Top 50 - North East - Dawson and Sanderson, Sunderland

As you walk into this shopping centre-based store, it feels more like a home away from home than an agency – which branch manager Amanda Allen takes great pride in. After being greeted by one of the nine staff, you’re instantly put at ease by their stellar product knowledge, customer sales skills and personable approach.

Customer service is certainly the buzz term for Sunderland’s Dawson and Sanderson, evidenced through its five-star Feefo rating based on 1,565 client reviews during the past year.

The branch also has its own dedicated 24-hour emergency line for clients to use in a crisis and on one occasion, Allen personally took an elderly customer to the Port of Tyne after she raised concern over travelling alone. After the individual considered cancelling the holiday, Allen decided to stay with her from the start of the day until she boarded her cruise, and in return received a hand-painted picture from the woman, who has returned to book again since.

When an agent goes on a personal or business holiday, they feed back their findings to the team, as well as customers through their Facebook page, when they return. The store has experts in a range of areas, including Florida, the US, Disney and cruise. To evolve with the ever-changing landscape of customers desires, the branch did away with traditional newspaper advertising last year, and instead opted for a new QR code competition with Jet2holidays – which led to more than 1,063 sign-ups.

Amanda holds regular one-to- ones with her team, and hosts a number of team-building trips, with previous locations including spas, Go Ape and local restaurants and bars. The branch also supports local charity Sunderland Area Parent Support (SAPS), and became a drop-off point in December 2022 for Christmas presents for underprivileged children. 

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