TRAVEL agents must be more accountable for brochure wastage and improve their conversion rates, Airtours Holidays managing director Chris Mottershead said.
It follows a threat by the operator to withdraw marketing support for agents who fail to take the conversion issue seriously.
“We have to control costs and brochure costs are enormous,” Mottershead told Midconsort agents.
“It’s not good enough for an agent to say ‘I’m sorry but customers came and took the brochures.’
“If customers treat an agency as a brochure pick-up point, that’s not my problem. It’s an issue for the shop. We expect a level of return on our investment yet I know of agencies that don’t do a single booking for us.”
He said even some conversion rates at Going Places and Travelworld shops were unacceptable. “We have the sophistication to monitor each branch,” he said.
But he effectively ruled out reducing the number of brochure issues after claiming agents were against the idea.
“We have spoken to agents about publishing a brochure and issuing price inserts during the year but they were not in favour of it,” he added.