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This week our secret shopper was in Exmouth requesting California theme park tickets for a family of four. How did the sellers do?
The mystery shopper visited two travel agencies in Exmouth, Devon and requested California theme park tickets for a family of four in August, with a budget of £1,000.
They then made two Google.co.uk searches using the term ‘California theme park pass’.
2nd: Attraction Tix
3rd: Travelworld
4th: Attraction Tickets Direct
Hays Travel
23 Rolle Street
Mystery Shopper said: The store appeared clean and tidy. As soon as I entered, I was greeted and acknowledged by a consultant, who said someone would be with me soon. The consultant listened to my enquiry and started searching on their computer. They asked what my budget was and tried to tailor the search to my needs. They printed a list of the parks available and told me the prices. Then they checked if there was a difference in price as it was in high season, and also asked the age of my children, saying that if they were under nine, I would pay for a child ticket. They said if I wanted to visit more than one park I’d need to go slightly over my budget. The consultant asked if I wanted to book the tickets that day and gave me their business card so I could contact them. I liked their positive attitude and the interest in finding the best solution for my needs.
Rick Walton
Branch manager
Hays Travel
How long in travel?
I’ve been with Hays Travel in Exmouth since October last year but it’s been 18 years on and off in travel.
Do you sell attraction tickets often?
Not necessarily, but we keep on top of the developments.
What are your tips for selling tickets?
Bring it to life by using the websites and showing videos.
What’s selling now?
We’re doing more long-haul, tailor-made trips to places such as Bali.
Where was your last holiday?
A two-week cruise in the Caribbean with Thomson – we saw some really interesting places, such as Havana and Panama.
If you weren’t a travel agent?
I’ve always thought about working on a cruise ship, maybe as a cruise director – I wouldn’t be part of the entertainment team though!
Attraction Tix
The home page was attractive and it was easy to navigate. When I called the company, I was greeted in a friendly manner. The consultant asked for my dates, the number of people and age of the children. They asked me how many days I wanted to spend in the theme parks and told me the price for two days at Disneyland Resort. I asked how much it would be to include SeaWorld and they suggested a three-day South Californian pass to Disneyland, Legoland and SeaWorld, which totalled £1,067 for the family. They said they would answer telephone calls until 8pm and said I could call when I wanted.
Travelworld
17-18 Strand
The store was clean and tidy and it had a calm and relaxed atmosphere. I told the consultant I wanted to buy theme park tickets for California and they asked if I was there to collect them. I told them the holiday was already booked and all I wanted was the tickets. They asked how many people were going, when and if I was staying in Los Angeles. The consultant didn’t try to make the booking, but gave me a list of attractions and their business card, suggesting I talked to the family and called them when I had made my decision. I felt they could have been more enthusiastic and tried harder to “sell” the tickets to me.
Attraction Tickets Direct
attraction-tickets-direct.co.uk
It was the only result that had a map of Los Angeles beside it and pictures of the attractions. I phoned and I said I wanted to go to Disneyland and some other parks within my budget. They consultant suggested a day hopper to Disneyland. When I asked if they could suggest another park, they mentioned SeaWorld. I had to ask for the price for this. The consultant offered a two-day hopper pass to Disneyland and a day pass to SeaWorld, but they didn’t add anything else and didn’t try to close the sale. There were lots of silences during our conversation and I had to prompt to get the information.
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.
