Travel House, Morriston

The shop might be small, with just three desks, but it still features a wide variety of brochures and even a foreign currency desk.

Training is key for its three staff, with the agency’s head office hosting operator evenings to keep employees across all 21 Travel House branches in Wales updated on the latest product offerings.

During the last 12 months, the Morriston branch took this further, requesting its own specialist training for specific regions and activities – including Asia, the US and Canada, and ski – to boost the team’s knowledge. It also significantly increased the number of training events it attended, from five in 2017 to 12 last year.

Travel journals from the team’s educational trips are used to inform not just fellow colleagues but also customers, with the reports posted on the website as well as out to clients.

Despite the team’s long-standing presence in the community, it works hard to attract new customers, including attending wedding fairs to promote its hen and stag do offerings, leading to a significant rise in new business.

It is customer service, though, into which the team really directs its energy. No client request is too much trouble – from contacting a hotel in Benidorm to make sure the supermarket next door stocked Heinz ketchup to one consultant travelling to Birmingham to hand-deliver tickets to a customer who had forgotten them.

Regular contact with clients is key – from follow-up calls after customer enquiries to distributing Christmas, birthday and engagement cards. Gifts are also sent out to commemorate weddings or special birthdays, while honeymoon requests are routinely made for celebratory chocolates to be placed in couples’ hotel rooms.

It’s not all about business for this Travel House branch, though. Charity and supporting the local community is also key, with some regular toy donations collected by the agency from suppliers and customers and distributed to the local Barnardo’s.

It’s little wonder then that this agency has an 80% repeat rate, while its back wall is decorated with thank you cards from happy customers praising the thoughtful team of this successful store.