Location: Harlow, Essex
Shopping for: A short break to the Balkans for a group of friends
The agencies
Thomson
25 Broad Walk, Harlow
Score: 30%
From the outside, the windows were clean and attractive and on the inside, although the floors were dirty, the desks were tidy and the brochures well displayed.
With two agents serving three customers, it was eight minutes before I was asked by a consultant if I needed help.
When I explained what I was looking for, the agent told me Thomson would not be able to arrange it and suggested I go to an independent for the information I needed. I thanked her and left.
The consultant made no attempt to find out exactly what I wanted or whether there were any suitable products on the market and was not helpful or particularly friendly. All in all, this was a thoroughly disappointing visit.
First Choice
5 Broad Walk, Harlow
Score: 50%
From the outside the agency was impressive with clean windows displaying promotion but the inside was a different matter, with untidy desks, litter on the floor and poor displays.
When I walked in there were two agents and three customers. A consultant acknowledged me, I explained what I wanted and she looked for a brochure. When she couldn’t find it she asked a colleague to help. When this proved fruitless she told me I could go to another agency for the brochure and suggested I search the internet. I thanked her and left.
Although friendly, the consultant was not very helpful and her level of competence was far from satisfactory.
Thomas Cook
Harvey Centre, Harlow
Score: 86%
The windows were attractive and informative and the interior was appealing, with a sufficient stock of brochures and well-presented displays.
Inside, there were three agents and two customers and I was greeted by a polite and pleasant agent who asked me how she could help. She showed me a Balkan Holidays brochure and looked on her system for prices and hotels.
Although I was not offered a business card, I was given the brochure to take away and told the agent would be able to offer me a deal to suit our needs once we had made a decision.
The consultant’s customer service skills were impressive, as was her friendly demeanour.
The winner
The Co-operative Travel
Tesco, Brenthall Park, Harlow
Score: 89%
Visually, this agency ticked all the right boxes, with clean windows boasting an informative display of posters and a tidy interior with well-stocked racks.
On entering, I was greeted by a consultant with a friendly smile. I browsed for a couple of minutes before being asked if I would like any help; I explained that I was looking for information on a Balkans break.
She asked me what I knew about the region, which country I was interested in and how many of us would be travelling. She showed me a Balkan Islands brochure and suggested I take it away with me, along with her card.
She gave me some quotes and informed that the best time to go would be from May to October. The agent was competent, helpful and pleasant.
About this week’s Mystery Shopper
It was a mixed bag for this week’s Mystery Shopper, with agents’ performances ranging from excellent to clueless. Thomson fared the worst, and the First Choice agent performed little better, directing the customer towards the internet and the competition. In contrast, the winning agent was competent, knowledgeable and – just as importantly – friendly and charming.
Prize
Congratulations, The Co-operative Travel, Brenthall Park, Harlow. One of your agents will be staying at The Verandah, Antigua, courtesy of Elite Island Resorts, after coming top in this week’s Mystery Shopper.
This week’s prizeThe Verandah, Antigua. This 200-room, four-star resort is on the northeast coast of Antigua. Facilities include five cocktail bars and three restaurants, a large pool, fitness centre, water sports, scuba diving and a spa.
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: Brits need a visa to visit Russia. This costs £95 and takes eight days to process. See visitrussia.org.uk for more information.
Tip 2:Specialist operators include Regent Holidays, Holiday Options, Hidden Croatia and Kirker.
Tip 3: For a city break suggest historic Dubrovnik in Croatia; Belgrade in Serbia for its pedestrian-friendly Old Town; or Bucharest in Romania. Regent Holidays offers upmarket city breaks in the region, while Superbreak offers cheaper alternatives.
Tip 4: Clubbers should head to Zadar in Croatia for its Ibiza-style clubs. It’s also the gateway to eight national parks.
Tip 5:For an emerging and unexplored destination, try Bosnia-Herzegovina – offered by Holiday Options. Sarajevo is a cultural capital while the mountainous resorts of Jahorina and Bjelasnica are ideal for hiking and biking.
Mystery Shopper scoring system
- 60% Advice and product knowledge
- 12% Customer service
- 8% External/internal appearance
- 7% Welcome
- 7% Farewell
- 6% Staff presentation