WANTED
A retired couple are looking for a one-week river cruise in Europe in 2020, as they like the idea of sightseeing at a relaxing pace.
They can’t decide where to go, and while they’ve heard the Danube is popular, they’re open to alternative suggestions. They want
scenery, history and culture. They can travel at any time, but would prefer to fly to the embarkation port, rather than to travel by coach. BUDGET: £4,000
THE VERDICT
All the cruises offered by the agents included interesting itineraries that suited the shopper’s requirements. Oneworld Travel and Tui both offered great service, with the agents determined to find the best options, although the latter’s quotes were rather under budget and only from Tui River Cruises. Mystery Shopper felt they had to press for more information from the Hays Travel agent and the flights offered were far from ideal.
WINNING AGENT
ASSISTANT MANAGER claire jarvis
We do a lot of river and ocean cruises. We have an affluent local
market and lots of customers are retired. I’ve not been on a river cruise, but we have reps who come in to see us. I’ve been in travel for 20 years – and I was mystery shopped during my first week in the job.
SCORING SYSTEM
10% Appearance/first impressions 25% Customer service 25% Advice and product knowledge 25% Holiday details 15% Overall experience
oneworld travel SATURDAY MARKET
IMPRESSIONS: The shop was well maintained and the staff looked professional in smart uniforms with name badges.
SERVICE: I was greeted by a friendly and knowledgeable agent who asked plenty of questions, checked with operators and offered lots of options. She showed me three brochures and discussed different-priced options. She said June and September were the most popular months, and the Danube the top destination. She recommended Riviera Travel and offered to order a brochure for me after checking details and flights for the Blue Danube cruise.
QUOTES: The first was for Riviera Travel’s seven-night Blue Danube cruise on Geoffrey Chaucer in July 2020, flying from Manchester with Jet2. The price was £4,298, including flights, transfers and tours. The agent recommended this option because it was rated 9.4 out of 10 by previous customers and the ship was new. The second was Titan Travel’s seven-night Majesty of the Danube cruise on Bellejour in June, flying from Manchester, via Amsterdam, with KLM. The price was £4,058 including transfers, flights and door-to-door VIP travel service.
OVERALL: I would recommend this agent as she built a good rapport and showed a genuine interest in the enquiry. She investigated several options and the choices offered met my requirements.
87% 54 12 DECEMBER 2019
travelweekly.co.uk
THIS WEEK’S WINNER
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