Hi,
I recently visited Mauritius on my honeymoon trip that I had booked from Thomas Cook.Though it was a memorable experience, the process of dealing with Thomas Cook was a nightmare.
I had booked a custom package from one of the ’Thomas Cook centers’ in South Delhi. The manager used to call me multiple times a day till I made the advance payment of INR 50, 000. Once he got the advance and I was caught in his trap, he stopped taking my calls.
My trip was in the last week of June but I had done my bookings in Jan itself. Some component of my booking was to be paid in US dollars so as the exchange was increasing, I approached this ’manager’ to take my balance payment. I followed up with him on calls and visits to his branch for more than a month but he did not do anything. He then stopped picking up my calls. Sensing his uncooperative behavior, I decided to approach his seniors.
I then called up their call center - only to be surprised further. I was informed by a lady agent at the call center that the place where I had got the booking done was a franchise (and not a Thomas Cook branch) and so they cannot help me. I will have to go back and talk to this manager only. I was shocked!!, helpless!! and disgusted!! Then the lady gave me a tip to handle him, she asked me to threaten him that I will complain if he does not listen to me!!
Madam! this was the precise objective why I had called up the call center. I kept on requesting her for intervention to which she finally said that she cannot be of any further help. I asked to be connected to the manager to which she said that he will call back but the call never came.
It was my need now so I decided to go to their office. I went to the nearest office at Nehru place only to be told that they cannot help me as franchise related issues are dealt by the CP office only. It was only after I sent 2 mails explaining everything and venting my frustration and multiple calls to their call center and a visit to their CP office that I was given the contact of Thomas Cook’s area manager who looked after the franchises. This guy must be used to listening to such complaints as he was very casual about this whole episode. But, at least he managed to connect me to the finance department and gave me the final amount to be paid.
By this time, it was already mid of June (I was traveling by end June) and I made the payment at their CP office. After that, again there was a period of silence from Thomas Cook. I continued to followup with this area manager begging him hand over the travel related details (tickets and hotel booking vouchers). It was just 3 days before my travel date that I was asked to go to Rajouri Garden branch and pick up the ’voucher’. Upon reaching there, I was handed a printout - Travel Voucher from Thomas Cook. I was shocked to realize that I was sent from South Delhi to Rajouri Garden to pick up a printout!! I further checked the ’voucher’ only to find out that the tickets were still missing to which the local branch manager responded ’Mujhe to bas itna hi dene ko bola hain’. We were determined to close this issue now so we just camped there. While we waited for an hour, the local manager made frantic calls to multiple people. We realized that no one was aware as to who had the tickets but eventually we got our tickets and a ’Goodie bag’ as a compensation for all that had happened.
To add salt to the injury, after we reached Mauritius, we realized that mostly all agents in India book with the same operator in Mauritius and the other operators charge much less than Thomas Cook. We were also promised 2 free rides in Mauritius but when we asked the tour operator over there, he declined saying that I should talk to Thomas cook about as they had promised this, not him. Thankfully I was done with my dealings with Thomas cook by now and proceed with the rest of the trip with ease.
To summarize:
Thomas Cook franchises (at least the south Delhi one) are managed by completely irresponsible and arrogant staff who are more concerned about getting new customers that providing service.
Whenever visiting any office that looks like a Thomas Cook center, please check with their call center if its a branch or a franchise. Thomas Cook management has absolutely no control over the franchise offices and you will never be able to distinguish by yourself.
Thomas cook call center is there to capture leads and is totally useless for any customer support
No matter what you want or request, they will do what they want to do. I was given the payment details just 2 weeks in advance and the final voucher just 3 days before my travel.
Delivery quality is very poor and you can never be sure of anything with Thomas Cook. Had I not checked my voucher, I would have walked back without the tickets and god knows what would have happened at the airport on the date of travel.
Escalations never work at Thomas Cook and the staff has no fear of any escalations.
All this from a reputed MNC like Thomas Cook. Disappointing.