Flight Centre Number One For Service

Flight Centre Number One For Service

The key to a good travel consultant is great service, and Flight Centre can now officially boast some of the best service standards in the country, after cleaning up at this year’s round of Westfield New Zealand Retail Awards.

Of the 11 Westfield Centres in New Zealand, Flight Centre has won seven service category awards, with Hamilton’s Chartwell Flight Centre also taking out overall centre winner. Flight Centre was also a service finalist in several other Westfield Centres, announced at awards held around the country this week.

Flight Centre retail leader Jude Evans says the awards are recognition of the retailer’s push for consistently higher service standards. While price is still Flight Centre’s main competitive advantage for driving enquiry, service is crucial to retaining the company’s large client base.

“The travel industry is increasingly competitive, and the advantage of consistently high standards of service has become more important than ever.”

The travel retailer has increased its number of wins on last year from two to seven, reflecting more stringent customer service measures and the fact that excellent service is rewarded internally on a regular basis. The company aims to win in all 11 centres next year.

All stores in Westfields are judged in one of four categories - food, fashion, general merchandise or service - with Flight Centre falling into the service category. The judging process produces three finalists in each category, and Fieldforce, an independent mystery shopper company, is then employed to mystery shop each of the finalists.

Judging includes overall presentation, cleanliness, shop front and windows, presentation of stock, lighting-signage-point of sale material, merchandising and customer service.

This year’s service winners were Westfield Chartwell, Westfield Downtown, Westfield Glenfield, Westfield Queensgate, Westfield Riccarton, Westfield Shore City, Westfield St Lukes and Two Double Seven.

As Overall Centre Winner at Westfield Chartwell, Flight Centre automatically wins the 'Best Store in a Westfield Shopping Centre' at the Waikato Top Shop Awards function.

Westfield New Zealand’s Louise Tregidga congratulated the various Flight Centre teams, and said she expected a strong showing from the company next year.

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