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This week our undercover shopper was in Maidenhead to book 8-10 nights on a multi-centre trip to Texas for two. How did the sellers fare?
The mystery shopper visited two travel agencies in Maidenhead, Berkshire, and requested a 8-10-night multi-centre holiday to Texas for two friends in April 2018, with a budget of £7,000.
They then made two google.co.uk searches using the term ‘Texas multi-centre holiday’.
2nd: Tony Sheldon Travel
3rd: Kuoni
4th: Thomson
Hayes & Jarvis
Mystery Shopper said: This was the first search result that came up and it seemed to offer exactly what I wanted. Five different Texas multi-centre packages were suggested, one of which included a ranch visit. I phoned a consultant who asked lots of questions including my dates, duration, preferred airport and what I’d like to do. They had been to Houston themselves, so knew a bit about it. They also told me about San Antonio, Austin and Dallas, and explained what each city was best for, suggesting San Antonio and Austin for the “real Texas feel”. They asked about car hire too. They sent a final itinerary by email, which met all of my requirements. It was a nine-night trip to Houston, San Antonio and Dallas with internal flights and three days’ car hire for £4,286. The email explained the booking process and advised that prices fluctuate. The consultant stood out for their interest in my enquiry and their enhusiasm and knowledge about Texas.
Tony Sheldon Travel
The Studio, Brock Lane
The store exterior was neat and inside it was well presented. A consultant greeted me with a smile and asked if they could help. I explained the type of holiday I was looking for and they invited me to take a seat. The consultant asked further questions including dates, duration and budget. They explained that this would be a custom package and that they would need to spend a bit of time putting something together. They took my details and emailed the next day to say they were still waiting for information. They said if we wanted to include a ranch stay we should allow 14 days.After the weekend, they sent me two different quotes. They also encouraged me to book sooner rather than later.
Kuoni
Kuoni was a familiar name and I was led to a page with an overview of multi-centre holidays in the US. I phoned a consultant, who sounded friendly and asked me questions. They asked if I wanted a brochure and said one would arrive in five days. They said once I had decided how many nights I wanted in each place, they could tailor a holiday for me. The consultant was pleasant to speak to, happy to help and informative but discussed the holiday in general terms and did not steer me towards firming up a holiday plan. The onus was on me to do more research and return with specific requirements. They did not provide me with any direct contact details, so I could not pursue the enquiry with them personally.
Thomson
48 High Street
The shop signage was faded and the store didn’t seem very well cared for. I could see two consultants seated at the back of the shop, although I wasn’t acknowledged until one had finished with an existing customer. I explained that we were looking to go in April 2018 and asked about Austin. No suggestions were made or advice offered about the cities I mentioned. The consultant said that they were not experts and had never been to Texas and so they couldn’t recommend anything. I was told that I would need to decide exactly what I wanted before they could phone for a quote. They didn’t ask for my contact details and I felt there was no enthusiasm for my enquiry.
TTG has teamed up with React Surveys to simulate a realistic booking process each week – that means a mystery shopper looking for the best deal from agents and operators on the high street, online, on TV or in newspapers. The Mystery Shopper research is carried out on behalf of TTG by React Surveys,and no further details or information can be disclosed. Researchers take into consideration first impression, sales process, product and budget match and extras offered before giving an unbiased opinion of which channel/company they would have booked with on that occasion. We do not claim that the winner is the best in an area or specialist sector, as we may report on competing travel firms in the future. Please note that the aim of Mystery Shopper is not to criticise individual agents or companies, but to promote good sales technique for the benefit of all in the travel trade.
