Location:Durham
Wanted: A couple would like a sunny holiday for 10 days or two weeks in India in February, preferably flying from Manchester.
Budget: £2,500
Thomas Cook
24/25 Market Place
97%
I was welcomed as I entered the well‑presented and tidy shop. The agent asked me open-ended questions about my ideal holiday and I was asked about the type of accommodation I liked. I was recommended a 14-night stay in Goa departing on February 10 from Manchester airport. This was from the Airtours Far & Away brochure, staying at the Santiago Hotel and Baga Beach all‑inclusive resort, for £2,206. The agent was friendly and helpful and, although she had not visited the destination,she used multiple resources to help illustrate my holiday. The service was excellent and the travel agent established a great rapport with me.
Hays Travel
1-4 North Road
92%
All the agents were smartly dressed in Hays Travel uniforms. A friendly and positive consultant recommended a 14‑day stay at Silver Sands Holiday Village in Goa, staying in a double room with balcony for £2,252, flying with Thomson Airways from Manchester on February 8. The agent suggested I consider upgrading my hotel to a higher star rating and offered me examples of half-board and all-inclusive too.
Flight Centre
26 High Street
52%
This shop was clean and tidy, and all the employees well presented. A friendly agent asked me questions about my holiday plans. However, no holiday was offered as the agent was unable to source one close to my budget. I was asked to return to the shop to give them time to look for a better deal. Upon my return, the options were still overbudget by £1,000. The agent suggested I take up an offer from a rival agency.
Winning agent
Rachael Carney, travel retail apprentice
“I’m really pleased to be named as the winner of Mystery Shopper. I have been an apprentice for almost two years and always try to help every customer as best as I possibly can.”
Verdict
The winning agent’s attitude and willingness to research options was excellent, and she found the most suitable holiday.
Top-scoring agent each month will win use of a car for 10 days.
The winning agent must be at least 25, for insurance reasons. Winners under 25 will win a week’s all-inclusive holiday at an Elite Islands Resorts property. The prize is non-transferable and the car must be driven only by the winning agent. The winner must not have any serious driving convictions. Elite Island Resorts will endeavour to supply the car to the agency but reserves the right to request the winning agent to collect and return the car from Essex or a central location