A concerted effort
In spite of the many educational opportunities one might be offered in a lifetime, it’s simply not possible to have stayed in every hotel in every city in the world but it certainly is an added selling point to be able to say ‘I haven’t stayed there myself but I know a man who has.’
Such was the case this week when I booked a titled gentleman and his wife to Venice. The client had requested the Vivaldi Hotel on the grounds that ‘it’s far superior to the others’. Not being one to argue, I phoned Kirker Holidays where Dominic juggled with dates and finally offered flights to suit and accommodation at the five-star Hotel Lacondi Vivaldi.
The offer was music to my client’s ears and he promptly paid by credit card.
The following day however, he rang to say that he had booked the wrong hotel and that he hadn’t realised that there were two hotels named Vivaldi in the city, the other being a three star. I reminded him that he had specifically requested a superior hotel and that he should have no complaint as that was what he had booked. It seems that even counts have to ‘count’ their pennies these days and, as the three-star option would have been cheaper, my client was in something of a quandary as to whether to change it.
It was at this point that he asked me if I’d ever stayed at the Vivaldi myself, my praise of it seeming so genuine. I had to confess that I hadn’t and in a mad gamble suggested that he speak to Ted at Kirker; Ted seems to have stayed everywhere else, so it seemed a fair bet.
A more confident count rang me back to confirm that he was happy with the booking after all. Ted had triumphed – I only hope he doesn’t want to split the commission.
Size matters
Having just sorted out one city-break problem I was faced with another. This time the crux of the problem lay with the size and shape of the beds in hotels in Reykjavik.
My client, a smart, go-getting business woman, wanted to book a double and a triple in the Borg Hotel. The triple was to accommodate the kids and their nanny and the client didn’t seem too fussed about the room: “Doesn’t matter where they go, over the kitchen or under it come to that.” She was more particular about the double though. “The bed will have to be extra long or have no foot rest as my husband in 6ft 6ins tall and will need to dangle his feet over the end of the bed if they can’t find one long enough,” she said.
I set about investigating. First there were no triple rooms to be had in the Borg though there was a single available with Thomson. The client left for a meeting and asked me to phone her with an update later.
Carol at Thomson City Breaks could not confirm the length of the beds immediately but said she’d be happy to find out for us. Which all meant that I had nothing new to update my client with when I rang. I felt like asking whether she could leave the kids and the nanny at home and get her husband to sleep with his knees bent for a few nightsÉ
That’s an order
Thinking she had called to me, I looked across at Kate but found she was enjoying a stimulating conversation with herself and had nothing to say to me. I have found this habit of talking to oneself to be quite common among agents; you can spot the travel agent in the supermarket as she is to be overheard muttering over the meat counter or whispering over the wine.
I myself fell victim to the same syndrome later in the day when I found myself muttering about the client who’d just left me who wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.
This area is home to many former military personnel, many of whom find it hard to adapt to civilian life. Some find it very difficult to accept they can’t have things their own way any more, and this was certainly the case with my client.
A former army officer had booked flights to Turkey with Tapestry Holidays. Tapestry went of their way to accommodate his long-stay request. However, his later request to join the package tour coach into the resort could not be met as the insurance could not cover the clients.
“That’s the rule, I’m afraid,” I explained.
“Rubbish,” he expostulated. “Rules are there to be broken. I don’t care how you do it but I want it booked,” he said as he breezed out.
I wonder if you can imagine what I might have been mutteringÉ
Christmas comes early
While I have only just recovered from Christmas, there are plenty of folk out there who are already preoccupied with the one to come.
A middle-aged widow has asked to be booked on a Bing Crosby Christmas as she doesn’t want to spend another Yuletide on her own. When I asked her what she meant she said: “Oh, you know – snow, roaring fires, Christmas trees and cardigans!”
Deciding that a ‘traditional’ or what the Americans term a ‘European’ Christmas was what was required, I tried a few companies, none of whom could guarantee the snow, let alone the cardigans.
While I was trying at my end, the client was e-mailing hotels she had looked up on the Internet but getting little response.
It got to the point where I was so frustrated that I told her she could come to my place for Christmas – everyone else does – but still she was stuck on the snow issue.
A little while later, I received a call from her to say she had received a reply from the Von Trapp family (no kidding) in Vermont who apparently offer a European Christmas (though no singing nun). We are now investigating!