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Thomas Cook response dated 16th January 2008
Dear Mr Parker,
Thank you for taking the time to contact us with regard to your recent tour
on the Eastern Spirit. Initially, I would like to apologise for our delay in
responding and I thank you for your patience.
I was sorry to read that you did not have the opportunity to meet your Tour Manager at Heathrow Airport. It would appear that on this particular occasion, there were a number of guests that did arrive early and checked in for their flight and then continued through to the lounge, therefore, not having the opportunity to meet him. I do, however, regret any disappointment caused.
Naturally, it was disappointing to learn that your first impressions of the tour were not of a standard we would expect our company to provide. It would appear that due to human error, the coach driver arrived later than anticipated and the coach company have asked that we apologise for any disappointment.
It was pleasing to read that you were happy with the Channel Hotel Washington.
Although I appreciate you were not fully satisfied with the tour guide on this
occasion, I do hope that you did get the opportunity to see some of the many
wonders Washington DC has to offer.
I would like to thank you for your feedback regarding the itinerary and the
order in which we visit certain destinations. We do take many different factors
into consideration when compiling the tours together. The feedback you have
provided us with will certainly be considered and should any adjustments need
to be made, we will make the alterations and amend the information as outlined
in our brochures.
It was of concern to learn that the driver had got lost" on occasions when
travelling from one destination to another. Please be assured, Mr Parker, that
this information has been relayed to the relevant areas to prevent any repetition
on future travellers.
I was sorry to learn that you were unhappy with the knowledge of the destinations
you visited from (the Tour Manager). At this point, I would highlight that (the
Tour Manager) is a highly experienced Tour Manager and the information he provided
was from past visits to these areas. As you may appreciate, our tour managers
do travel to many destinations and to ensure that every tour can improve by
providing as much information as possible, they will make notes so that they
can share this with our guests, who in turn will get as much out of their time
overseas as possible.
The comments made regarding the standard of the coach provided have been noted
with regret. Our records would indicate that the one provided was of a standard
that we would expect. I do, however, regret that you were personally disappointed
with this.
It was disappointing to learn that you did not feel (the Tour Manager) made
himself available throughout the tour. Although the room number was not provided
to you whilst on the tour, I must stress that you did have the facility to contact
him via reception should you have had any queries or concerns.
I was very sorry to read of the problems you experienced on route to Boston.
It would appear that you were supposed to arrive into Boston at 10.30am for
sightseeing, however, due to an oversight, you were sent to Concord and Lexington
and then to visit Boston later in the day. In addition to this, I have noted
that Concord and Lexington give a great insight into the history of the USA
and I hope that you did enjoy this.
In your letter, you have stated that when you set off to New York, you stopped at a McDonalds on route. At this point, I would highlight that there were a number of alternative eating establishments, should McDonalds not have suited your needs. In addition to this, it has been noted that your driver required a break and I am sure you will agree, if you are travelling long distances, a break would be recommended for the safety of all passengers on board.
The comments regarding the check in at the hotel in New York have been noted with regret. Usually, the check in times for this hotel are 4pm and as you arrived earlier than anticipated, you did have to wait for your rooms to ensure they were ready for your arrival. I did note, however, that you were able to check in earlier than expected and I hope you did enjoy your time here.
It was pleasing to read that you did enjoy your flights and your private taxi home. We use Virgin Atlantic and Hallmark Cars as they have an outstanding service history and I am sure they would wish to thank you for your very complimentary remarks.
To close, I hope that despite this, you may consider using the services of
Thomas Cook Tours in the near future.
Yours sincerely
(Name)
Customer Relations Executive