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Post by balddave on Oct 6, 2020 16:29:29 GMT
As the season draws to a close venues are slowly beginning to shut up for the Winter, I sincerely hope all in business in Skiathos have made enough revenue to see them through the winter months.
we have been contacted by our hotel, we normally pay no deposit, but a full cash payment at the end of our visit. We have this week been contacted by them, they have asked if we could possibly pay up front , there is humility and reluctance in their request , as this would help them through the winter.. They have offered us a 15% discount if we send a 50% deposit, or 20% if we pay in full. We shall be sending the full payment, but without any discount deducted.
all the posts you read from hotel,taverna, shop owners are full of thanks and best wishes,all are looking forward to greeting us next year.
fabulous island, marvellous people.
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Post by dennisn on Oct 6, 2020 20:57:25 GMT
When we were going to Corfu, we always booked and paid for next year whilst we were already there.
I have to applaud your action now. As we are package this isn’t open to us BUT we actually have done so as we transferred this year’s two holidays to next year, fully paid for already. However I can’t imagine a single Euro has been or will be passed on to Skiathos.
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Post by balddave on Oct 7, 2020 20:18:23 GMT
TUI have totally let themselves down, from a product leader they have fallen way back in the pecking order.
Their apparent complete disregard to customers is at best appalling, they are even today advertising accommodation for next season that they no longer hold the franchise for.
Even worse in my opinion is the way they have treated accommodation owners, many of whom have not received any payment this year, and have had absolutely no communication/updates.
During our stay this year,I can honestly say we didn’t see a single TUI rep, normally they’re visible everywhere, I’m not even sure there where any or possibly left everything to local transfer reps to sort, I may be corrected on this, but my observation.
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Post by cariad23 on Oct 8, 2020 5:40:29 GMT
well done Dave i can imagine the angst it caused them to ask for a deposit, greek people are very proud. They will have winter bills and building maintainace to do. we prefer to get flights and accommodation seperately but the flight only were coming in so expensive for next year, over £1000 from east mids it wasnt much more to book a package, which were filling fast as so many transferred bookings to next year. I was also bothered about firms going bankcrupt as flight only last in line for refunds if at all. I think there will be alot of families on the island having a difficult winter
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Post by kevb on Oct 8, 2020 8:46:48 GMT
I don't know if it's just the fact I haven't been to a 'welcome meeting' in about 20 years so dont look for them or a genuine reflection in companies downsizing generally but I barely notice any reps from any company these days. There's so much info online you wonder how few people go through a rep for excursions and they seem completely inept at resolving any real problems. The last time I needed one was 10 years ago in Crete when some brain dead youth took my suitcase from the carousel in mistake for his own. I left a mobile number on my case so he did ring me up next morning. As it happened there was a schoolboy dressed as a rep trying his best to avoid anyone at the accommodation that morning so I asked him to sort it out. His advice ranged from 'The other guy has been in contact with you now so it's out of our hands' (complete lie) to 'You should have taken his luggage so you had something to bargain with' (you mean take a complete strangers luggage containing who knows what through customs? yeah right). I wasted half a day in searing heat dressed in my travelling clothes tracking the youth down in Malia (another good reason not to have taken his suitcase). I think that might have been Tui as well.
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Post by dennisn on Oct 8, 2020 10:32:16 GMT
I haven't been to a welcome meeting since our first one with a TO rep for 15 years when I went to our first in Skiathos. Only to discover that they had stopped handing out free drinks. So I stopped going - I had always played my part, looking interested, taking the leaflets, listening eagerly and saying we'd look at all the leaflets and make our minds up. I used to take Vera so that I could have her Ouzo as well as mine, but she stopped going so I went down to just the one. When the reps come round to our accommodation during the week, I make a point of telling them why I don't go now, you never know, maybe one day somebody will tell TUI and they'll reinstate the welcome drinks.
So I never had the patter again. But in Skiathos on the transfer coach I got my opinion of them when we arrived "My name is Whatever and our driver today is George. ... If you don't speak Greek, it's nice to be able to order something etc. So Good Morning is Kalamari or yassoo or yamass, please is parry kalo, thank you is eff christo. Skiathos is a lovely holiday place, watch out for the rolling stones and perhaps lady gaga when they arrive this week and tom jones will be coming by helicopter next week. We have vouchers in your welcome booklet for discounts off loads of rerstaurants, come and collect the booklets and informtion at your welcome meeting which is at the bar at Gillies Rooms tomorrow morning". I mean, with that command of Greek (late season after at least three months there and often this is their latest of multiple seasons in Greece), what help do you think they will be when needed? They never speak Greek to the bus drivers.
Having said which, when I had my 'accident' in 2017, the rep did arrange for me to be met at the airport and wheelchaired past all the queue to get on the homeward flight. They also arranged for me to get the same welcome back at Birmingham (wheelchair from plane to baggage hall). Avoiding the queues was worth the limp, I can recommend it, although the funny wheelchair truck at Skiathos was a bit equivalent to the Big Dipper at Blackpool!
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Post by cariad23 on Oct 8, 2020 14:05:34 GMT
Reps are often young people who havent travelled much, and havent researched the place they are working. When we were in India for our second visit having looked at travel forums for months , done lots of trips previously on public transport, including an elephant ! the rep turned up at the hotel and was chatting telling people absolute rubbish, i asked how many times she had been to india, this was her first visit and had been there 2 weeks. They are paid a pittance and rely on commission from overpriced trips. I remember a 45 euro trip to amalfi with TC half a day, we caught the local bus from sorrento it cost us 3 euros. I had to  at Dennis;s description of the rep on the busiwe had one total plank in Lesbos who actually lived there and told us proudly where there was a local spar shop that sold nice english sliced bread, i couldnt believe it when Greek bread is best in the world i think, ,especially straight from the bakery early morning |
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Post by dennisn on Oct 8, 2020 14:13:20 GMT
TWO likes for that Cariad.
PS, I saw an ambulance yesterday called Cariad.
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Post by balddave on Oct 8, 2020 15:29:50 GMT
Cariad got it spot on, when our daughter worked in Skiathos at the windmill in 2003, her friend who traveled with her got a job as a rep with Olympic, basic wage rubbish , relied on commissions, but they where given mainly unachievable targets, and they got into trouble if they failed to sell X amounts of overpriced trips per week.
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Oct 23, 2020 8:04:39 GMT
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Oct 23, 2020 8:06:48 GMT
I’d be happy with that in the middle of the summer here in the U.K.
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Post by bvrc on Oct 23, 2020 12:34:50 GMT
They’ve had a great October, weather wise. Some evening/night temperatures in the low 20s which is just perfect for sitting outside drinking your tipple of choice - bliss!
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at Dennis;s description of the rep on the busiwe had one total plank in Lesbos who actually lived there and told us proudly where there was a local spar shop that sold nice english sliced bread, i couldnt believe it when Greek bread is best in the world i think, ,especially straight from the bakery early morning 
