Mystery Shopper: Falkirk travel agents tested on UK holiday parks

Brief: A family want to take their two little kids and the grandparents for a week in a UK holiday park somewhere in the north of England. They'd like direct beach access and lots of activities.

Budget: £1,000

 

Verdict: Agents shouldn't just be a brochure service, as the winner proved with excellent knowledge and customer care.

The Co-operative Travel

 

The Carron Centre, 1 Ronades Road Score: 38%

 

After I explained what I was looking for, the agent led me to the brochure display and selected brochures from Haven and Hoseasons, which she gave to me with her business card.

 

She said I would find something suitable in one of them and suggested I went home to look at them and called her once I'd found what I wanted to book. I tried to draw her into helping me by asking about beach access and whether my budget was practical, but she answered very briefly and didn't invite me to take a seat.

 

She was friendly but it became clear she was not going to search holiday options to recommend to me.

First Choice

 

19a Kirk Wynd Score: 39%

 

I was acknowledged within one minute by a friendly member of staff who greeted me warmly.

 

Like the previous agent, she went straight to the brochure rack and picked out the Hoseasons brochure, telling me to take it home and look through it. She didn't ask any questions to further understand my needs.

 

Again, I brought up specifics of budget and facilities in the hope of engaging her to offer more help, but I was simply assured I would find something in the brochure. She wrote her own contact details on the brochure and urged me to contact her when I wanted to book.

Barrhead Travel

 

27 Manor Street Score: 55%

 

The agent called me over to her desk. She asked if I just wanted some brochures, but when I said I'd like help choosing she invited me to take a seat.

 

She asked me some relevant questions, but I had to volunteer my budget and reiterate the number of bedrooms we'd need. She searched the Haven website and offered me a superior three-bedroom caravan at Primrose Valley – a park south of Scarborough on the Yorkshire coast – from £462.

 

She was mildly enthusiastic but after this recommendation didn't seem to have the patience to search further, and seemed in a rush to finish our consultation. I was given her details and brief notes of the quote.

King World Travel

 

Stewart House, Stewart Road Score: 94%

 

The agent offered me a seat, saying cheerfully "let's see what we can find for you!” She asked questions to identify my needs and noted everything down before starting her search.

 

She was confident and very patient, coming up with a selection of options with Haven and Hoseasons, including a week in a Prestige caravan at Haven's Lakelands Holiday Park from £403, or in a Buttermere Chalet at Solway Holiday Village for £539.

 

She used her personal experience and recommendations from friends, and advised there was a half-price sale at Haven so suggested upgrading to get a better standard of comfort while still leaving us extra spending money for the holiday.

 

I was given her details and all the quotes, and she told me when the half-price sale ended to encourage me to book. I can't recommend this agency highly enough.

 

Winning agent: Gillian Tollins, travel consultant

 

"I've been in travel for 14 years, and at King World Travel for seven. We don't sell as many domestic holidays as we do to Europe and further afield, but we give all our customers the same level of service.”

 

Top tips

1. You can book holiday parks through operators such as Butlins, Haven, Hoseasons and Pontins. Between them they offer hundreds of parks across the UK.
2. There are basic caravans, but in recent years some parks have begun to offer more comfortable options, from lodges to hotels.
3. Facilities range from basic to extensive, with some parks offering only a swimming pool or a games room, and others with cinemas, water parks and spas, and activities as diverse as basketball and circus skills.
4. The larger parks have lots on offer in terms of entertainment, from activities for kids featuring children's TV characters to shows and live music in the evenings. Butlins Big Weekends are adult-only and focused on entertainment, with music from different decades.
5. For more on UK holiday parks see page 55 in Destinations and Gazetteers.com