The summer of discontent
It’s official – summer has finally arrived. The first indication came when a pair of white pipe cleaners purporting to be legs, entered the shop accompanied by a pair of billowing shorts. The old man attached to them had wandered in thinking we were a chemist. We couldn’t tell whether he’d been deceived by the fragrant smell of our various perfumes or by the packets of Anadin on our desks.
Another sign as seasonal as hayfever is of course the irritability of clients. “Have you got a bus timetable?” demanded a woman.
“No, I’m afraid we don’t keep them,” I replied.
“They said across the road you did,” she continued.
“They’re mistaken; we don’t deal with local buses,” I said.
“You don’t have to deal with them,” she bellowed. “Just stock their timetable!”
BA takes flights of fancy
Does BA stand for Best Avoided? It’s beginning to appear that way.
Our clients booked a twin room at La Source, Grenada. British Airways Holidays confirmed a luxury ocean-view twin room for the clients who are brother and sister. On arrival they were told no such rooms were available and were allocated a room with a double bed. In spite of their complaint the hotel was unable to offer an alternative room. Following standard procedure, they completed the customer relations form and left it with the rep in resort.
The reply from BA blamed the travel agent for not stating that the client wanted two beds in a twin room. Maybe it’s me, but I thought that twin meant two! Does it mean something different to BA?
BA has offered the clients a £100 credit note to put towards another BA holiday – wait for it – booked direct with the BAH reservations department.
In case we thought this client poaching was a one-off occurrence, we were soon convinced otherwise.
Sal quoted a fare to Mauritius via Johannesburg for an elderly lady wanting the cheapest fare available. The daughter of the old lady didn’t want her mother waiting around in Johannesburg however, and contacted the BA direct service. She wasimmediately offered a fare £200 less than the fare available to agents. Robbery in broad daylight!
It’s in the bag!
Leila in Billericay has had to request separate seats on the aircraft for her clients booked on a Sovereign holiday.
The wife claims to have a phobia about other passengers being sick near her since she watched someone vomiting on a flight some years ago. She has stressed that her husband cannot be seated across the aisle from her for fear of somebody next to him taking recourse to the sick bag. The only seats that will do are those by the emergency exit – the ones with the extra leg room. What will they think of next to get those favoured seats?!
Bothered to make a booking
The sunhas clearly induced apathy and lethargy amongst some operators. I rang a Channel Islands operator for a last-minute booking for three. As soon as I mentioned a single room there was a sigh of negativity.
“You won’t get a single now,” came the reply.
“It’s a definite booking,” I persisted. “Can’t you phone for one?”
“No. It’s not worth it.”
What a difference when I phoned Islanders. A chirpy voice belonging to Julie suggested I kept the clients in the shop for 10mins while she made some calls. It was just 10mins later when she rang back with a twin and a single in a three-star hotel in Guernsey.
I guess it’s down to how much you want that sale.
On the right side of the law
Our boss Nigel has returned from the wilderness. The stories he has had to tell of heli-hiking in the Bugaboos have had us mesmerised with the mention of wolves, bears, bald eagles, golden eagles, glaciers and untouched territory.
He was one of 18 Tauck Tours UK premier agents invited to join a group of 42 members from all over the globe to experience this fabulous adventure.
Tauck Tours’ Debbie Brown had arranged for the participants to enjoy as much as possible in the time available and had included some free time. Many of the party used this time to go shopping, but Nigel and colleague Peter Giles from World Market Travel decided to hire a car and explore a little more.
They hired a Pontiac Firebird and, in true Starsky and Hutch style, hit the road. It wasn’t long before they were stopped by the police for overtaking on a double yellow line. What followed served to prove that only a fast-thinking travel agent with the gift of the gab could talk his way out of such a situation.
The conversation with the police officer ended up with Peter Giles confiding to the officer that he was born the day war broke out (he didn’t say which war). The officer obviously thought he’d stumbled upon one of those eccentric Englishmen and gave up. The dynamic duo were let off with a warning.
To show their gratitude for not ending up in a Canadian clink, Nigel offered to drive another couple, caught driving without a licence, 40 miles back home. Nigel drove the locals’ car while Peter followed in the Firebird. Who needs the mounties when we’ve got these two?
Relaxing at Rover’s return
Life can be very stressful these days for both man and beast.
A client called in to cancel his Wallace Arnold holiday because his dog had been suffering from stress. Since the pooch has been rescued from the dog pound, the owner feels a period of separation in kennels will add to the dog’s problems. I found this touching but felt he could still take a break. I handed him a Hoseasons brochure saying the client and his best friend could enjoy a stress-free holiday together!
n Maureen Hill works at Wessex World Travel, Gillingham, Dorset