This week Mystery Shopper was in Evesham, Worcestershire, looking for a ferry holiday to the south of France of Spain.
This holiday is very common and therefore should have been a bread-and-butter type enquiry for the agents.
Surprisingly, some of the agents did admit to a lack of product knowledge about the destinations, particularly in the South of France.
Is this because most customers book this type of holiday direct? Given these destinations are so popular with UK tourists, should the agents know more?
I think it's unfair to expect agents to know all of the destinations a customer might ask for.
However, agents need to remember that specialised operators are ready and willing to help. This could be a quick question over the phone, a brochure or two, or even a full-blown training pack.
For instance, Lagrange specialise in self-catering holidays to France, including ferry travel, and our small team loves nothing more than being asked to talk about their favourite destination, or even where they grew up!