mystery shopper

mystery shopper

this week: Leicester

Lunn Poly

15/17 Granby Street,Leicester &#42H

Three consultants were on duty and there were no other customers. I was asked immediately if I needed help when I approached the brochure racks.

The consultant picked out the Thomson brochure and was keen to offer me the Virgin brochure but it did not feature Canada.

I was assured the resorts were fine for all abilities, although she admitted she had never skied.

A pleasant service which was hampered by lack of product knowledge.

&#42 Agency appearanceH Staff attitude

The Independent Travel Company

A medium-sized agency with four consultants on duty. Three were on the telephone and there was a busy, buzzy atmosphere.

The consultant who served me went to the back office and returned with Thomson, Crystal and Neilson brochures and checked they featured Canada.

I asked if you needed to be an experienced skier to tackle the Canadian slopes and the consultant said she didn’t think so. Polite but did not give me reason to return.

&#42 Agency appearanceH Brochure racking

Going Places

133 Granby Street,

Leicester &#42&#42&#42

A neat, bright looking agency with three consultants behind high counters. The brochure racks were well stocked.

I was served immediately by a consultant who pointed out the Airtours brochure.

A colleague overheard my enquiry and approached me with a wall chart highlighting the features of the various ski resorts. The original consultant checked the Canadian resorts and said they were suitable for all grades of skier. A 20% discount off Airtours’ brochure was pointed out to me.

&#42 Agency appearance

&#42 Staff attitudeH Brochure racking

Thomas Cook

39 Granby Street

Leicester

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Thomas Cook

39 Granby Street

Leicester

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This was one of the best Mystery Shopper experiences ever! An attractive looking agency with new, plush-looking carpet.

The brochure holders were a bit patchy on the supply front. On hearing my enquiry, an enthusiastic consultant told me he had been to Canada a couple of times and highly recommended Whistler. He said that since the opening of Blackcomb, we could get two resorts for the cost of one lift pass.

He reassured me that for a mixed group, there would be no problem as the highest lift brought you to slopes with a green run option. He chatted about the great ‘feel’ of Canadian snow versus French snow and demonstrated a few carve turns in the shop before asking about my own ski experiences.

I was encouraged to “get him working” by letting the other group members know they could call him with any queries.

He mentioned Lake Louise as another alternative, gave me the Neilson brochure and his business card. I left feeling very excited about the prospect of booking the holiday.

&#42 Agency appearance

&#42 Staff attitude

&#42 Sales technique &#42 Product knowledge

&#42 TOP TIPS FOR AGENTS &#42

Tip 1: A top-selling tip from the Thomas Cook consultant. He said that with a big group there were bound to be plenty of queries, so he said I should not be afraid to get the others in the party to call him with any problems. It all sounded so good and gave a real impression of an agent who was keen to organise the best possible holiday for you.

REQUEST

In the first of two visits to Leicester, Mystery Shopper called on agents to ask about ski holidays in Canada for a group of eight or nine friends.She wanted advice on whether the group needed to be very experienced to tackle the North American slopes. The service from Thomas Cook was superb in terms of product knowledge, friendly service and sales technique.

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Each week, Mystery Shopper will be calling on agents in different areas. Stars are awarded to agents which score for:

&#42 Agency appearance

&#42 Product knowledge

&#42 Staff attitude

&#42 Brochure racking

&#42 Sales technique

The top-scoring agency each week receives a Travel Weekly certificate ofcommendation

Please noteno additional information will be given about Mystery Shopper’s visits.