Location: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Shopping for: A trip to Japan for a young couple
The agencies
Global Travel
18 Hatter Street, Bury St Edmunds
Score: 17%
There was limited signage outside the shop, but the premises were well presented and clean. Inside was tidy, with plenty of brochures on display. Two members of staff were on duty; one was using a laptop and the other greeted me. Both employees were well presented.
I was the only customer in the shop. An agent introduced herself. She was friendly and laid back. Her knowledge was excellent as she had been to Japan, but her knowledge did not turn into advice. She presented several options but did not recommend any.
She gave me brochures and a business card. She took my name but did not take any further details. I would not recommend this store, as I felt more confused when I left than when I had gone in.
Thomson
15 Buttermarket, Bury St Edmunds
Score: 55%
The shop’s exterior could have done with a clean. The windows were full of offer cards. Inside, the shop was orderly and clean, but brochures were untidy and sparse. Two members of staff were serving customers.
After four minutes one of the agents became free. She said she did not have any brochures but went upstairs to look for some. She offered me a seat. Unfortunately, the consultant’s knowledge was poor. A package was available that matched, but she failed to notice it.
She offered to check availability and confirm a price. She offered a discount of £200 per person and gave me a business card before I left. I would not recommend this store, as the level of knowledge and presentation were poor.
Thomas Cook
43b Cornhill, Bury St Edmunds
Score: 68%
The shop appeared to be clean and presentable. Four staff were helping clients while others waited. The brochure racks were well stocked. I was not acknowledged as I entered.
One member of staff became free. She asked another customer who had arrived after me if she could help, then ignored me. She then returned to her desk to take a telephone call.
After a 13-minute wait, one agent asked how she could help. She said she might not be able to offer anything suitable but offered to look. She found a brochure.
Her general knowledge was poor, but the presentation skills partly made up for this. She checked availability and prices. She gave me a brochure to take away and offered a follow-up call.
The winner
First Choice
14-15 St Johns Street, Bury St Edmunds
Score: 82%
The outside of the shop was dirty. There were special offers displayed in the window. The inside of the shop was untidy, but there were plenty of holiday brochures on display.
There were four staff members on the shop floor. One of them greeted me and asked how she could help. After she clarified my requirements, two of her colleagues joined in to assist. She was polite and helpful and one of her colleagues provided excellent back-up.
The first consultant checked availability and attempted to close the sale. She gave me a brochure and business card. I found the First Choice consultant to be friendly, active and informative.
Prize
Congratulations, First Choice, Bury St Edmunds. One of your agents will be staying at Sugar Bay Club, St Kitts, courtesy of Elite Island Resorts, after coming top in this week’s Mystery Shopper.
An informal resort ideal for couples or families seeking a budget-conscious vacation in the tropics. It lies amid five acres of gardens on the edge of a golden beach in the Frigate Bay area of St Kitts.
Every week for the next year the travel consultant who gets the highest Mystery Shopper score will win a seven-night stay for two people at an Elite Island Resorts property. Flights are not included.
Selling tips
Tip 1: Advise customers to buy a Japan Rail Pass before they leave. Assure them that touring by train is relatively straightforward and two weeks is ample time.
Tip 2: Suggest they visit – and possibly climb –Mount Fuji before relaxing in an onsen (hot bath) in Atami, in the Izu Peninsula.
Tip 3: Suggest heading south to the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara, with their beautiful temples, staying overnight in a traditional ryokan.
Tip 4: Suggest a visit to the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima and Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima island.
Tip 5: Suggest heading south to Beppu in tropical Kyushu, with its hot springs, or north to Nikko, famous for its monkeys, or Nagano, site of the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Mystery Shopper scoring system
- 60% Advice and product knowledge
- 12% Customer service
- 8% External/internal appearance
- 7% Welcome
- 7% Farewell
- 6% Staff presentation