Which holiday companies provided amazing customer service during Covid-19?
The coronavirus has caused major disruption across the world. While everybody recognises the importance of social distancing and flattening the curve when it comes to the virus, people have still been left disappointed with events and holidays. Unfortunately, most people have had to cancel the exciting plans they had.
Notably, there have been some holiday companies that have provided better customer service than others during COVID-19. Let’s take a look at some of the companies that have treated their customers well during this difficult time, as well as some of the worst.
Keeping a good reputation during COVID-19 is Travel Counsellors. They have shown themselves to be a great choice for booking your holidays since they contacted customers as soon as their flights were cancelled. They were kept in the loop and they were able to refund their expenses or figure out a way to rebook. While people were disappointed about their vacation, Travel Counsellors made sure that everything was seamless during a difficult time.
It is interesting to note the survey carried out by MoneySavingExpert.com. They conducted a survey with over 27,000 responses from customers, asking for their feedback and experiences with a number of large travel companies, including Travel Counsellors. Out of 81 travel companies and 207 responses, Travel Counsellors performed the best, with +91% score. Customers were clearly very happy with how this company responded during a confusing and difficult time. This is compared to some companies that had very negative scores, such as Teletext Holidays at -94% and Tui at -60%.
Another holiday company that has come out on top during COVID-19 has been Hays Travel. They were ranked second best travel firm by Money Saving Expert and in their survey. In particular, over 1000 people gave them a 70 per cent positive response. They now have a lot of travel agents working that can handle customer inquiries.
They are stating that they are prioritising those who already have a booking so that they can call you back and discuss what is going to happen. Customers have already been able to cancel their holidays that they had planned and receive refunds for them.
One of the best holiday companies during the coronavirus pandemic has been Airbnb. They were quick to update their policy during COVID-19 to let their customers and hosts know what was happening. They stated that if you have made a check-in date for between March and July 2020, you are going to be covered by the policy and able to cancel your arrangement. There would be no charge for this cancellation and you can be refunded for your stay. Alternatively, you can get a travel credit if you want to book in the future. This is great news for those that were worried about losing their money during this difficult time.
Jet2 Holidays has been reported have handled COVID-19 well despite the major disruptions to the airline. They decided to suspend their flights and holidays but they have made sure that anybody that had a vacation booked will receive a refund during the coronavirus pandemic. They are progressing through departure date order and doing their best to get in touch with customers.
In addition, their customer service means that you can rebook your holiday without any amendment feeds. They offered £100 off a holiday if you chose a departure date before 31st March 2021. This is a great incentive that not a lot of holiday companies are offering right now as everybody is struggling financially.
British Airways Holidays are doing their best to help customers during the coronavirus pandemic. You have been allowed a refund for your holiday but getting the money back has not been a fast process. Some easier options that are offered include re-arranging your holiday to a later date. In addition, you can claim a voucher that is going to be to the value of your booking and you have two years to use it. Overall, British Airways Holidays are doing everything they can to keep customers happy.
Unfortunately, there are some holiday companies that have not responded as well during COVID-19.
it appears Ryanair customers have been having difficulty speaking to customer service. They have been giving customers a refund for their flights, but they are not going to receive the money any time soon.
Travel Trolley has reportedly not been keeping customers informed with what is happening. In particular, they are not sending updates on cancelled flights and customer service is hard to get through to. Some customers have even said that they have switched off their phone lines and their emails are not being answered. Others that have got through have said that they are not receiving a refund but instead will get a credit note. Of course, during this difficult time, this is not what everybody wants.
Some customers of Sykes Cottages have said that they are withholding refunds from customers. They were found to have small printed terms and conditions that stated they did not have to offer a refund if the holiday was cancelled due to circumstances deemed out of their control.
The Overall Findings
A pandemic is a sure way to highlight the good and bad in how companies operate, and who really has customer service at the heart of all they do.
There is no doubt that Travel Counsellors are excelling during the coronavirus pandemic. They are helping their customers navigate through an unknown time, with positive feedback from those that have dealt with them already. If you have a holiday booked with them, this can offer you peace of mind. Unfortunately, there are some companies that are struggling to offer the customer service that you would hope for. Hopefully, they can improve their experience for customers moving forward, as we try to get back to normal after COVID-19.
Arcade Direct are proud to work with Travel Counsellors
Arcade Direct along with Passion4Events have organised some fantastic events for Travel Counsellors, having organised their Financial Reporter awards for the past 3 years
These events were planned with a unique theme for each. The most recent, to celebrate their 10th-anniversary awards was styled around a ‘House Party’. There were themed areas created such as a cool kitchen area with a custom-built bar, and a bedroom with beer pong and custom arcade games. There was even a bathtub turned into a photo booth! It was a fun night for everybody and allowed guests to unwind. It was a huge success.
Arcade Direct also helped with the Financial Reporter Awards in 2018. They created an immersive Batman theme, allowing over 400 guests to be amazed for the event. This included creating a back street to Gotham, complete with everything from the Joker and his magic tricks, as well as cool cocktails, Batman arcade machines and Mr Freeze snow cones.
Arcade Direct is definitely a company that you can depend on if you are wanting to organise an event and party. They make the process easy and the end result is a fun and memorable occasion. That is exactly what everybody needs after COVID-19 is over!
Get in touch and see what we can do for your event!
