Avis We Try Harder Customer Service Award Shortlist

Katie Canavan, travel director (homeworker), The Travel Directors

Travel Director Katie Canavan was contacted by new clients seeking a multigenerational holiday. The family of 14 were excited by the Jamaica trip she put together but, with a wide range of ages involved, based in different parts of the UK, and the extra hurdles of travelling during a pandemic, they were struggling to coordinate arrangements.

Katie scheduled a Zoom call with the extended family. To make this fun she arranged for Caribbean cocktail making kits to be sent to their various homes. During the Zoom Katie booked all the family’s Covid tests at times and places convenient for them.

When four of the party still could not get to their nearest test centres Katie offered to drive them, staggering the appointments throughout one day in which she ended up driving more than 300 miles. She also completed all visas and forms for the whole party to ensure they were confident and excited.

Colleague Nicola Harper, head of operations and strategy for parent brand Aquilium, says this is typical of Katie’s dedication: “Katie offers impeccable and exceptional service levels to all clients. She has created really innovative ways to communicate, reward and thank clients. She’s always available and nothing is ever too much trouble.”

David Cookson, manager, Travel Circle, Midcounties Co-operative

A regular client of Travel Circle tested positive for Covid during a holiday to Greece with her husband. Though she was symptomless, the couple were moved to an isolation hotel for 10 days. After a while they ran out of fresh clothes and toiletries and were particularly upset that they would now miss the husband’s 40th birthday party with family and friends back home.

Manager David Cookson secretly contacted the family and gathered fresh clothing, books, laptops, favourite snacks, balloons and banners to help make the couple’s quarantine more comfortable and enable them to stage a small celebration. He then flew out to Greece, at the agency’s own expense, bought some booze from a local supermarket and surprised the clients with a socially distanced handover of the goodies. Over three days in Greece, David also arranged for a second test for his client so that she was able to leave quarantine early.

“We were devastated this happened to one of our passengers,” says David. “The lady who had tested positive was extremely emotional that I’d flown out there, she was really taken aback. It doesn’t matter if they’ve spent £2,000 or £20, we treat them all the same.

“Everyone knows each other where we’re based too, so everyone now knows what we did.”

Emma Higinbotham, deputy in charge, Marion Owen Travel

Marion Owen Travel has a regular client who can use a computer but is not good with a mobile phone. He was getting very worried that he did not have the necessary Covid app for travel. When he came into the office to discuss this, Emma took him to a nearby phone shop and set him up with an appropriate smart phone and a new contract within his existing budget.

She then transferred all of his data and set up his email and NHS Covid app and regularly popped round to his house after work to help him and his wife with their phone to relieve their anxiety.

With one smart phone and two GP surgeries between the husband and wife, it transpired that a second Covid app was needed, so Emma ended up with the wife’s details on her own phone.

Agency proprietor Marion Owen says: “Without Emma's intervention the couple were not going to travel as it was so beyond their technical ability. Not only do our Mr & Mrs C appreciate the years of help and service that they have been given, they also put their complete trust in Emma and Marion Owen Travel.

Emma always goes beyond her role of duty.”

Gareth Holloway, travel manager homeworker, The Travel Managers

Early last year new Travel Managers member Gareth booked new clients a holiday to the Dominican Republic for a special anniversary. He secretly contacted the hotel and airline to make sure they’d have VIP treatment, however, at the last minute they had to cancel due to Covid restrictions.

Gareth promptly rebooked but knowing the break would now miss their anniversary he also arranged for a traditional Caribbean dinner and the hotel’s bathrobes and slippers to be sent to the couple on the day to give them a flavour of the holiday to come. The clients were blown away by this gesture and Gareth kept in regular contact.

Then came the devastating news that the husband had leukaemia.

Gareth continued to go above and beyond, taking the couple to hospital appointments, collecting prescriptions, shopping for them and dropping in meals. They were now unable to travel a second time and the supplier asked for a 100% cancellation fee. Gareth felt awful and spent days liaising with the supplier to seek a solution. Eventually it agreed to cancel free of charge and the clients were very grateful to have this additional stress lifted.

Nicola Harper, head of operations and strategy for parent brand Aquilium Travel, praises Gareth’s “innovative, proactive, creative and determined” approach to his work.