Top 50 - Cruise - Barrhead Travel

Established in 1975, Barrhead Travel has more than 85 stores throughout the UK, and while cruise currently accounts for around a third of its business, a major focus on the sector over the past 12 months has brought a wave of success.

To ensure the company was best placed to emerge strongly after the pandemic, Barrhead launched its Cruise Academy last June. Not only does the company now have cruise experts in every store – but it is also working on helping different staff members become dedicated specialists on specific cruise brands too.

Every Wednesday morning, branches close for half an hour to allow staff to take part in breakfast training – with around 200 team members honing their knowledge of cruise lines and destinations.

Barrhead’s Agent Profiler online tool helps customers find the right travel consultant to suit their needs and connects them with the best expertise for their enquiry. 

The agency also prides itself on going above and beyond for customers, whether it’s organising a special ship tour for first-time cruise clients or, in the case of store manager Debbie Ballantyne, embarking on an eleventh-hour dash to alert her 83-year-old, phoneless customer that her cruise had been cancelled.

Debbie found her client at Glasgow bus station and drove her home (eventually returning home herself past 11pm). Her client was so impressed by Debbie’s care, she booked a further seven cruises.

Offering such service has seen Barrhead earn a Trustpilot review rating of 4.9/5. And Barrhead is equally focused on looking after its team – it was named one of the top 100 large UK companies to work for in 2022. The business has trained more than 60 staff mental-health first-aiders, while protecting the planet is also high on the agenda with its new flagship store in Glasgow using digital screens for window advertising, and print and plastic usage reduced by up to 60% across its shops. 

barrheadtravel.co.uk