Research among focus groups by Advantage has found that customers like the re-assurance given to them by agents but perceive them to be expensive.
The focus groups were conducted around the country and people said they liked the fact that agents take the risk out of the booking process. They also valued the personal service and the opportunity to try to get a better deal by talking face to face with an agent.
However, on the flip side, people think agents are expensive, not particularly convenient and offer less choice than can be found online. Customers also felt they could do the booking themselves.
Some 83% of customers rated Advantage agents as very good, but only 53% said they saved them money.
