This week our secret shopper perused York to book an all-inclusive Caribbean break for two.
The mystery shopper visited two travel agencies in York and requested a one-week, all-inclusive holiday to the Caribbean for a couple in January 2018 with a budget of £8,000.
They then made two Google.co.uk searches using the term ‘Caribbean beach holiday’.
Quartz Travel
81 Heworth Road
Mystery Shopper said: The front of the store was clean and uncluttered. All three consultants greeted me when I walked in. The decor felt very contemporary, trendy and welcoming. A consultant motioned for me to sit at their desk and asked how they could help. Having established my initial needs, they asked further questions, including my travel dates and budget. They then made a number of recommendations including Aruba, and offered advice on some of the best places to visit. The holidays for the dates I requested weren’t available, but I was given suggestions to consider. The consultant advised coming back into the store at a later date. Three days later I received a call about a Sandals deal to Barbados which they had extended for me that was within my budget at £7,964. The consultant was helpful and I felt they tried to get the right holiday for me.
Sam Sullivan
World travel consultant
Quartz Travel
How long in travel?
I’ve been in travel for two years and I’ve been at Quartz Travel for five months.
How often do you sell the Caribbean?
It depends on the season, but around five or six times a month.
Most popular island?
The Windward Islands such as St Lucia and Grenada, Barbados and Cuba.
Favourite spot in the Caribbean?
Aruba. It’s so beautiful and it isn’t affected by the hurricane season. Clients can visit whenever they want.
Standout travel moment?
Being on a catamaran in Barbados.
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.