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The mystery shopper visited two travel agencies in Redditch and requested a three-night holiday for a mother and daughter in Istanbul, with a budget of £600-£1,000, departing in September.

 

They then made two Google.co.uk searches using the term ‘Istanbul city break’.

The winner

The winner

The Co-operative Travel, Redditch

 

Score: 92%

 

Mystery Shopper 2015 leaderboard

 

Mystery Shopper said:

I was greeted by a consultant with a friendly smile soon after entering the neat store. I was made to feel welcome and offered a seat.

 

The consultant was friendly, enthusiastic and professional. They asked which airport I wanted to fly from and established my budget. They found a holiday that met my needs, a three-night break at the four-star Almina Hotel, flying from Heathrow, for £881.

 

They printed an overview of the hotel for me to take away - and they took my contact details and email address. They encouraged me to book the holiday - I was offered discounted travel insurance to help seal the deal.

 

I would confidently recommend this agency to family and friends as I felt like the consultant had found the right holiday for me and the customer service was good.

Meet the consultant

Meet the consultant

Deb Court, senior sales consultant

 

How long have you been in travel?

About 25 years as an agent and 10 years with The Co-operative Travel.

 

What’s the best thing about being a travel agent?

People are always friendly when we’re chatting about holidays - we are making their dreams come true.

 

Is Istanbul growing in popularity as a city break destination?

Yes it is - people are looking for shorter breaks now, and it’s cheap once you get out there.

 

Have you been to Turkey?

I haven’t but my sister loves it so she feeds me all the information I need to know!

 

What’s been your best recent holiday?

Las Vegas - we stayed in New York New York, and in a teepee out by the Grand Canyon.

 

What’s selling well?

Cruise is a big market right now - it’s good value for money and they offer lots of variety.


React Surveys explainer / disclaimer

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.

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