| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 29/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 5 |
| Copyright: Other |
Jacobs criticises retailers for wasting booking opportunity
HOLIDAY Autos chairman and chief executive Clive Jacobs launched a scathing attack on agents after revealing retailers have snubbed an extranet site set up for their benefit.Speaking during an interview with Travel Weekly editor Jeremy Skidmore at the Advantage conference, Jacobs said the site had been a waste of money.
“The response has been very disappointing,” he told agents. “I don’t know why we made the investment. I think we had a record day last Friday – 20 bookings.
“The Web has created an opportunity but agents are not using it. I find this urge to cling onto viewdata baffling.”
Jacobs also condemned agents for complaining and defended his decision to launch a Web site for the public.
Referring to a recent survey in which only 19 out of 100 agents had offered car hire, he said: “They moan about the business, the multiples and this and that but they don’t try hard enough to sell to the people who come through the door.
“If we did not get direct bookings we could not afford to pay the commissions.”
He revealed Holiday Autos forks out £40m a year in worldwide commissions.
Jacobs, who was applauded for his honesty, also criticised ARTAC for ripping up its contract with Holiday Autos in favour of Hertz.
“We spent years supporting ARTAC but when Hertz want travel agents’ business they offer a lot of money and cars for directors and we are dropped like a stone,” he said.
Jacobs: angered by agents’ response to the extranet