13 Jul
2015

ABTA’s Complaints Handling Workshop, Manchester

On Tuesday 7 July, ABTA took its popular Complaints Handling Workshop up to Manchester.

The venue of choice was the Manchester Airport Marriott Hotel who provided us with a well-equipped conference centre; allowing delegates the chance to meet each other over a cup of coffee before the event kicked off.

The presentations started with ABTA’s Senior Customer Support Manager, Charles Fachiri, setting the scene and informing participants about the role of the Customer Support team at ABTA. Following on, Tracey Knott of ABTA Partner JournE training, hosted her first workshop of the day which involved getting the delegates to think about the different types of behaviours they encounter from customers. This interactive activity enabled groups to discuss their own experiences and to learn how others respond to various situations.

Thereafter, sessions were presented by Chris Flanagan from Jet2holidays and Jet2.com and Shelly Beresford from ABTA. Chris gave an insightful session on how to make the most of complaints and how to gather evidence whilst Shelly gave delegates a comprehensive presentation on how to handle complaints through social media. All of the speakers then came together for an, ‘Ask the experts,’ session which provided an open forum for questions from the audience and allowed for discussion between everyone in the room.

The afternoon sessions shared information on how ABTA can guide and assist through the complaints journey looking at the Code of Conduct and the resources available to ABTA Members. Tracey then held a final workshop on complaints and communication and Charles concluded the day with a short summary.

Travlaw, another dedicated ABTA partner, kindly sponsored a networking reception after the event which allowed delegates to have further discussions with each other and the speakers, this enabled them to gain contacts within the travel industry.

Feedback from the day was very positive with delegates commenting on the fantastic, relaxed atmosphere and noting that they came away with plenty of tips to take back to their organisations.

The Complaints Handling Workshop in Manchester was a great success and we look forward to taking some of our other events regionally in the future.

If you would like more information on this event or would like to see what other workshops and seminars ABTA hosts please see our website or email events@abta.co.uk where one of the team will happily provide you with more details.