| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 03/07/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 15 |
| Copyright: Other |
mystery shopper
mystery shopper
mystery shopper
this week: central London
REQUESTMystery Shopper called on agents in central London to ask for advice on a forthcoming trip to China. She was considering a two-week package combining Beijing with another part of the country but wanted suggestions on the best options. None of the agents came up with anything. Overall, the standard was dire.
HHHHH
Each week, Mystery Shopper will be calling on agents in different areas. Stars are awarded to agents which score for:
H Agency appearance
H Product knowledge
H Staff attitude
H Brochure racking
H Sales technique
The top-scoring agency each week receives a Travel Weekly certificate ofcommendation
Please notethat no additional information will be given about Mystery Shopper’s visits.
American Express
111 Cheapside
London H
There was a long queue at the bureau de change and three staff on duty at the retail counter. I was served immediately. The consultant said if I booked a package, I wouldn’t have any flexibility and suggested it would be better to book the flight and hotel separately as I would have more independence. A staff member went to the back office but could not find a relevant brochure. We agreed I should try Thomas Cook down the road.
H Agency appearance
Rickards Travel
96-98 Southampton Row
London H
The shop had a simple exterior but looked attractive in a low key sort of way. However, I got a big disappointment. The décor was nice but the service was awful. A consultant was busy writing up paperwork and the radio was blaring away. I was just not acknowledged. When I made my presence felt, the consultant said he knew nothing about China. He pointed me to the Kuoni, Cresta and Gold Medal brochures and asked me to check the brochures myself to see if China was in them.
H Agency appearance
Thomas Cook
103-4 Cheapside
London HH
There were seven consultants at the counter. The brochure racks looked pretty empty. There were five people in the queue but the consultant came out from the back office and checked with all of us to see if she could help. On my enquiry, she went off in search of the relevant brochure. She handed over a Kuoni Worldwide brochure valid from January 2001. She added the prices were wrong but it would give me an idea of what was available. No suggestion was made to call back.
H Agency appearance
H Staff attitude
Lunn Poly
116 High Holborn
London
HHH
There were four consultants on duty in this agency. The brochure racks looked half empty. I had a short wait and was served within 5mins. The consultant asked briskly how many were travelling and when we were thinking of going. She picked out the Kuoni Worldwide brochure and indicated it was for next year so I would have to call the agency for prices for the coming September. She added the operator would allow us to do tailor-made arrangements and we could combine the visit to China with another country. She handed over a brochure at this point without ever opening it or referring me to the relevant pages. In all, it seemed like stock advice which could have applied to an enquiry about any country. The agency only won because of the mediocre response from rivals. What a shame agents cannot show more enthusiasm for an enquiry which could lead to a valuable booking.
H Staff attitude
H Agency appearance
H Sales technique
H TOP TIPS FOR AGENTS H
Tip 1: Do make the effort of looking up from your paperwork when a customer comes in.