Mystery Shopper's seller of the week: Rachel Torr, Hays Travel

Hays Travel
6 Saxon Square

Score 84%

Mystery Shopper said: The shop was neat and tidy, and advertised interesting holidays. I was greeted on entry by a consultant, who was sitting down. They smiled and invited me to sit down. The consultant was familiar with my holiday request and said they had been to Disneyland Paris. They jotted down notes, asked the ages of my children and made a phone call for up-to-date pricing. I felt involved in the process and valued as a customer. We discussed dates, hotels and car hire and they supplied a package, flying from Gatwick and staying at Port Orleans in Walt Disney World Resort and Ocean Side Inn, Daytona Beach, which fit my requirements. It was under budget at £6,034 and included Disney extras such as the Magical Express from the airport and $100 Disney gift card. I was made aware it was a sale price, which ended the next day. This was a friendly, professional service, and I would recommend this agency to family and friends.

Rachel Torr,
Apprentice,

Hays Travel

How long with Hays Travel?
I’ve only been with Hays for a year. I originally did science at college but I loved travel so much I decided to make a move into it.

What’s hot right now?
Florida has been really popular with families and retired couples recently. We sell a lot of cruises and multicentre holidays too. San Francisco, Las Vegas and New York are also selling well.

Tips for selling Florida?
Build the itinerary one step at a time and make sure the client knows exactly what they are going to get. Offer them a few alternatives to the well-known attractions.

Top bucket list destination?
I would love to go to Japan. The culture really appeals to me.

What would you do if you weren’t in travel?
Photography is my top hobby, especially taking pictures of wildlife.

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.