Choosing
a Tour Company
We've all had bad
experiences on the Internet – there are thousands of companies
ranging from the trustworthy and reliable to the downright
fraudulent. But how can you tell the difference? A holiday
is an important event – if it goes wrong, it can ruin your
year.
These
checks mostly apply to Vietnamese tour companies, but some
are also relevant to foreign tour operators.
Competence
– is
the company licensed?
All Vietnamese tourism companies dealing with international
travellers are required to obtain an international operating
licence. In practice, some 'rogue' companies do not apply
– here's how
to check that a company is genuine.
Web
site - is the text original
and authentic?
Skim the text on some
of the pages - if the content is sometimes out of context
or disjointed, or the quality of the prose and grammar is
inconsistent, beware. Fake companies frequently 'rip off'
logos and chunks of text from legitimate web sites to deceive
the unwary.
Prices
- are you going to get value for money?
It’s difficult to tell what your money will buy if you don't
know the country. Unethical companies maximize their profits
by lowering standards of accommodation, using inferior restaurants,
amateur Vietnam travel escorts, poor-quality transport,
and so on.
If
you're trying to compare prices, check the itineraries carefully
to make sure you're comparing like for like. All too often,
'cheap' is synonymous with 'nasty'. With Haivenu, what is
listed is a minimum – what you get is more than you expect.
Unfortunately, it's often the other way round with some
operators.
Customer
care - will you get good service?
Often, the quality of service is what makes or breaks a
holiday. Unfortunately, the only way to check in advance
is reviews and testimonials, and they are often unreliable.
However,
you can get some clues if you study a web site that interests
you. Does it seem customer-friendly and customer-caring?
Is there background Vietnam information? Do they have a
customer service policy? Are their booking conditions comprehensive?
Do they have a procedure for complaints? Do they offer to
put you in contact with previous clients?
You
can also get hints about the service you can expect by their
response to your enquiry. What's the quality of their e-mails?
Is the content clear and relevant? Is it really a personal
message, or just a standard reply? Do they respond quickly
and efficiently?
Responsible
Tourism - are they environmentally
and ethically aware?
Slogans such as ‘eco-tourism’, 'cultural conservation' and
‘environmentally-friendly’ are the mantras of 21st century
tourism in Vietnam. Unfortunately, 95% of it is marketing
waffle. Check out our ‘Making
a Difference’ sections in the
tours and elsewhere - what others
talk about, we do.
How does Haivenu match up?
Haivenu is a Vietnam tour operator specialising
in high-quality
tailor-made tours in
Vietnam and neighbouring countries. We're fully licensed
and bonded, and highly competent.
Our tour designers and operators are well-trained friendly
experts. You'll have your own personal tour operator who'll
manage the entire process from your first enquiry to collecting
feedback after your holiday, and will always be on hand
to help and advise when needed.
Everyone
at Haivenu is deeply committed to our ideals and to your
holiday – only 100% customer satisfaction is good enough.
We want you to return home feeling that that your holiday
was money well spent!
Obviously,
we hope you will decide on a fully customised Vietnam tour
with Haivenu. However, please look at other companies before
making your choice. We’re convinced that having done so,
you'll opt for us.