Mystery Shopper called on agents in Reigate, Surrey this week to check out prices on holidays to Ibiza in August. The booking was for two adults and two children, and Mystery Shopper was keen to get suggestions on suitable resorts for family holidays.
Predictably everyone said steer clear of San Antonio. The consultant at EDT impressed with her thorough and helpful approach.
*****
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
Elizabeth Duff Travel, 1b Church Street, Reigate
**** Winner
This was a neatly decorated agency with a good selection of brochures. There were two consultants on duty and I was seen immediately.
The consultant said brochures for the summer had been out for 18 months so there would be little choice left at this stage. But she added that brochures for summer 2000 were already out.
She said I should avoid resorts like San Antonio which she said was very much Club 18-30 territory and also Playa d’en Bossa which she said was near a runway.
The agent suggested Es Cana and Santa Eulalia. She said I would be looking at holidays priced at around £2,000 for a half-board holiday for two adults and two children. She mentioned in passing that many younger holidaymakers opted for night flights as they were cheaper so I could avoid them. The agent said Thomson was charging for children’s clubs on late availabilities. The holiday she found was with Cosmos in the Coral Playa in Es Cana. She said to call back if I wanted more information and to book as soon as possible.
* Agency appearance
* Product knowledge
* Staff attitude
* Brochure racking
Lunn Poly, 17 High Street, Reigate, Surrey
***
Although the brochure racks looked patchy, this agency was neat and spacious. There were two consultants on duty. I was greeted with a friendly smile and the consultant proceeded to take down all details of the holiday, including the flight times and the kind of resort I was after.
She checked the screen and came up with a price of £2,295 for a family room. She suggested Es Cana and Playa d’en Bossa and advised me to steer clear of San Antonio. The agent mentioned I would have to have holiday insurance.
She gave me the Thomson Superfamily brochure, saying it offered family entertainment, then her card, and said to call when I wanted to book.
* Agency appearance
* Product knowledge
* Staff attitude
Personal Service Travel, 51 High Street, Reigate
**
This agency was spacious with an area set aside where customers can wait and look at brochures.
There was one consultant on duty who immediately gave me the Skytours and Sunstart brochures.
She said they were waiting for some more summer 1999 brochures but those two would give some idea.
The consultant then said it would be better to get an apartment which had hotel facilities to accommodate the four people travelling.
She then flicked through the brochures and indicated the accommodation with children’s clubs and said to look through and to come back if I wanted to check availability.
* Agency appearance
* Staff attitude
Going Places, 61 High Street, Reigate
**
This was a small and neat shop with a bureau de change. There were three consultants on duty.
The consultant wrote down my details and started an availability search. She said San Antonio would be full of teenagers in August so it was best to keep away.
She came up with prices for the Balanzat apartments in Puerto San Miguel although she was not familiar with the resort.
The agent then did calculations to see if it was cheaper to pay the underoccupancy supplement and get the free child place, or pay the full rate.
She concluded by saying she would do further checks and then call with the details. She then gave me a print-out of information.
* Agency appearance
* Staff attitude
Top Tips for Agents
Tip 1 If you are doing a late availability search, try to show the client the accommodation in the brochure. Names of apartment blocks mean nothing.
Tip 2 Looking at the price impact of booking a holiday with a free child place is a very useful thing to do
Tip 3 If you promise a client you will call them with additional prices, make sure you do call. It looks very unprofessional if you don’t.