ALL ABOUT YOU — MYSTERY SHOPPER
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MYSTERY
SHOPPER
THIS WEEK’S
WINNING AGENT
Joanne Bage
travel consultant
“I’ve been at Thomas
Cook for 15 years and
before that worked for
Hilton. I love the day‑today contact the job
brings and the fact that
I’m selling people their
dream. I really enjoy
talking to people.”
would
ovember. They
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part of it, but
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00. Verdict:
like to stay in
r. Budget: £4,5
u
to
a
r
e
d
si
n
ble holiday.
would co
ote for a suita
u
q
a
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e
ff
o
to
and beyond
I was welcomed as soon as I entered this store by
a friendly agent. She asked pertinent questions
about my budget. We looked at several options
with Cosmos, Thomas Cook, Insight Vacations and
Cresta, but the agent could find none for the week
requested. However, she recommend a Cosmos
holiday departing a week earlier. She advised me
it might take a while to get a quote and promised
to phone me later in the day, which she did. I was
quoted £4,425 for a holiday including a stay at
the Fosshotel Reykjavik, flights and transfers, plus a
seven-day tour. The agent encouraged me to book
and let me know what days she was in the office
that week. It was a pleasure to be served by this
appearance
10% Overall
experience
TIME
OUT
Any agency that keeps
Mystery Shopper
waiting for 15 minutes
without acknowledgement
will fail to score!
agent and I could not commend her more
highly for the research she put into this request. I
would have no hesitation booking with this agency.
Bath Travel
THE SQUARE, TITCHFIELD
I received a warm welcome from a
friendly agent who went on to make a
considerable effort to find a holiday to
meet my needs. The agent asked lots
of questions. I said I would consider a
tour, which the agent felt was suitable.
However, after looking at options
with Collette Holidays, Titan, Insight
Vacations and various cruises, the
Scoring system
50% Advice and
25% Customer service
15% External/internal
Want to know how you could have scored 100%?
We look at some options to create an ideal itinerary
Reykjavik
38 Westbury Mall, Fareham
75%
product
knowledge
PERFECT SCORE
WINNER!
94%
Thomas Cook
Th
can dink you
o b ett
e r?
Have
your
say at
trave
:
co.uklweekly.
/advic
e
Mystery Shopper,
in association with
agent was unable to find something
suitable as many tours didn’t run in
November. There was a Cox & Kings
option that might have worked but it
was at least £1,500 over budget. The
agent offered very good customer
service and was keen to find something
suitable. I would return to this agency
in the future.
Thomson
50%
19 Westbury Mall
I was greeted promptly by an agent
who appeared friendly but not overly
enthusiastic. We looked at possible
options with Thomson Holidays,
Leger Holidays, Shearings, Trafalgar
and Insight Vacations. The agent
also looked at Cosmos tours and the
possibility of a cruise with stops in
44 • travelweekly.co.uk — 24 April 2014
Iceland. However, I felt the agent did
not ask sufficient questions to find
out exactly what sort of holiday I was
looking for; there was no real mention
of budget or the type of holiday I
wanted. The agent made no attempt
to source an alternative option after
saying no tours were available.
Wedding anniversary trips can
come in different forms. Sun,
sea and sand won’t fit the bill
for all couples, especially those
keen for an adventure in an offthe-beaten-track destination.
This week, Mystery Shopper
was keen to explore Iceland. All
three agents searched hard for
a tour in November to suit the
couple’s needs and, while the
winning agent’s quote was for
a tour, Mystery Shopper could
have been switch-sold into
travelling independently with
use of a hire car. Another option
not considered was a tailormade itinerary. The agents also
rather overlooked the potential
to offer anniversary add-ons,
such as a couples spa treatment
or special romantic dinner.
Reykjavik
If it is your client’s first visit to
Iceland, Reykjavik is a must. A
stroll around the old town is
recommended. Although it is
small, the array of architecture
and historic buildings will
interest culture fans.
And while it may not be
a tropical city, that’s no
reason not to go swimming –
remember to recommend the
outdoor geothermal pools,
something for which Iceland is
well known.
For stunning views of the city,
the Perlan viewing platform,
built on top of hot water storage
tanks to the southeast of the
city centre, is the perfect spot.
Northern lights
Many people visit Iceland
with the hope of spotting the
wondrous northern lights. Do
Something Different offers a
Northern Lights Mystery tour
which sets off from the capital
(£30 for adults/£17 for children).
SAMPLE product
Cosmos Tours & Cruises’
Images of Iceland tour
includes a stay in Reykjavik,
visits to the Blue Lagoon and
Golden Circle and a northern
lights excursion, from £1,630.
cosmostoursandcruises.co.uk
0808 115 4870
Regent Holidays offers a
two-week Iceland package
from £3,738, including flights
to Reykjavik, stays in the city
and elsewhere, car hire and
several excursions.
regent-holidays.co.uk
020 7666 1244
24 April 2014 — travelweekly.co.uk • 45