Mystery Shopper's seller of the week: Roundtheworldexperts.co.uk

Round the World Experts

roundtheworldexperts.co.uk

Score: 72%

Mystery Shopper said: The company was rated 4.7 out of 5 on Google and the site highlighted its New Zealand experts. The layout was extremely clear; it was very easy to navigate and used engaging photos. I was very impressed with the sales process. The consultant introduced themselves and told me they dealt with Australia and New Zealand as they had lived there. They walked me through each point of the holiday, and destinations were discussed and suggested to me. I was asked about my interests and my travel requirements, including my budget. Personal examples were used throughout. I was impressed by the consultant’s knowledge, and they were personable and friendly. The fact that the planned journey was so far down the line was beneficial, I was told, as I would have a better choice of flights. My contact details were taken but I was not emailed a quote.

• Pre-booking is essential for peak season. February is the busiest month outside of Christmas and New Year.
• Recommend New Zealand’s unique experiences – such as the Mount Cook Helicopter flight – to give clients the most memorable trip.
• Fly-drivers should allow more time than they think for car journeys – the single-lane roads can be windy with lots of mountain passes.
• Recommend travelling during spring and autumn – there’s great weather, flights and hotels are cheaper and there’s more availability.
• For clients visiting Fiordland, recommend Doubtful Sound instead of Milford Sound, which is just as beautiful but receives fewer visitors.
• Suggest travelling by motorhome or campervan for the freedom to discover the country at your own pace. Clients can download the Campermate app for information about camping areas and the location of petrol stations, supermarkets and ATMs.

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.