In the first of two visits to agents in the centre of Glasgow, Mystery Shopper went in search of help to plan a surprise holiday for her parents. She wanted to buy them a weekend in Venice over the period of the carnival. The only problem was she was not sure of the dates of the event. Unfortunately, retailers were of little help, and there was precious little effort to sell a weekend break.
*****
Each week, Mystery Shopper will be calling on agents in different areas. Stars are awarded to agents which score for:
* Agency appearance
* Product knowledge
* Staff attitude
* Brochure racking
* Sales technique
The top-scoring agency each week receives a Travel Weekly certificate of commendation
Please note that no additional information will be given about Mystery Shopper’s visits
Going Places, 7/9 Gordon Street, Glasgow
***
This was a very large agency with a real buzzy atmosphere. There appeared to be about 10 consultants milling around although some of them may have been trainees.
The brochure racks looked well stocked. I was served by a cheery consultant but her reaction to my enquiry was somewhat comical. “Venice, Venice, now where is Venice?”
When I said it was in Italy, she went to the brochure racks and picked out Citalia’s Italy brochure. She opened it at the relevant page, but was in such a rush to go through the pages, she missed the reference to the carnival.
Nevertheless, she gave me the brochure and said it would be useful as it featured the hotels which we may be interested in. She checked with a colleague about the dates of the carnival but she didn’t know either. She looked at a OAG Travel Guide and gave me the phone number of the Italian tourist office.
Despite the fact I came away from this agency with hardly any information, it was the winner because of the rather endearing efforts made by the consultant to help out.
* Agency appearance
* Staff attitude
* Brochure racking
Thomas Cook, St Enoch Centre, Glasgow
**
This was a colourful agency with four consultants on duty. There were gaps on the brochure racks. I was served immediately by a friendly consultant whose first comment was: “What carnival?” I said it was an annual event where everyone dressed up in, but she still looked blank.
She turned to her system to look up information on Italy but despite checking under public holidays and in the Venice section, she couldn’t find any mention of the carnival.
She eventually checked the OAG Gazeteer but to no avail. The only possibility left was to suggest there was a public holiday at the end of April in Venice and maybe it was on then.
She gave me the phone number for the Italian Tourist Office so I could check myself.
* Agency appearance
* Staff attitude
Lunn Poly, St Enoch Centre, Glasgow
*
There were four consultants on duty in this bright, spacious shop. The brochure racks looked patchy.
I had to wait 5 mins before I was served. The consultant’s initial response to my enquiry was a guess that the carnival was in June but I was advised to call the tourist board on Monday to check.
I asked about weekend breaks there and was directed to Citalia Italy brochure. The consultant opened the brochure and found a reference to the ‘carnavale’ which said it was staged in the days running up to Shrove Tuesday.
The consultant said this particular programme only featured week-long breaks – which is not the case – but I should come back and they would find weekend options for me.
* Agency appearance
Lunn Poly, Buchanan Galleries, Glasgow
*
This was a large agency in a very smart shopping centre. There were plenty of gaps on the brochure racks.
A consultant immediately asked me if I needed help. On hearing my enquiry, she led me to brochure racks and flicked through Thomson Breakaway Cities brochure. In the pages on Venice, she couldn’t find any reference to the carnival.
She said there would usually be a mention of special events going on in the city.
She checked with her colleague who referred her to the World Travel Guide. She rather half-heartedly looked through the guide but was not too sure where she was looking. She eventually suggested I call the tourist board for that area, but did no offer to find me a relevant number.
* Agency appearance
Tip 1: If you are referring customers to the tourist office, it is a nice courtesy to find them the telephone number.
Tip 2: If there is a major event on in a destination, it is useful to check the price panel to find out the dates as there may be extra supplements.