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This week we scouted out the offering in Perth where our shopper found little fault with the winning seller.
The mystery shopper visited two travel agencies in Perth, Scotland, and requested a one-week fjords cruise for a family of four in late July and August 2016 with a maximum budget of £5,000.
They then made two Google.co.uk searches using the term ‘Fjords cruise summer 2016’.
Ramsay World Travel
210 South Street, Perth
Score: 98%
Mystery Shopper said: The agency’s window was enticing and packed with offers. The interior was a little cluttered but was clean and featured an extensive collection of brochures. A smartly dressed consultant greeted me and asked about my holiday request. I was impressed by the way that all the staff worked together and offered advice based on their own experience.
The consultant had excellent product knowledge, including sailing times, costs and the cheapest way to get to the departure port. Even though there were sailings from Greenock in Scotland, they said it would be much cheaper to travel to Southampton instead. The best deal was a P&O Cruises’ itinerary from Southampton which cost £2,597 and was cheaper than an alternative Fred Olsen cruise from Scotland. I also received a printed itinerary of the P&O cruise tucked inside the brochure. The agency scored the highest marks because of its excellent customer service and teamwork in finding the most suitable cruise holiday.
Cameron Wilson
travel clerk
Ramsay World Travel
How long have you worked in travel?
Two years
Do you sell a lot of cruise?
We do. We’re independent, so we sell all lines, but we really push P&O Cruises for the family deals and Fred Olsen and Cruise & Maritime for the Scottish departures.
Have you been on a cruise?
No not yet, but hoping to get on one soon, my colleagues have all been on Cruises and love them!
Any holiday plans this year?
Prague to experience some culture. Some great deals there just now.
Where’s hot for Scots right now?
Turkey and Bulgaria – we love a bargain.
Deep-fried Mars bar – yes or no?
Aye!
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.
