The new Customer Service Champion award, sponsored by Iberostar, celebrates some of the incredible stories the Top 50 judges heard about during their judging visits and interviews, of agents going the extra mile for customers.
The five individuals earning a place on the shortlist are: Steph Watson of Holidaysplease; Bev Barron of Freedom PTAs; Kim Hart of Travelwise in Muswell Hill; Ginette Steele of Midcounties Co-operative’s Personal Travel Agents; and James Whittaker-Shepherd of Travel Designers in Balham.
A second new category, Community Hero, is sponsored by Gran Canaria and has been introduced to recognise agents and agencies who have worked hard to give back to and support local communities, whether in their own towns or in destinations important to them. Again, the contenders were all examples Top 50 judges heard about during their judging sessions.
The five finalists are: Sophie Baker of Oyster Travel in Norwich; TMC Diversity Travel; Graeme Brett of Westoe Travel in South Shields; Travel Counsellors; and Thorne Travel in Kilwinning.
More information about their stories can be found in the March 21 edition of TTG magazine (pages 34-37).
TTG Media group editor Pippa Jacks said: "Having heard so many extraordinary stories of customer service excellence and community commitment from finalists in previous years, we were keen in 2019 to be able to recognise some of the individuals and companies responsible for them.
"Choosing only five examples to shortlist in each of these categories was incredibly difficult, but we look forward to naming one winner in each category at the Top 50 ceremony on April 25."
