Spear Travels Wolverhampton’s Kim Kent reveals what’s behind the firm’s success as it goes ‘from strength to strength’
I have just returned from a well-deserved two-week holiday in Lanzarote. I say well deserved as we have been so busy in the shop that my feet have hardly touched the ground. I’m sure it’s the same for many of you reading this.
My partner and I have visited Lanzarote many times, but we were more impressed than ever during this visit. The island was so clean and tidy, with no rubbish anywhere. The resorts were colourful with plenty of pretty flowers and trees and well-kept public gardens to admire. The beaches were spotless with quality sunbeds and parasols aplenty. The promenade has been upgraded to include a cycle path and it’s clear a redecoration programme has taken place. New restaurants and bars have opened, and empty units are now occupied.
The promenade has been upgraded to include a cycle path and it’s clear a redecoration programme has taken place
We prefer to self-cater and eat out every night, which can be expensive, but we were pleasantly surprised to find the cost of food and drink had not changed since last year. All this makes Lanzarote a very attractive holiday option. Hats off to the authorities who have done an amazing job of smartening up the island while keeping it affordable.
Party people
Once home it was straight back to the office for me as Spear Travels marked its 40th birthday with a two-day celebration in store. We invited all our customers to come and be part of the occasion. We used social media, email and word of mouth to spread the news, and had an excellent turnout.
We offered bubbles and canapés to all, along with an entry to our prize draw for the many gifts that tour operators had kindly donated for the event. Both days were well attended – we booked several holidays and took many enquiries. There were exclusive discounts for customers too. Everyone enjoyed the gathering and the feedback was amazing.
The business has been built over the past 40 years, initially from one shop in Upminster, then Stoke-on-Trent and Boroughbridge
I am so proud to have worked for Spear Travels for 14 years. It is a true independent offering a world of experience and a very professional service. The business has been built over the past 40 years, initially from one shop in Upminster (opened by the previous owners in 1983), then Stoke-on-Trent (opened by director Derek Adams in 1996) and Boroughbridge (opened by directors Peter and Libby Cookson, also in 1996). It now has 11 shops and 10 associates.
Passion and expertise
The success of the business is down to the sharp minds of the director, the staff who are passionate about what they do and the unique mix of sales for specialist/tailor-made itineraries. Not only that, but also the expertise and customer service delivered by everyone – many of us have been with the company for years and have travelled extensively.
We are now going from strength to strength and hope to continue the careful expansion of the business in due course
Throughout this time, we have enjoyed numerous worldwide fam trips and received training that has ensured we are up to speed and fully knowledgeable about new destinations and products coming onto the market.
We are now going from strength to strength and hope to continue the careful expansion of the business in due course. Personally, I couldn’t be happier in my job.
If you’re going to be slow… Let us know
We are all very busy at the moment, and getting quotes back from tour operators can be a bit of a nightmare. We recently contacted two companies for a South Africa quote that was a little complicated. One of the companies responded to our query fairly quickly and after a couple of days the client came back to book. Two weeks after that, the other company called us to say that they were now free to look at the quote! Obviously this was far too late, but if they had told us in advance, we would have known not to expect it any sooner. Better communication wouldn’t go amiss – not to mention speedier turnarounds.
More: Spear Travels eyes ‘careful growth’ as it celebrates 40th anniversary