDGET: £1,800
THE VERDICT
Althams and Thomas Cook offered great levels of service and product knowledge. The Althams agent edged it with her enthusiasm and personal experience. The shopper had to work hard to extract details from the Hays agent. Quotes from all three agencies were well under budget – many of them considerably so – meaning there were missed opportunities to upsell to a more luxurious holiday or to secure upgrades.
WINNING AGENT
ASSISTANT MANAGER BECCI HUGHES
We get a lot of winter-sun enquiries, especially at this time of year when
people return from their holidays. I went to Hurghada last year and loved it. Tunisia is popular now it is back on sale – with people who have visited before and with those who want to go for the first time.
SCORING SYSTEM
10% APPearance/first impressions 25% Customer service 25% Advice and product knowledge 25% Holiday details 15% Overall experience
ALTHAMS TRAVEL 9 MARKET STREET
IMPRESSIONS: The store was tidy, with smart, uniformed staff. The window displays were interesting but rather busy.
SERVICE: Two agents were serving customers but one nodded at me after three minutes. A colleague arrived in the shop after five minutes and invited me to discuss my holiday. The enthusiastic agent asked lots of questions and shared her experiences of Hurghada in Egypt, bringing the resort to life. She explained in detail about excursions and asked if I could extend the holiday to include a Nile cruise. I felt like a valued customer as the agent worked extremely hard to find two suitable holidays.
QUOTES: Both quotes were for all-inclusive seven-night Thomas Cook holidays, flying from Manchester in January. The first was for Sunrise Holidays Resort in Hurghada, Egypt, for £1,024. The agent said it would provide an ideal base for a relaxed holiday with sightseeing. The second was for Medina Belisaire & Thalasso Resort in Yasmine Hammamet, Tunisia, for £598. It was so cheap that there would be plenty of room in the budget for shopping and excursions.
OVERALL: I would have been happy to book as both options matched my brief, with money to spare. The agent gave a vibrant flavour of Hurghada with her personal recollections.
87% 42 5 SEPTEMBER 2019
travelweekly.co.uk
THIS WEEK’S WINNER
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