We may only be a small agency, but we highly value suppliers that help us give the best level of service, says Arundel Travel’s Helen Parry
February is my favourite month of the year. Firstly, it means we have survived January and, although we might be feeling the effects of a hectic month, we are still smiling. Secondly, love is in the air! Valentine’s Day means it’s the month that matches our ‘Fall in love with the world’ tagline, giving us the perfect opportunity to thank our partners for their support through peaks.
We have survived January and, although we might be feeling the effects of a hectic month, we are still smiling
We share our passion for travel with our community; we never settle for being average; and we always want to be known for giving the greatest level of service. To achieve this, we rely on our suppliers to have the same values. We pick the operators we work with carefully and weigh up numerous factors such as level of expertise, the support they give us around training and marketing, and the relationships we have with their business development managers. I like to think we have a good sense of character, and in January we were proved right.
Passionate partners
When it comes to expertise, we love discussing top tips and must-see destinations with our customers and it’s great to work with companies that share the same passion. As much as we wish, we can’t travel everywhere, so it’s a breath of fresh air to speak to operators that want to share their experiences.
We love speaking to Premier Holidays because they are so inspirational. I know they invest heavily in making sure their teams are experts, and it pays off. We’ve had some fantastic help from the Far East teams this year, and although we are still waiting to get the enquiries over the line, we wouldn’t go anywhere else. It’s refreshing to see a company value its customers so much, no matter the cost of their booking.
We can’t travel everywhere, so it’s a breath of fresh air to speak to operators that want to share their experiences
We like to treat every enquiry with the same enthusiasm as the last. Sometimes we can go back and forth repeatedly with the operator to make sure itineraries are perfected, and it is always lovely to work with obliging suppliers. One operator we can always rely on for first‑rate service is Canadian Affair, which has a friendly, attentive and motivated team. These guys work hard to meet the customer’s criteria and recently worked tirelessly on an enquiry for us and did not once make us feel we were a nuisance.
Above and beyond
Of course, sometimes things just don’t go to plan, and how such incidents are dealt with is crucial. Our after-sales service is just as important as the service we give when making a booking. We realise we might know how processes work but most customers don’t, so displays of care when things don’t go to plan can go a long way.
Our after-sales service is just as important as the service we give when making a booking
Ocean Florida is a prime example of a tour operator that goes above and beyond when it comes to looking after us and our customers. This was demonstrated last week, with a customer who was really distressed due to a Disney ticket delay. The Ocean Florida team recognised this and worked quickly over the weekend to resolve the problem. They then followed up with a call for feedback. That’s what I call amazing service.
We may only be a small agency, but we will support those who continually support us.
Stepping up our sustainability
When it comes to sustainability, I admit I’m on the first step of the ladder, but it’s a journey I want to be on. I previously didn’t think I could do much to help as we’re only a small agency, but when I completed the Abta Sustainability Assessment tool on the Abta members website, it showed that we were already making an impact.
My next step is to complete the sustainability e-learning module with Abta and fly the flag as the sustainability champion for our shop, allowing me to pass on my new-found knowledge to my teams and customers. I have a long way to go on this journey but, as new year’s resolutions go, I think this is a good one.