Mystery Shopper

This week, Mystery Shopper was an older solo traveller looking for a cultural tour of Eastern Europe. She didn't mind a coach tour, as long as it was on a deluxe vehicle.

Although the Bath agents had no trouble tracking down a tour, all but the Flight Centre agent let themselves down on customer service - a prompt greeting and a bit of enthusiasm would have made all the difference.

• The target: Bath
• Wanted: A cultural tour of Eastern Europe for a solo traveller

First Choice

10 Northumberland Place
Score: 0%

This agency broke the 15-minute rule: any agency that keeps us waiting for 15 minutes or longer without acknowledgement will fail to score.

What a disappointing start to the mystery shop. I was kept waiting for about 16 minutes before I left the agency without being served.

When I went in, there were three agents and five customers in the branch. One consultant was on the phone, two were with customers, and three customers were waiting.

I sat down and waited with another customer at the seats near the door. Another customer then came in after us and went to the back of the branch. The agent who had been on the phone finished the call and then served that customer.

When the next agent became free, the customer in front of me went over to ask for help. The agent said she couldn't help, as she had to watch the bureau de change.

I then left the agency. The waiting time was excessive and I wasn't even acknowledged.

World Market Travel

7 New Bond Street
Score: 24%

There was messy paperwork in this travel agency.

One agent was serving, one was on the phone, and another on the computer. I wasn't acknowledged until after another customer had come in, and then the agent at the computer said: "Can I help?" to no one in particular.

I walked over to her desk and she carried on looking at the computer without acknowledging me. After 30 seconds, I returned to the racks. She asked again if she could help, but then said she had to make sure an email had been sent.

After finally explaining my request, she gave me two brochures.

When I asked for prices, she reluctantly phoned Cosmos Tourama to be quoted £1,494 for a 15-day tour. I stood for the length of the consultation. I felt as if the consultant thought I was an inconvenience.

Thomas Cook

1 Abbeygate Street
Score: 33%

The agent serving wasn't particularly well presented, with a stain on the front of her blouse.

I was browsing the brochures when she came over to ask if she could help.

After explaining the request, she picked up two brochures and offered them to me. I asked her if she could help find me a holiday and she took me over to her desk to look at the brochures.

She offered to phone two operators to check availability. However, she didn't ask me many questions about my request.

The quote was Leger Holidays' eight-day Splendours of Prague and Vienna - Imperial Capitals tour costing £649, with an additional £149 single supplement.

I had to press her to get the price for me, and felt that she wasn't that bothered about helping me or going out of her way.

Flight Centre

15 Union Passage
Score: 82%

I was immediately greeted and explained the request to an agent.

When I told her the dates I wanted to travel on, she said they clashed with the October half term, and advised me to travel at a later date. She went to the back of the branch and got two brochures, as well as asking colleagues for recommendations.

As I was booking fairly late, she offered to phone the companies to check availability.

The first didn't have any, so she phoned Trafalgar Tours. It didn't have anything in the brochure, but directed her to its website, and together they tried to find a tour.

In the end, she quoted the eight-day Eastern Europe Odyssey Tour with Imaginative Traveller, costing £1,130.

I said I had to go, so she took my number and said she would do more research and get in touch.

She also gave me her card. She was interested in my booking, made me feel welcome, and nothing was too much trouble.

Have you got driving ambition?

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Watch our winning agents receiving the car on Elite Island Resorts' TWacademy page...

Tips: Selling Eastern Europe

Tip 1: Coach tour companies offer a range of local departures. Some will be as local as a village, others will sell the tour-only element of the holiday, so agents can add on the flights and transfers.

Tip 2: Think about themed tours. For example, Cosmos Tourama's Bohemian Rhapsody tour includes a night of Mozart's music in Prague. For 2010, suggest clients combine the tour with a night at the Oberammergau Passion Play in Bavaria, Germany. It's only held every 10 years, and is popular, so early booking is essential.

Tip 3: Some will waive single supplements in certain situations. Others can arrange for the customer to share a room with another person of the same sex on the trip. Some offer trips exclusively for solo travellers.

Tip 4: Most coach companies offer a premium coach at additional cost, with more legroom. Cosmos Tourama has its Platinum Tourer coaches, Leger Holidays offers Silver Service, and Shearings has Grand Tourer coaches.

Tip 5: For more information on Eastern European cities, visit Gazetteers.com.