Comments on: Five improvements for the UK travel industry in 2010 http://www.travel-rants.com/2010/01/04/improvements-uk-travel-industry/ Sun, 29 Jan 2012 01:52:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nick http://www.travel-rants.com/2010/01/04/improvements-uk-travel-industry/#comment-161894 Nick Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:25:42 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=5618#comment-161894 Darren Sorry for the late reply. The reason we have not gone down coffee shop route is no empty shops in our town larger than our current shop. (our current shop being to small, even for our current use). How ever being an independent we are friendly and do have customers who just come in for a chat. Darren

Sorry for the late reply. The reason we have not gone down coffee shop route is no empty shops in our town larger than our current shop. (our current shop being to small, even for our current use).

How ever being an independent we are friendly and do have customers who just come in for a chat.

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]]> By: Malcolm Brownson http://www.travel-rants.com/2010/01/04/improvements-uk-travel-industry/#comment-159565 Malcolm Brownson Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:31:15 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=5618#comment-159565 At the other end of the scale!! I recently ran some Low-Cost Budget type Ads! Only to have responses like "Why so cheap? where's the catch?/ etc etc! you cannot win!! One idea i have toyed with is, asking for a finders fee! on the basis, that if the client goes away and finds a cheaper or better whatever type deal then you offer a Full Money back Guarantee! Very often the client just requires reassurance that they have made the right choice!! Well thats my theory!!LOL At the other end of the scale!! I recently ran some Low-Cost Budget type Ads! Only to have
responses like “Why so cheap? where’s the catch?/ etc etc! you cannot win!!
One idea i have toyed with is, asking for a finders fee! on the basis, that if the client goes away and finds a cheaper or better whatever type deal then you offer a Full Money back
Guarantee! Very often the client just requires reassurance that they have made the right choice!!
Well thats my theory!!LOL

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]]> By: Heather http://www.travel-rants.com/2010/01/04/improvements-uk-travel-industry/#comment-158937 Heather Fri, 08 Jan 2010 23:31:26 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=5618#comment-158937 I think that if travel agents are giving specialist advice, it's fair enough to expect them to spend some time with you and your requirements. But from their point of view I suspect that many must get frustrated by people who plug them for information and then go away and shop for the best deal online. I think if you have had good service from a travel agent then you should give them your custom if possible even if it's a few pounds more expensive. It's like your local high street shops - use it or lose it but don't shop at the supermarket & then moan when your local businesses disappear. I think that if travel agents are giving specialist advice, it’s fair enough to expect them to spend some time with you and your requirements. But from their point of view I suspect that many must get frustrated by people who plug them for information and then go away and shop for the best deal online. I think if you have had good service from a travel agent then you should give them your custom if possible even if it’s a few pounds more expensive. It’s like your local high street shops – use it or lose it but don’t shop at the supermarket & then moan when your local businesses disappear.

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]]> By: Darren Cronian http://www.travel-rants.com/2010/01/04/improvements-uk-travel-industry/#comment-158838 Darren Cronian Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:08:10 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=5618#comment-158838 @ Pete I agree totally - I think other "low cost" airlines are worse in advertising flight prices. I think it is really important that people really do compare flights like for like and the only way to do that is by manually visiting the airline website - comparison sites don't always include the extras. @ Cass Thanks for the comment. I am sure that they are timewasters, but charging consumers for advice is not the way to go about it I think. At the end of the day they are selling a product, and you charge for advice on holidays, everyone will want paying for advice. As for airport security, it does seem petty some of the rules, hopefully with full body scanners this might mean some of these restricts are lifted. The last hour of the flight TSA ruling was stupid, and I think that they have not gone ahead with that ruling, not sure though. @ Pete

I agree totally – I think other “low cost” airlines are worse in advertising flight prices. I think it is really important that people really do compare flights like for like and the only way to do that is by manually visiting the airline website – comparison sites don’t always include the extras.

@ Cass

Thanks for the comment. I am sure that they are timewasters, but charging consumers for advice is not the way to go about it I think. At the end of the day they are selling a product, and you charge for advice on holidays, everyone will want paying for advice.

As for airport security, it does seem petty some of the rules, hopefully with full body scanners this might mean some of these restricts are lifted. The last hour of the flight TSA ruling was stupid, and I think that they have not gone ahead with that ruling, not sure though.

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]]> By: Cass http://www.travel-rants.com/2010/01/04/improvements-uk-travel-industry/#comment-158833 Cass Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:36:25 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=5618#comment-158833 In no particular order... 1. I, for one, think it is absolutely brilliant that you think travel agents should be MORE socialable - I have never known such a 'social' incestuous industry! However, I do take the seriousness behind your point... I think the reality of the problem for agents is timewasters. Perhaps the solution would be for consumers to pay a nominal fee for strategic advice - any other consultant would charge! Not heinous enough to deter custom but significant to create a barrier to entry for timewasters. 2. The Esta thing - DRIVES ME NUTS. Not least because I can never find the right blooming page for having to wade through all the money grabbing companies that are trying to charge people that really don't know any better for the priviledge of filling in a five minute questionnaire - it really should be against some sort of advertising standard regulation - in fact I'm sure it must be. Consumer protection needs to step in. 3. Holiday Tricks - again, another bugbear. Nothing better to annoy your consumers than poorly managing their expectations - breeds customer loyalty that does - do businesses never think of the bigger picture anymore!? Particularly in the current climate - transparency is everything. 4. My own petty rant: when are we going to quit with 'going through the motions' security measures? Seriously, if I have some cataclysmic expolosive in my water bottle - the chances of me handing it over as I walk calmy toward immigration are truly minimal... I wouldn't like to speculate at the number of times I've walked through 'security' unknowingly with 'tweezers' or other questionable items. Stop putting thousands of people to ridiculous inconvenience for no apparent benefit - and seriously, if you make me sit down for the last hour of my flight - well, well, god help the person sat next to me! In no particular order…

1. I, for one, think it is absolutely brilliant that you think travel agents should be MORE socialable – I have never known such a ‘social’ incestuous industry!

However, I do take the seriousness behind your point… I think the reality of the problem for agents is timewasters. Perhaps the solution would be for consumers to pay a nominal fee for strategic advice – any other consultant would charge! Not heinous enough to deter custom but significant to create a barrier to entry for timewasters.

2. The Esta thing – DRIVES ME NUTS. Not least because I can never find the right blooming page for having to wade through all the money grabbing companies that are trying to charge people that really don’t know any better for the priviledge of filling in a five minute questionnaire – it really should be against some sort of advertising standard regulation – in fact I’m sure it must be. Consumer protection needs to step in.

3. Holiday Tricks – again, another bugbear. Nothing better to annoy your consumers than poorly managing their expectations – breeds customer loyalty that does – do businesses never think of the bigger picture anymore!? Particularly in the current climate – transparency is everything.

4. My own petty rant: when are we going to quit with ‘going through the motions’ security measures? Seriously, if I have some cataclysmic expolosive in my water bottle – the chances of me handing it over as I walk calmy toward immigration are truly minimal…
I wouldn’t like to speculate at the number of times I’ve walked through ‘security’ unknowingly with ‘tweezers’ or other questionable items. Stop putting thousands of people to ridiculous inconvenience for no apparent benefit – and seriously, if you make me sit down for the last hour of my flight – well, well, god help the person sat next to me!

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