Mystery Shopper had a straightforward request this week, but it produced a mass of conflicting information from Sutton agents. She wanted flights to Dublin at the best fare, but the departure date was imminent and she wanted morning out and morning return flights. The agents all gave different fares and left us wanting to book the flights direct. Going Places was the exception as the consultant gave a very thorough performance.
*****
Each week, Mystery Shopper will be calling on agents in different areas. Stars are awarded to agents which score for:
* Agency appearance
* Product knowledge
* Staff attitude
* Brochure racking
* Sales technique
The top-scoring agency each week receives a Travel Weekly certificate of commendation
Please note that no additional information will be given about Mystery Shopper’s visits
Going Places, 5 High Street, Sutton
**** Winner
This clean, neat looking agency had four consultants on duty. Brochure supplies were very low. I was served immediately by pleasant mannered consultant.
On hearing the enquiry, she checked if I had 10mins while she took some details. I expressed surprise that it would take that long as I did not plan to book immediately, but agreed.
She was not joking. She took all the details of the group. As I had requested the cheapest fare, she started with the £35 Ryanair ones, but there was no availability.
Slowly but surely she worked through the list of airlines, checking the fares, and then checking availability.
After about 15 mins in the agency, I emerged with a printout giving details of a Heathrow flight from Aer Lingus, with an afternoon departure and a late evening return.
It was not what I asked for, but that was not the fault of the consultant. She also checked car hire and quoted me a rate of £148 for eight days with Avis. The printout gave me the total cost of £378. I was very impressed with her thoroughness.
* Agency appearance
* Sales technique
* Product knowledge
* Staff attitude
Lunn Poly, 188 High Street, Sutton, Surrey
***
This busy agency had four consultants on duty, all with customers – including an intriguing one where a woman breezed in asking for the agency’s help in cashing a travellers’ cheque which had mistakenly been signed by her husband.
This was very odd given that the cheques had been issued by Going Places. She explained that American Express said she should call Lunn Poly, and she admitted that she also thought it was odd.
When it was eventually my turn, the consultant very efficiently scrolled through the system and came up with a £78 fare from Heathrow with an early morning or afternoon departure and late night return with Aer Lingus. Car hire was quoted at around £158 with Suncars.
* Agency appearance
* Staff attitude
* Product knowledge
Thomas Cook, 195/199 High Street, Sutton, Surrey
*
This was a large agency with two consultants on duty at the holiday booking desks.
I was served immediately by a consultant who quickly tapped away at the keyboard and came up with a fare of £59 from British Airways.
Given my past experience with the flights on these dates, I checked if that fare was actually available. He checked and found they were not.
He then made a bit of an effort to check for flights at the times I wanted and came to the conclusion that I could get flights out but nothing back.
He appeared to check only British Airways and British Midland, though he said they did not deal with EasyJet and I would have to get a number from directory enquiries. Very unsatisfactory
* Agency appearance
Flight Centre, Unit K3, St Nicholas Centre, Sutton, Surrey
*
Very attractive agency at the entrance to a shopping centre. There were four consultants behind counter with a selection of brochures on display.
An efficient consultant immediately turned to the screen and quickly tapped out the travel times.
He eventually came up with an early morning British Midland departure, returning mid-morning on the Sunday. Quoted a fare of £99 and a £158 car hire fare. I assumed this was the best he could do, but he then asked when I exactly intended to book, as only then would he go through all the possible options.
I was left feeling that he would only make an effort if I was standing there clutching a credit card, which doesn’t make for good sales technique.
* Agency appearance
Top tips for agents
Tip 1: Don’t just quote the fare if a customer is looking for a specific time to travel – it means nothing if the flight is not available.
Tip 2: Printouts look much more professional than handwritten scrawls on the back of business cards – get your technology up to date!