Mystery Shopper: Wimbledon travel agents sell Melbourne

This week, Mystery Shopper was one half of a Wimbledon-based couple looking to go to Australia in January for about four weeks. They have family in Melbourne (which you can read up on in this week’s Melboune and Victoria guide) and want to spend a couple of weeks there.

It is surprising Flight Centre didn’t score better. Thomas Cook could have built up a better relationship with the customer, rather than referring them to the internet.

Flight Centre

13 The Broadway
Score: 64%

I received a prompt greeting at this shop, which is on the main high street in Wimbledon town centre. There were six members of staff, but no customers. I was invited to take a seat by a member of staff who asked if they could help me, but didn’t initiate conversation.

I explained the request and the consultant didn’t ask for any details, apart from when I would be travelling.

Although she was professional and polite, I wasn’t given any information that I couldn’t have got from reading a brochure. I was given brochures with the fare written on the back of the agent’s business card.

The fare was £799 per person with Cathy Pacific. I wasn’t asked to return to the shop, and although the agent had my contact details, she didn’t ask if she could follow up the enquiry. I didn’t feel like a valued customer.

Thomas Cook

6 Wimbledon Hill Road
Score: 65%

An agent with an open and friendly manner greeted me. I explained my request and she said she would be able to advise me on places to visit such as Ayers Rock and Sydney. She also suggested I search the internet, to give me a better idea of places to visit.

She asked when I would be travelling and for my contact details, but wasn’t more specific. Although I asked for details on internal flights to attractions, I was given a printed itinerary for flights costing £1,927 per person. The quote was on a customer form, but it didn’t say anything about airport taxes.

The consultant was pleasant, but I don’t feel I gained any information apart from some of the flight costs, and I was unclear whether they included taxes. I didn’t feel the agent communicated or researched enough to answer my enquiry.

Sovereign Travel

74 High Street
Score: 79%

This agency is in an affluent area in Wimbledon and the outside of the shop fitted in well, looking very sophisticated. However, inside the shop was a bit messy with desks covered in paper, note pads and paper cups.

The consultant serving me introduced herself and was friendly. She asked questions in terms of time of travel, budget, places I wanted to visit, and the type of holiday I was looking for. She took her time and was interested in everything I said.

I was given a quote for flights from London to Melbourne for £924 per person, with internal flights for £455 per person. She advised me it would be cheaper for me to book an internal tour and recommended Travel 2, giving me their brochure. I would recommend this agency and really felt like a valued customer.

First Choice Holiday Hypermarket

Unit 1A, Tandem Retail Park
Score: 80%

The store was busy on the day I visited with four members of staff at their desks and three customers being served.

There was another member of staff who was on the phone. She acknowledged me straight away and invited me to take a seat.

After a couple of minutes she approached me and apologised for keeping me waiting. The agent seemed to know her stuff, so I was surprised when she decided to ring a colleague in another store for advice, but he was unavailable.

I was quoted £3,234 for two people for flights from London to Melbourne, plus flights to Sydney, then Ayers Rock and then back to Sydney and on to London. She suggested I look at the brochure if I wanted to include tours.

First Choice got a slightly higher score than Sovereign Travel because the First Choice agent asked for my name and address to follow up my enquiry. I left the store wishing I really was going to Australia.

Tips

1. Take advantage of the training available and sign up for the Aussie Specialist programme. If you complete the training, you will be considered for a fam to see the destination first hand. Go to specialist.australia.com. 
   
2. Suggest a stopover. It will allow clients to break up a very long journey and arrive in Australia ready to travel, rather than exhausted from the flight.
   
3. For clients who want to travel around Australia, make sure they understand the vast distances and the time it takes to get to places. You can’t drive from Brisbane to Sydney for the weekend. 
   
4. Earn extra commission by booking add-ons such as balloon flights. Book with Keith Prowse or dosomething different.com. 
   
5. For more product knowledge about Australia visit Gazetteers.com. The site also contains photos of resorts and hotel reviews from fellow travel agents.