A lady calls in looking for a festive cruise, as she’s been told there are some right bargains about.
She’s soon disappointed as her list of demands, which include a balcony, being away for Christmas and New Year and seats at the Captain’s table, make the quote around the £3,000 mark per person.
“What about other dates?” she asks hopefully.
A list of various dates involving an inside cabin is produced and she settles on one leaving 9 December back on the 24th.
Booking completed and all details gone through, she makes the payment, writes the dates in her diary and off she goes. Fast forward three days and she’s in to collect the tickets. I start to go through them with her and read out the itinerary.
“Depart 9 December,” I say.
“January,” she replies. Not quite sure I heard her, I say: “What?”
“January,” she repeats. “Erm, no, December,” I reply. Now it’s her turn: “What?”
“December,” I repeat. “Oh, I thought it was January,” she tells me, looking a little shocked.
“No, it is and was always 9 December,” I tell her and go through all the paperwork she was given when booking. “I’m sure it was January,” she tells me, giving me that ‘you-messed-up-now-fix-it’ stare.
This carries on for a while, and then I remember she wrote the dates to ‘book the dog in kennels’ in her diary, so I tell her to check.
Diary retrieved, she lets out quite a long “Oooooohhhh”.
Not sure where this will go, I say we can look and see if we can amend it for you. “Oh no,” she says, “That’s alright I will go on the 9 December.” And with a quick thanks she’s gone…
Next, a regular client, who I quoted for a 10-day all-inclusive stay over Christmas, calls in to apologise as her husband was checking around on the computer and found it for £400 per person cheaper.
“Oh that’s odd,” I say, adding that we should have the same price if there’s a deal on but Christmas is a time when the operators don’t really discount. I ask her if she has the details on paper.
She doesn’t, but then remembers it’s on her app.
Her eyes light up when I tell her that it is, indeed, £400 per person cheaper. However, they quickly dim when I tell her he’s only booked half board!
Read more Secret Agent tales here.
