| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 28/08/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 8 |
| Copyright: Other |
Comment
Jury still out on JMC one year after start
A half-term school report on JMC’s performance might say ‘plenty of potential but must do better’.Thomas Cook’s tour operation received good and bad press when it was launched a year ago. Good, because no sensible person is going to criticise a company for trying to improve standards and give customers what they want. Bad, because JMC promised a revolution, ‘history in the making’ and made all kinds of wild claims when in reality it had little new to offer at the time of launch.
It’s not really fair to ask the multiples their view of JMC because they are, by their own admission, largely there to sell their own in-house products.
But when we spoke to independent agents, they tell us that a year on, JMC is still struggling to live up to the hype.
Incentives like free pre-bookable seats are clearly an added bonus but are they enough to make people choose JMC? And has the extensive advertising campaign, which often carries a cryptic message, got through to holidaymakers?
Agents don’t seem to be anti-JMC but they will take some convincing yet that it’s a cut above its rivals.
One of the best things JMC is doing is constantly asking the views of agents.This will help the company to find out what people really want from their holidays and this move should be applauded.
JeremySkidmore – editor