Agents are facing increasing levels of anger from customers and in some cases are being reduced to tears as frustration over unpaid refunds boils over.
Luxury Travel Gurus owner Jenny Jackson said members of her Facebook group ‘Travel Agent Rants and Raves’ were reporting rising abuse from clients who wanted their money back.
Travel Weekly has created two at-a-glance guides to help travel agents understand the latest rules about Refund Credit Notes and chargebacks
She said: “Customers are getting angry. They hear [travel journalist] Simon Calder or [MoneySavingExpert founder] Martin Lewis saying they are owed a refund in 14 days and are getting so frustrated and tired of waiting. It’s really hard. Our hands are tied.
“Our clients are our future, but they, and we, are running out of patience. Agents are being reduced to tears as clients shout and direct abuse at them; no one deserves this.”
Shelley Menzies, administration manager at Essex-based Adore Holidays, is one of many agents to have witnessed clients’ tempers flaring.
She said: “I’ve had a couple of people screaming down the phone at me and getting quite aggressive. I try to explain how the process works so they understand.”
Emma Brook, a sales consultant at Hays Travel’s Manchester Market Street branch, said it was harder to deal with angry clients at home.
She added: “At work you can control it better, when you are face‑to-face with clients.”
More: A letter from agent to operator
Abta issues fresh guidance on refunds
Agents also reported being taken to task by clients who work in the legal profession.
Travel Bureau joint managing director Jeanne Lally said: “We have got customers who are barristers and lawyers and just keep quoting the Package Travel Regulations at you.”
Mehul Desai, senior travel consultant at London-based Caspian Seagull Travels, said: “One client wanted a legal document before I made a date change. I’ve had to ask people to calm down. It’s not nice but it’s no one’s fault.”
Jackson said she felt “disappointed” the industry had failed to put out a message to the public about how hard agents were working behind the scenes, and called for regular communication updates from operators.