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Beware, the spies are out
Advantage Travel Centres will begin doing ‘Mystery Shopper’ checks on its members from next month, designed to help agents improve their customer service.
The initiative, which will be carried out by outside marketing consultants Pink Flamingo, will see undercover ‘shoppers’ visit stores to rate the service they get under specific criteria.
Unlike other Mystery Shopper checks, the fake customers will also be leaving their contact details with agents to see how their visits are followed up.
"It’s all about letting agents know how they’re seen from the other side, in the eyes of their customers," said Colin O’Neill, business development director for the independent agency consortium.
"They will scored on everything, including how they follow up afterwards."
Members are being invited to sign up for the Mystery Shopper scheme and so far four companies, with a total of 10 branches, have opted for it.
"We’ll be doing them in batches of 10 starting from May," said O’Neill.
"Managers will get feedback on their own companies and once we get started we’ll be able to give them a benchmark across the whole membership."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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