Price or Service?

What do you look for when booking your holiday? Actually what do you look for when it comes to buying anything?

We all know that price is an important factor when making a purchase, especially larger purchases, such as that cruise you are looking at booking!

But is price as important as service?

Something my other half said to me the other day really hit home.

I was having a moan about how the day had been hugely frustrating after assisting a customer for 3 days, giving them various options, prices, deals etc Anything I could do to help them along the way.

Of course ultimately I go the extra mile for my customers because I want them to book with me.

So having almost got the customer to the point of booking, she just wanted to discuss with her husband overnight and I’d agreed to call them back in the morning. So I clocked off feeling pleased with myself, knowing I had a nice booking to work in the morning.

I clock back on at 9am ready to book the customer, call her up and she tells me that she has already booked later than night with a competitor!

I couldn’t believe it!

Why I asked her? Bearing in mind that I had helped this lady for several days and got to know her quite well.

Assuming this other agent has undercut my offer by a large amount, I was astounded when she said, ‘Yes we saved £20pp’

Oh my god I thought! Without going into great detail the overall figure for the cruise was over £3000, so to save a total of £20, or £10 per head, I could not contemplate why she had done it.

I don’t doubt the other agent would have also given her good service, after all that is our job as salespeople, but to book with them after 3 days dealing with me felt like a huge kick in the teeth. I was gutted.

So it got me questioning my sales method, I asked her, was there any reason she didnt wait for me to call her, of course I would have beaten the price anyway, I always do. But she just said, ‘no it was really lovely talking to you but I just wanted to get it booked, and since I saved money I thought I would’

Hugely disappointing for me, selling cruises is what makes me tick, it gets me up in the morning, and I can talk about it for hours on end, whether I’m getting paid or not!

But I mentioned this to my fiancee who said understood that I put a lot of my time and effort into the enquiry, but at the end of the day, I am just a service.

Just a service?

I don’t think so. Is that how the public view me?

I see myself as a professional. A go-to guy when it comes to cruise sales. The complete cruise agent.  Quite honestly I can’t understand why anyone would want to deal with anyone else other than me! I realise that sounds arrogant but I have spent almost 11 years galvanizing this role and crafting a personality that can adapt to all types of client……………… Just a service indeed.

Alas though, it seems she is right (as usual).

A lot of customers now will shop around for days until they get the absolute best price despite the feeling they get from the cruise agent. Some people even still book direct! Errrr why would you do that??? No benefit whatsoever.

To me you are a name, not a number, if you tell me something about yourself, I’ll tell you something back. I don’t just want your credit card number. THIS IS THE CRUISE INDUSTRY! It’s a nice job, and it employs nice people and services nice clientelle. It’s not supposed to be a cut-throat business with uber competitive undertones.

So what is more important? Service of course.

And if it ultimately boils down to price for you. I will always do what I can to beat it. Spend your day shopping round that’s fine. But I should be your last port of call.

Not just a service!

What’s more important to you? Price or Service? I’d genuinely like to know.

Want both – call Freddie!

Thanks for reading everyone, and as always, until next time……………..