In this week's edition of TW, we've got a letter from Phil Nuttall at The Cruise Village in Blackpool.
He tells the story of a customer who came in for a holiday, having got two quotes elsewhere. Phil gave the customer a quote £100 pounds cheaper, but she wouldn't book with him because he wanted a bigger deposit than the other two agencies. Basically, she had an agreement with her boyfriend that she would pay the deposit and he would pay the balance - so she booked the more expensive holiday, just so she wasn't out of pocket!
The mind boggles! I'd love to hear any stories you've got of mind-boggling customers.
Mind boggling purse-string trouser-wearing wars? Or just evidence of the nation's new pastime - Extreme Shopping Around!?ActivityBreaks had an enquiry from a couple late last year... arranging the family ski trip for 12 people. He got everything checked and priced from us, she vetoed the final purchase until she "just had a check elsewhere," this in spite of our price promise and an already well discounted rate!
A few days of searching-for-a-better-deal-but-to-no-avail later and he came back to book, we're just about to press the Book Now button and what happens...?? She steps in again! In the end we had a total of 4 vetoed purchases before 5th time round was lucky for us all - 3 weeks after the initial enquiry!
Especially lucky for the customer that despite the evidence, we hadn't taken them to be time-wasters and released the rooms back for general sale and were still able to get them their break at the original price. The things we do to keep them happy!
Dearbhaile Mulhollandwww.activitybreaks.com T: 028 90395720Skype: dearbhailemulholland@ dearbhaile@activitybreaks.com
Oh my goodness - they do have you jumping through hoops!
I can remember a group of three couples all calling three agents in our office each obtaining prices for a cruise they were taking together. After numerous calls to different mobiles each were given prices and then they would phone one of the agents back to claim they had found it cheaper elsewhere.
I looked on the system (I was one of the agents) and realised that there were only a few cabins left in the grade my clients wanted, so I held 3 cabins for them (Royal Caribbean). The next time one of the other agents got a call, he checked to see if he could drop his price any further and had to tell them the cabins had gone. Soon after my client called me saying they had heard the cabins they had wanted had gone so could I look at another cruise. I told them what I had done and heard muffled talking in the background. I placed them on hold and asked if anyone else had three couples wanting to go on this cruise. Penny dropped!!!
Anyway I sold them the cruise with no further discount and then had to fight off the other staff for the commission all saying it was their client.
I have created many websites, including for cheap cruises, cruise deals and a new one attacking cruise holidays.
Oh man! That is really awesome you really made me LOL. I never come across something like this. But now onwards I think I should take care before booking some tickets online or on phone. To check it out if you are not sitting on the opposite side LOL.
Turkey holidays