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Original poster

Is this email exchange with Responsible Travel holiday agency rude?

50 replies

Notresponsibletravel · 26/09/2018 18:54

I contacted Reaponsible Travel about a holiday I had seen advertised with them.

Me: What is a good minimum age for the Montenegro holiday please

Responsible Travel responded with a very long and generic email about the holiday.

Me: Thanks for the info but as far as I can see you haven’t answered my question!

I see 6 years old but I would like your thoughts on best minimum age

Responsible Travel: Sorry, I'm not sure what "best minimum age" means.

We would not accept bookings for children younger than 6 unless they could swim and walk 5km in one go. We have families with children of all ages across the summer; suitability depends more upon the kids themselves than their ages!

Me: I had been interested but given your response I’ll look elsewhere.

“I’m not sure what best minimum age means”

Seriously? I was asking for a bit of personal input, something I thought Responsible Travel would be able to offer. Clearly not.

Responsible Travel: You mean the response where I answered your question (twice) but asked for clarification about your wording?

Good luck in your ongoing holiday search.

I have cut and pasted the exact exchange.
The company prides itself on providing a personal service whereby its agents visit the countries and can really provide detail customers. I’m a single mum and I was hoping to get an idea of the best minimum age for this activity style holiday (putting aside the minimum age in terms of safety, which was clarified).

Am I right to be a bit disappointed? Anyone else used Responsible Travel before

I’m probably won’t daft!

OP posts:

amyacq84 · 26/09/2018 19:18

Can I ask where you were looking at going?

Sirzy · 26/09/2018 19:18

But then If they say that and you take a 9 year old who struggles then they would ha e people complaining “well your staff said...”

Check out the information, ask specific questions if not in the generic information but you can’t expext them to put an age on things beyond their own minimum/maximum

Jenala · 26/09/2018 19:19

I love how you "weren't surprised" by the SINGLE POST agreeing with you. The rest are all just idiots presumably.

You were rude. And you asked the question in a weird way. Why not say "in your experience what age children get the most out of it"?

They can't know what your child would like ffs surely as their parent you should know.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Holidays

Original poster

Notresponsibletravel · 26/09/2018 19:19

**I’m probably being daft”. I meant to write

And I am, I see that. But I do agree with amyacq84, I don’t think it’s a great reflection on a company.

OP posts:

Original poster

Notresponsibletravel · 26/09/2018 19:19

Montenegro

OP posts:

amyacq84 · 26/09/2018 19:24

Montenegro hmm that's a tricky one. Guessing you're after more of a niche type of holiday. Not sure I'd be able to help.

Just to add my thoughts, sounds as though everyone has had a bad day to be attacking someone like this.

Holidays are an extremely personal thing and it's important to people to get it right. It's an emotive purchase and shouldn't be responded to with generic and impersonal advice from a travel agent. They're supposed to give their personal opinion along with the facts. They're also working on commission so it's in their interest to be polite and go above and beyond.

Tequilamockinbird · 26/09/2018 19:24

Best minimum age? I would've responded with exactly the same as they did - I'm not sure what that means.

It's not rude, they were seeking clarification as your question made no sense.

Notsohorriblehistory · 26/09/2018 19:28

@amyacq84

What company do you work for? You sound lovely and someone is want to talk to re a holiday!

I actually agree that the agent doesn’t come off great. His last message was rude

amyacq84 · 26/09/2018 19:32

@Notsohorriblehistory I work for BA Holidays (FYI holiday bookings and bookings through our call centre were not part of the data breach before anyone jumps down my throat)

Our call centre is based in Newcastle so you get a lovely bunch of geordies to talk to. We also send agents on at least one trip a year out to see hotels and destinations so you should be able to speak to someone who's actually been to where you're heading, they may have even stayed at the hotel you're interested in.

I don't work in sales myself, but I do train the sales agents. We regularly have customers spending high amounts on their annual holiday so we need to get it right.

Bombardier25966 · 26/09/2018 19:35

I like a company that allows their staff to be straight with their customers. Anyone that received your message would be thinking the same as the Responsible Travel chap, your question is an impossible one to answer and your tone was rude.

I'll remember to recommend Responsible Travel to anyone looking.

PorkFlute · 26/09/2018 19:40

Well their minimum age is 6. Presumably you know what kind of activities are on offer and if your child can manage them/would enjoy them.
Yes they have a bit of a snippy reply to your snippy email but that was after you had let them know you were no longer a potential customer (for absolutely no reason).

purplecorkheart · 26/09/2018 19:46

You were rude, and to be fair your answer was impossible to answer as everyone's answer would be different based on the kids they know. The person who is on the ground at the experience does not work in the office answering the questions.

Also, just say they answered, well we think aged 9 and your friend brought their seven year old who had a ball and was able for everything you would be complaining and they would get in trouble.

You were rude and they knew exactly what kind of person they were dealing with and handled it accordingly.

brokenharbour · 26/09/2018 19:50

I think you were quite rude!

GinIsIn · 26/09/2018 19:51

You were really rude, especially considering ‘best minimum age’ doesn’t make sense so were in the wrong in the first place.

gylly · 26/09/2018 19:52

Your question was very unclear. You should've asked them what the recommended age was not the best minimum age.

CluedoAddict · 26/09/2018 20:25

Your question was difficult to make sense of and you were rude.

HolidayModeMum · 26/09/2018 20:40

I think you were rude and that they tried to answer you.
A conversation on the phone would probably been more productive than an email exchange in this case.

SouthWestmom · 26/09/2018 22:59

OTOH I've just looked up Montenegro holidays on Responsible Travel and am eyeing up the ten year old sleeping across from me to see if he would be up to it...

PorkFlute · 26/09/2018 23:11

Calling reverse on the op! I reckon it’s someone from Responsible Travel trying to gain positive publicity bu pretending they’ve sassed an irritating customer.

Cardiganandcuppa · 26/09/2018 23:27

YABVU and a bit rude.

I like the look of that company though, so I’ll let you off

AGHHHH · 26/09/2018 23:39

Best minimum age... It's only ever going to be an opinion as well.

You were rude.

MommyFortuna · 27/09/2018 00:03

Eh? What the heck did you actualy want to know?

They told you the minimum age. How can a minimum age be the "best" when there can only be one number as the answer to your question.

YABU

Nesssie · 27/09/2018 16:37

You've tried to shame the company, but now I'm so impressed by them, I'm looking at their holidays online...

WhenIWasAYoungWarthog · 27/09/2018 19:59

I’ve been doing the same nesssie. Wondering now if op actually works in their marketing department - a company that is ideal for MN’ers, a badly worded email, a stroppy op, it’s a perfect combination.

DoJo · 27/09/2018 22:32

I think the problem, as others have mentioned, was that you asked the 'best minimum age' which isn't exactly clear in terms of what you want to know. If you had said 'I have a 7 and 10 year old - is this suitable for them' or similar, then it would have been clearer what you wanted to know.

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