Very attractive, spacious looking offices with a very professional appearance.
Five consultants were seated at individual desks and I was served immediately by a friendly agent who picked out the Quest Worldwide Australia brochure. She indicated the hotels where we could stay in the city.
I asked about the options for touring and the consultant first suggested we could combine a visit to Perth with a trip to Darwin but immediately scotched that suggestion because it would be too wet in March. She suggested a drive up the coast as far as Broome and said that would take about three days at a fast pace but could be done more leisurely with stop offs en route. She suggested a visit to Monkey Mia resort, adding the reef there was comparable to the Barrier Reef.
She said it was advisable to book soon though she did not give me a business card or press me to return to make a booking.
H Agency appearanceH Staff attitude
H Brochure racking
H Product knowledge
Two consultants were on duty at this nice looking agency.
Brochures were racked behind the counter as well as along the back wall and there appeared to be an interesting selection. I was served by a friendly consultant who quickly ran through flight options and suggested a Qantas flight into Perth and out of Sydney which worked out at £670 per person. When I asked about travelling around the Perth area, she was a bit flummoxed as this was the one part of Oz she had apparently not visited. She picked out Contiki Holidays brochure and the Australia New Zealand Oz Experience which is geared to independent backpackers.
Rather odd choice, but she had obviously formed an impression about me and the style of holiday I was after.
There were two consultants on duty in this gloomy looking agency.
There were no customers but as it was towards the end of the working day, the pair seemed very disinclined to bother with me. On hearing my enquiry, one of the consultants picked out Kuoni Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific brochure as well as Going Places’ overbranded Australia brochure operated by Airtours. He admitted he did not know anything about the country and so could not give any suggestions about itineraries. He suggested I look through and call back if I needed further information.
This was a very lacklustre sales technique although the consultant was polite and disarmingly honest.
Two consultants were on duty in this very large agency.
The brochure racks were empty. I was served immediately by a consultant who commented that there were only a few operators selling Australia. She picked out the Kuoni Australia brochure from the shelves and handed it over without going through it with me. She also mentioned Qantas packages but did not have a brochure to give me. She tried to recall the name of another operator selling Australia but was stumped and could only remember that it sounded like ‘anest’. She did not bother to look anything up. I asked if flights were direct to Perth and was told that all flights went via Singapore which presumably meant she thought Perth was a Far Eastern stopover.
H Agency appearance
H Staff attitude
H Agency appearance
H Brochure racking
H Staff attitude
Mystery Shopper was planning a March trip to Perth in Australia for a friend’s wedding and intended to take advantage of her two weeks there by travelling around to see the area. She called on agents in Kingston upon Thames for advice. The winner was Quest Worldwide Travel and Tours because it was the only agency to give specific advice on the destination
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 note that noadditional information will be given about Mystery Shopper’s visits.
Tip 1: Don’t assume that the scruffy looking client in front of you is a backpacker and wants to rough it on a coach filled with other scruffy backpackers. It may be his or her day off from work and the Armani suit is left at home so do check the client’s holiday budget before making assumptions.
Tip 2: If you can’t remember the name of the operator specialising in the destination your customer is interested in, look it up.