AGENTS remain sceptical about charging service fees to clients despite evidence unveiled at the ABTAconvention that the public is warming to the idea of paying a charge.
The Agent of the Future survey showed that 29% of the public are happy to pay a fee with a further 44% reluctantly prepared to fork out.
The research was undertaken by global distribution systems supplier Amadeus in association with Travel Weekly and ABTA (Travel Weekly November 29).
Only 8% of respondents quizzed said they would refuse to make a booking at an agency where they would be charged.
Speaking at the ABTA Convention, Thomas Cook retail managing director Andrew Windsor said he had received just one complaint since fees for low-value bookings were introduced in 1997.
“I would love not to charge a fee but the economic realities is that we have shareholders to satisfy,” he said. “But we haven’t seen any drop in sales figures.” However Bath Travel joint-managing director Stephen Bath and Co-op Travelcare general manager Yvonne Rankin both rejected charging customers.
Rankin said: “There are many ways of making extra money without resorting to charging for our services.”