The price is right?
I find myself wondering why clients treat the purchase of a holiday so differently to the purchase of every other product. This week, a client this week was outraged when I told her the price of a flight to Bali during the school-holiday period.
“That can’t be right,” she grumbled. “I didn’t pay that much last time! I only want the flights, not accommodation as well.”
I explained that the price I had quoted was indeed for flights only and, out of curiosity, asked when was the last time she went and how much did she pay.
“I went about 18 months ago,” she said. ” I don’t remember the exact fare but it was at least £100 cheaper than that.”
I suggested that everything was probably cheaper 18 months ago which a quick look at her weekly shopping bill could verify.
Mind you, with all these two for the price of one offers knocking around, it won’t be long before our clients are demanding to be able to think ahead and buy one holiday for now and one for later just as they buy tins of soup.
No time for pregnant pause
The time spent choosing the product can give quite a good insight into the mind-set of the client. Some clients practically take up residence to book a ferry crossing, while others belong to the ‘can’t wait, must have’ school.
One of the later came into the shop with her request outlined and simply said: “Sort it all out, I can’t stop, my daughter is about to have a baby and I must get back to her as her husband can’t cope!” Now that’s what I call having a sense of perspective.
Paying a ‘decent’ price
It’s dictionary corner in our shop at times; this week’s word in need of defining was ‘decent’, as in ‘Can you find us somewhere ‘decent’. This was the request put to me over the phone by a man, for himself, his wife and 12-year-old child.
I started to wrack my brains what ‘decent’ destination did he have in mind? Before I could question him further, he added: “We quite fancy a two-centre holiday incorporating the Amalfi Coast. We thought at that time of year there won’t be too many Italians about.”
I laughed to myself thinking of some poor travel agent in Italy listening to a client say: ‘We fancy England in July or August, there won’t be too many English around then, they’ll all be holidaying in the Med.” God bless the European Union.
But back to the client. He described what he wanted and I did my best to try to establish how much he was prepared to spend on this ‘decent’ holiday.
“Oh, I’m not too bothered,” he said nonchalantly. My heart sank upon hearing these words, as I knew whatever price I came up with would not suit the client.
Michael at Citalia had just what was required – and what was required was made more difficult by the fact that the holiday time available to the clients was limited by the offspring’s summer camp – and he quickly came up with a tailor-made quote.
I telephoned the client with the news. The wife answered and I proceeded to tell her what I had found. “Just a minute, my husband is in the study; he’ll pick up the other phone and we can have a three-way chat about it!”
I began again. Murmurs of ‘Oh, yes,’ ‘lovely’ and ‘nice flight times’ punctuated the conversation until I got to the bit about the cost. What a conversation stopper!
Silence, followed by the wife asking: “What do you think, dear?”
“It’s a bit more than I wanted to pay,”replied the husband.
“It’s up to you darling,” she said.
“If it’s what you really want,” he said.
I was beginning to feel like a spare guest at the wedding. Then she said: “Perhaps something a little less grand. After all we do prefer smaller hotels, don’t we?”.
I finally cut in with a suggestion that they thought about it in their own time and called me back with a decision as I was holding flight seats for them.
“OK, ” said the wife. “Perhaps you could find something self-catering? The Italian food’s so cheap and filling and I don’t mind eating out and mixing with the locals!”
So, if you need to know, decent actually means cheap and cheerful.
Tired of silent nights
I would hate to think I have caused anybody sleepless nights but I fear I am to blame for the insomniac activity of one elderly lady.
I had sent her to Jersey for a well earned break and she had been allocated a room above the kitchens. All night long huge electric fans whirred below and refrigerators hummed. Being a rather quiet and timid lady she didn’t like to make a fuss and so adapted to the nocturnal symphony created by the various appliances. She popped in on her return to tell me her holiday had been most pleasurable. She continued by telling me she now cannot sleep because her own home is too quiet and she’s missing the rhythmic sounds that lulled her to sleep!
Up in smoke
I rather suspect that marital bliss could elude one of our couples due to marry next week.
The bride has shared a secret with me – she hasn’t told her chain-smoking bridegroom that he won’t be able to smoke during his 14hr honeymoon flight!
I suggested she warn him immediately but, fearing this would lead him to abandon her at the altar, or worse still, cancelling the honeymoon in favour of a weekend on the Isle of Wight, she declined the advice.
He’ll find out when we’re airborne and they make the announcement,” she argued “And if he creates, I’ll buy him some of those patches or pills.”
“Where from?” I asked, “You’ll be 36,000ft up!”
“Don’t they stock that sort of thing on board, then,” she asked in all seriousness?