Hays Travel, Darlington Centre: North East’s Top Travel Agency 2017

The team includes experienced staff such as Clare Craggs who won a company award for her 30 years of service while newer members include apprentices Ellie Barton and Dannielle Mason, who are mentored by longer-standing staff.

Rather than sitting back and waiting for customers to walk through the door the team is proactive in making sure it is out and about in the local community. From offering every
local shop, plus GP surgeries, hospitals and call centres, a 3% discount on their holidays, to finding killer deals, which it promotes on its Facebook page, the team is always looking for a way to offer clients great value.

It’s not just about drumming up business though. When customers walk through the door, providing excellent service is their top priority, with team talks on the subject taking place every day. Customers receive a “thank you for booking” card and a welcome home call. In addition, those celebrating a special occasion such as a wedding receive a personalised travel pack.

And when it comes to going above and beyond, there is one recent example of a lady who became very unwell on a cruise. When the team found out they tracked down her daughter and did everything they could to help them deal with the situation.

Their kindly nature extends to charity initiatives too, with the team raising more than £4,000 for charity in the past year. These include an event with a raffle and band which raised £2,500 for charity Ronald McDonald, volunteering at the local Dogs Trust and organising mystery coach trips to raise money for an ME charity.