Location: Kettering, Northants
Shopping for: A family trip to Greece in the Easter holidays
The agencies
Co-op Travel
Northfield Avenue, Kettering
Score:35%
I left this store feeling that I had wasted my time. The agent didn’t seem to want to put herself out or try to sell me anything. She only had one brochure to show me – Cosmos All-Inclusive – which wasn’t aimed at the area I was interested in, or at family holidays.
She suggested I go away and look at the brochure, or check on the internet if I had access, and call the store to see what prices they could get for the hotels or holidays I found.
She apologised for not having more brochures for me to look at and was friendly, but didn’t seem to have any ideas.
The agent didn’t attempt to check on the computer system to find a holiday and I would have been better off looking on the internet or ringing the companies direct myself.
I gained nothing from the visit.
First Choice
1 Gold Street, Kettering
Score:50%
This shop appeared shabby and the window display was shambolic and unprofessional-looking. However, I was greeted immediately by an agent although she didn’t encourage me to sit down, or offer me different holiday options.
She suggested mainland Greece was too cold around Easter time and suggested Cyprus, showing me the Sunspot Malta and Cyprus and First Choice Premier Families brochure. This was where the experience ended; she didn’t follow through with sales, prices or information.
Once I’d asked my questions there was an uncomfortable pause and I left the branch, with a suggestion I call her once I’d chosen my destination.
It wasn’t an unpleasant experience but I felt she didn’t really want to help me.
Thomas Cook
9 Lower Street, Kettering
Score:82%
There was a nice professional buzz about this shop and the agent who approached me was enthusiastic and knowledgeable.
She asked lots of questions and offered destination and operator advice. She suggested Cyprus, and showed sound knowledge by advising that a hotel I’d mentioned had moved very downmarket recently.
She came up with alternatives and showed me the Airtours and Sunset Wintersun brochures, and the Thomas Cook Greece and Cyprus 2008/09 edition.
She asked about insurance and car hire, and offered to follow up with a phone call in a few days.
I felt she could have taken more time with me to come up with some prices. Bar this, the visit was good
The winner
Thomson
31 Gold Street, Kettering
Score:98%
The service I was offered here could hardly be faulted. The agent asked all the right questions, gave advice and offered cross sales without making me feel pressurised.
She was interested without being intrusive, and her knowledge was excellent. She asked about our family and interests, gave me the Thomson Premier and Winter Collection brochures and showed me places to see, accommodation, prices and extras such as car hire.
She went through ideas, involved me in her computer searches so I didn’t get bored, suggested upgrading to all-inclusive and checked how many seats were left on the flights she quoted.
She printed out the details, gave me the brochures and her card and offered to call me the next day. Nothing fazed her and she made me feel my needs were of paramount importance.
Brilliant!
Our first visits of 2009 display the highs and lows of Mystery Shopper experiences.
Thomson received a real rave review, and rightly so: the agent’s attitude and attention to detail were exemplary.
Thomas Cook also did well, but First Choice faltered and was let down by the scruffy appearance of the shop.
Co-op Travel was a real disappointment, seeming determined to drive customers to the internet and direct booking.
Selling tips
Tip 1: Package holidays to mainland Greece start on May 1, so Easter may be too early for family holidays to the destination.
Tip 2: Corfu and Crete are traditionally good for families. On the mainland, try Halkidiki.
Tip 3:Summers in Greece are long and hot, but spring and autumn are short seasons and the weather can be changeable.
Tip 4: Greece is only a three to four-hour flight away, and there are plenty of airports to fly into, including Athens, Thessalonika, Kos, Mykonos, Rhodes, Corfu, Crete, Zante and Kefalonia.
Tip 5: Big guns such as Thomas Cook, Thomson, First Choice and Cosmos offer wide programmes to Greece, or you can try a specialist operator such as Olympic Holidays, Argo Holidays, Anemone Holidays or Amathus
- Check out Gazetteers.com for more information on mainland Greece or the Greek islands
Mystery Shopper scoring system
- 60% Advice and product knowledge
- 12% Customer service
- 8% External/internal appearance
- 7% Welcome
- 7% Farewell
- 6% Staff presentation
