Top 50 2024 - Yorkshire - Idle Travel, Bradford

It’s all about service for the team at Idle Travel, where the good “old-fashioned” values of first-class customer experience intertwine with a modern, inviting premises to visit, an updated website, a year-round radio campaign and a fresh audience-led approach to social media. Idle Travel pride themselves on being one big happy family, and look upon their customers as friends. The team are there for their customers whenever they’re needed – inside and out of the nine to five. This is whether it’s dropping tickets off to customers’ homes, driving them to meet coach departures or ensuring that the coveted Billy Idle Bear – a customer favourite for children who can’t wait to be photographed with him on their travels – gets into the hands of a child when their cuddly companion accidentally goes missing on holiday. Customers regularly get involved in Idle Travel’s team-run competitions, which range from holiday giveaways, a 12 Days of Christmas promotion which last year attracted 3,500 entrants, to prizes for guessing correctly which one of the team will jump out of a box the quickest! The agency’s staff are not afraid to put themselves up for good-natured ridicule for their valued customers, who are quite often joining them on team nights out in the local area. A long-time supporter of the local football club, and of charities Cash for Kids and Andy’s Man Club, which supports mental health, means Idle Travel also stays in touch with their community beyond the fun times. Customers can rely on the team’s values. They are quick to be upfront and honest if a trip or hotel option is not the right one for a client, using their own expertise, and each other, to come up with an alternative that will instead delight. Celebrating its 40th birthday this year, this is a travel agency that has truly moved with the times.

idletravel.co.uk