I have a complaint about TC - it is probably nowhere near as major as some people on here, but little gripes that all add up to cause some hassle.
Firstly, the way they make you pay for 20kg of luggage - I thought all companies now did this - but it turns out they don't! I didn't pay for the extra and managed to get away being a couple of kilos over there and back. Then we checked in, to find we had been changed from a TC flight to Astreaus Air as there was a technical problem with our plane. This is unavoidable and could have been a whole lot worse. But, we boarded and then sat on the tarmac for an hour and ten minutes whilst we waited for a member of cabin crew. It was never said why he was so late - but it is presumed that he was coming off another flight - so it didn't start too well.
I have no complaints with Astreus they were friendly, and the flight was good.
We arrived in resort (Albufeira, Portugal) ok and the first night was fantastic. We went to the welcome meeting on the first morning as we had not been to the place before and thought the rep could give us some ideas. The rep was useless. All she did was go on about one area of the town, which no one was interested in - she droned on for 45 minutes without stopping, and did not give any very useful information. Most people wanted to know about waterparks and the zoomarine trips, but she never mentioned these - only the trips to markets and shopping centres - that conveniently only Thomas Cook could arrange. It really was not about informing us of the resort - just how much money they could get out of us.
Two days later, I was waiting for the lift, when the rep came and stood beside me also waiting for it. I said hello, which was not returned and then we travelled up in the lift together and not once during the journey did she say anything to me!! Not even "hope you are enjoying yourself"!!
On our return journey, we were told we would be picked up by the coach at 16.40 which we were promptly. However TC then took us all the way out to another resort 40 mins away to pick up 2 people, before we finally got to the airport. Upon arriving at the airport, we then discovered that the people at the hotel next door had had a seperate bus pick them up and take them to the airport directly, so they were at the front of the check in queue and we were right at the back! It made no sense why we couldn't have got on the bus with the people from the hotel next door (as neither bus was full) and then they could have sent a taxi or mini bus to get the two people at the other resort!!
Anyway, we were only a little bit delayed coming home - and although the TC plane was slightly more modern and comfortable than the Astreus plane - I prefered the Astreus flight as the staff were more friendly and it was a nicer flight. I wanted to fill in the questionaire when I was on the plane, but when they gave them out we were told they had no pens so I couldn't fill it in!! Bit sneaky of them I think, as I wanted to be honest about my feelings about the rep!!
I know that my complaints are probably extremely minor compared to some of the issues some people have faced, but I wanted to let people know that these little issues can leave a bad taste - and whilst not ruin your holiday, certainly will make me not book another holiday with TC. I will return to the hotel and resort but will go with someone else. TC seems to be all about money - thats all they care about.
Hi Katie,
Sounds like you had a good time apart from the rep & transfer?
I'm not excusing your rep, she sounds either very inexperienced or just not interested, but a few things that came to mind as I was reading your post.
Reps are not allowed to sell or recommend excursions other than their own. It is a disciplinary offence in most companies and although sales are a big part of our job, a good rep will not labour the point and push you to go on them. We are targeted on sales of course and this is how we supplement our salary.
She ignored you by the lift, inexcusable, a good morning costs nothing. If she had said a hello but did not speak for the rest of the way I would not find that odd. We see 100's of faces a week and I personally have a real short term memory problem, especially with faces. Its just possible she did not recognise you as one of her guests. But as I said, manners cost nowt. As a precaution, I smile & speak to everyone, just in case!
Don't let it put you off. Your reps service is a small part of the whole holiday experience. We are not all bad. Personally, I get great responses about my welcome meetings, they are only about 35 mins long and probably only 5-10 mins of that is about excursions.
I don't push them a whole lot, I give the info needed and let the guests decide. A more softly, softly approach and it works for me.
All TO's are the same in that they are in business to make money and any welcome meeting you attend will be a sales pitch, so it doesn't matter which one you go with. It just depends on how it is put across to you by the rep.
Drop them a letter explaining your disatisfaction with the rep & transfer. Obviously she needs some more training/monitoring by her manager & the transfer procedure needs looking into.
Louise
Holiday Rep - Not TC
Sounds like you had a good time apart from the rep & transfer?
I'm not excusing your rep, she sounds either very inexperienced or just not interested, but a few things that came to mind as I was reading your post.
Reps are not allowed to sell or recommend excursions other than their own. It is a disciplinary offence in most companies and although sales are a big part of our job, a good rep will not labour the point and push you to go on them. We are targeted on sales of course and this is how we supplement our salary.
She ignored you by the lift, inexcusable, a good morning costs nothing. If she had said a hello but did not speak for the rest of the way I would not find that odd. We see 100's of faces a week and I personally have a real short term memory problem, especially with faces. Its just possible she did not recognise you as one of her guests. But as I said, manners cost nowt. As a precaution, I smile & speak to everyone, just in case!
Don't let it put you off. Your reps service is a small part of the whole holiday experience. We are not all bad. Personally, I get great responses about my welcome meetings, they are only about 35 mins long and probably only 5-10 mins of that is about excursions.
I don't push them a whole lot, I give the info needed and let the guests decide. A more softly, softly approach and it works for me.
All TO's are the same in that they are in business to make money and any welcome meeting you attend will be a sales pitch, so it doesn't matter which one you go with. It just depends on how it is put across to you by the rep.
Drop them a letter explaining your disatisfaction with the rep & transfer. Obviously she needs some more training/monitoring by her manager & the transfer procedure needs looking into.
Louise
Holiday Rep - Not TC
What I'd say too after the response, is that there are so many reps who can't be helpful enough. it's sad to see some who obviously aren't as upto scratch, but on the whole, I've never experienced a bad rep myself. Just fingers crossed for this years one!
I know the reps have to do long hours and the airport part of the job can be really bad with them staying up the most of the night and working as normal the next day. I am not a rep or worked for a holiday company but I wonder how cheerful some people on here would be. I wouldn't do their jobs for all the tea in china. You don't know she couldn't been on the verge of leaving having had enough of the job.
What happened wouldn't bother me at all, and you are right it is trival and petty compared to people who have real holiday disasters. Just put down to experience and shrug it off.
The one thing I can agree with you on is the 15KG luggage and its £15 per person for the extra 5KG. This is TC really trying it on to make a quick buck. I can see the practice coming to a end in future because no other tour op has followed suit. They all say we give 20KG luggage allowance not like some other tour op. But its is swings and roundabouts really, if TC are cheaper than thomsons for a holiday is really worth worry about the lower luggage allowance. I just booked with TC because they were between £600 to £1200 cheaper than all the other tour ops, if any of the others were cheaper I would of booked with them. But still don't think their low luggage allowance is right.
What happened wouldn't bother me at all, and you are right it is trival and petty compared to people who have real holiday disasters. Just put down to experience and shrug it off.
The one thing I can agree with you on is the 15KG luggage and its £15 per person for the extra 5KG. This is TC really trying it on to make a quick buck. I can see the practice coming to a end in future because no other tour op has followed suit. They all say we give 20KG luggage allowance not like some other tour op. But its is swings and roundabouts really, if TC are cheaper than thomsons for a holiday is really worth worry about the lower luggage allowance. I just booked with TC because they were between £600 to £1200 cheaper than all the other tour ops, if any of the others were cheaper I would of booked with them. But still don't think their low luggage allowance is right.
I have to admit reading the title of the thread I thought you must have suffered some major problem with your holiday but like it's been said it was just minor gripes and I think 99 percent of holiday makers will always have something that dis pleases them but I think sometimes you just have to let things go.
Kind regards
Shell
Kind regards
Shell
Hi Shell,
Me too, but its horses for courses. what annoys some folks, doesn't bother others, as we know!
Tony, I really hate all that hard sell ****. I would feel uncomfortable doing it and luckily, the company I work for does not penalise reps for not meeting target.
Louise
Me too, but its horses for courses. what annoys some folks, doesn't bother others, as we know!
Tony, I really hate all that hard sell ****. I would feel uncomfortable doing it and luckily, the company I work for does not penalise reps for not meeting target.
Louise
Personallay we never use the reps as we like to hire a car and arrange our own excursions.
Also its a lot cheaper.
We would not waste our time by going to a welcome meeting.
Also its a lot cheaper.
We would not waste our time by going to a welcome meeting.
I have posted about this before so apologies for repeating myself and going of thread a little.
There are plenty of folks who don't attend my welcome meetings but I still get more people attending than not. I have between 100 - 150 guests arrive a week and around 75% of them will come. Quite often, the guests that don't come are usually the ones who will later ask me questions that would have been covered in the meeting anyway
Not everyone is experienced or seasoned travellers and they need help to find the bank, local bus, places of interest etc.
It is a common misconception that reps excursions and car hire are more expensive. Certainly that is not the case in the resort where I work and the company I work for.
The cost of our coach excursions is the exact same as if you went into the shop to buy it from them direct.
Also, for example, our local waterpark costs 15.00 per adult if you pay on the gate. Price with the rep? The same 15.00.
Jeep Safari, 40.00 if you book direct. Price with the rep? The same. 40.00.
We use Hertz for our hire car. Same price if you book with me as if you went into the shop.
There will always be 'bucket shops' but TO's such as the one I work for use only reliable, good excursion companies. Ones that have full insurance, English speaking guides and modern A/C'd coaches. TO's can't just use any old company to run their trips. They have a duty of care to use reputable companies.
Last year, when I worked in a different resort some guests of mine booked 3 or 4 trips with a bucket shop. Every one of them was cancelled. They received a full refund of course but were very disappointed and re-booked with me.
There is a car hire company in my resort who sells cars so cheap that I can't compete with him but he doesn't give full insurance, paperwork or back-up if anything goes wrong. Some guests of mine hired a car from him and when they had a bump he told the police they had stolen the car!
The guests sure needed me then to help them sort it out.
At the end of the day its your money and you spend it how you like, no rep should ever push sales so much that it detracts from everything else. I find my way works for me.
Sadly, not all reps are the same and this gives all of us a bad reputation.
Louise
There are plenty of folks who don't attend my welcome meetings but I still get more people attending than not. I have between 100 - 150 guests arrive a week and around 75% of them will come. Quite often, the guests that don't come are usually the ones who will later ask me questions that would have been covered in the meeting anyway
Not everyone is experienced or seasoned travellers and they need help to find the bank, local bus, places of interest etc.
It is a common misconception that reps excursions and car hire are more expensive. Certainly that is not the case in the resort where I work and the company I work for.
The cost of our coach excursions is the exact same as if you went into the shop to buy it from them direct.
Also, for example, our local waterpark costs 15.00 per adult if you pay on the gate. Price with the rep? The same 15.00.
Jeep Safari, 40.00 if you book direct. Price with the rep? The same. 40.00.
We use Hertz for our hire car. Same price if you book with me as if you went into the shop.
There will always be 'bucket shops' but TO's such as the one I work for use only reliable, good excursion companies. Ones that have full insurance, English speaking guides and modern A/C'd coaches. TO's can't just use any old company to run their trips. They have a duty of care to use reputable companies.
Last year, when I worked in a different resort some guests of mine booked 3 or 4 trips with a bucket shop. Every one of them was cancelled. They received a full refund of course but were very disappointed and re-booked with me.
There is a car hire company in my resort who sells cars so cheap that I can't compete with him but he doesn't give full insurance, paperwork or back-up if anything goes wrong. Some guests of mine hired a car from him and when they had a bump he told the police they had stolen the car!
The guests sure needed me then to help them sort it out.
At the end of the day its your money and you spend it how you like, no rep should ever push sales so much that it detracts from everything else. I find my way works for me.
Sadly, not all reps are the same and this gives all of us a bad reputation.
Louise
Thanks for that Louise, interesting reading.
As this forum is intended for complaints, I will now lock this topic to avoid it going seriously off thread.
Kath HT Admin
As this forum is intended for complaints, I will now lock this topic to avoid it going seriously off thread.
Kath HT Admin
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