Brief: A young couple want a week at an all-inclusive property with good activity options in Cancun sometime between January and March. They want to be near Cancun’s nightlife.
Budget: £1,800.
Verdict: The winning agent nailed every aspect of the consultation.
The Co-operative Travel
117-119 Dalton Road
Score: 38%
I received a very basic level of service here. The agent provided me with three quotes, two within my budget, but very little extra information about the hotels and their facilities.
The confusing printouts were not explained to me, and I felt I had to read the brochures to get any information. The agent wasn’t friendly or enthusiastic, and this made me want to leave.
It didn’t help that the shop looked dated and unkempt inside and out, and that I wasn’t acknowledged promptly, despite the fact the shop was half empty. However, the agent did get the basics right and asked enough questions to determine what sort of holiday I wanted.
Thomson
182 Dalton Road
Score: 80%
The staff here were all friendly, smiling and professional, with good customer service skills.
The agent who served me was enthusiastic and patient, and had enough knowledge, combined with research using brochures and the computer system, to find me a deal – though at £1,980 for a week at the Barcelo Costa Cancun hotel with Thomson, it was slightly over budget.
The agent could have asked slightly more probing questions, as I did feel she hadn’t investigated what facilities I was looking for quite fully enough, and I would have liked more than one option. However, she gave me all the relevant information and took my details to follow up.
First Choice
122 Dalton Road
Score: 89%
This smart, smiling agent asked plenty of questions to find out what I wanted from my holiday, covering destination, budget, and facilities and activities including beach, nightlife and water sports.
She was very knowledgeable, had a book of saved research and remembered to offer me insurance and extra excursions. She used brochures and visual aids to show me the holiday package was good value and suited me, giving personal recommendations for the Hotel Riu Caribe, which was offered with Thomson flights from Manchester.
I was given brochures to take away with me. The only downside was the price, which at £1,999 was £200 over my budget.
Thomas Cook
179 Dalton Road
Score: 98%
This agent could give a masterclass in sales and customer services. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming – even down to being offered a drink – and the questions to determine what I was looking for were simple but probing.
The agent was very knowledgeable about the facilities on offer in the hotels and had full research resources on hand to give me details of flights and transfers.
We looked at brochures and chatted about several hotels before settling on the Barcelo Costa Hotel, offered to me with Thomas Cook flights from Manchester for £1,700.
It came in at £100 under budget after the agent went through several systems looking for the best deal and managed to knock off £200. I was offered insurance and excursions, and given brochures and printouts to take away, with the offer of a follow-up call when I left. This agent deserves a promotion!
Winning agent: Jane Wallwork, sales consultant
“I thought the customer was going to book and this explains why not! I’ve been in travel on-and-off for 13 years but I haven’t been to Cancun, though friends have been several times. I’d love to go!”
Top tips
- Cancun started as a purpose-built resort in the 1970s and is now the most established and bustling spot on Mexico’s Caribbean coast.
- It has a massive choice of hotels from three to five-stars. The hotel zone and downtown area offer shopping malls, cinemas, and restaurants and bars that have made Cancun’s nightlife so famous.
- The white-sand beaches and crystal-clear waters were one of the reasons the Mexican government decided to locate a resort in Cancun, and the water sports are excellent too; from sailing and sea-kayaking to snorkelling and scuba.
- Despite its modernity, Cancun is within easy reach of the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, Tulum and Coba. Tourists can also swim with dolphins, take tours into the jungle and visit the ecological theme park of Xcaret.
- For more on Cancun see page 50 and gazetteers.com