Travel 2’s Andy Freeth says travel agents should look to spruce up their stores in time for the January rush to maximise their sales
Every year without fail I kick myself for being too tight to pay for Sky Sports as the autumn rugby internationals roll around. This year, being the resourceful bloke that I am, plan B was quickly formulated for the England v New Zealand match a few weeks ago.
Under the ruse of needing “a new haircut”, I asked my wife to drop me off in the local town, Pudsey. She of course knew that the rugby was on – and that I probably didn’t need a haircut – but being the lovely lady that she is, she agreed.
Sound advice
In return, I clocked where the local florist was when we arrived in town and then headed for the nearest pub with a big telly.
I sat down among 40 or so others, ordered a blackcurrant cordial and turned to the TV to see the score at 11-7 to England, a great start. After a moment or two I realised that the sound I could hear was for another programme and I politely asked the bartender if she could pop the sound on. Given that most people were watching the rugby, I assumed it was an oversight. So I was a little taken aback when, after consulting with the owner, she replied: “Sorry, no.”
I promptly put down my cordial and left. Aside from the lack of sound, the venue was perfect for watching the rugby and, with several more autumn internationals to come, I was a potential new customer and would have certainly gone back.
While making my way to another pub with a telly, it got me thinking about the importance of making a good first impression.
Peaks practice
November and December can be a pretty quiet time in the industry once turn-of-year activity is squared away, so perhaps it’s a chance for travel agents to really think about the peak-trading experience for their customers and not just about the offers the operators will be supplying.
How about taking a good look at your shop? Could a few hundred pounds make it more inviting? Has the brochure cupboard spilt over into the break area? Has your office turned into an eyesore?
It’s easy to stop noticing the small details. Ask a friend to come in and give you some honest feedback on how the shop looks. A pet hate of mine is faded posters: get them down and get your window looking sharp!
Once that’s all dealt with, look to you and your team. Are you using this down time to train on new products? Are you truly delighting customers when they walk in the door, or is your head down in admin? The pages in Mystery Shopper would suggest many have plenty to work on.
Let’s use these next few weeks to get peak-ready. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Oh, and don’t forget to pop back to the florists after the match finishes…