Test three: we gave the agents a deceptively simple request for a family summer holiday. We said we were two families who wanted a fortnight’s self-catering somewhere in the Mediterranean between mid-July and late August. Our researcher said that he was open-minded about the destination, as long as it was near a beach with watersports and safe for the children, aged 3, 6, 7 and 10. Most importantly, he said, the two families wanted to be very close, possibly next door, but not sharing a property and not in a busy resort. If asked, he mentioned a budget of £5,000 per family.

This relatively open-ended question meant the agents needed to ask us a few more questions to narrow down the search, then use their imagination. Would they then suggest a characterless apartment complex in Mallorca, or could they track down a pair of beachfront villas on the coast of Corfu or Corsica? Would they bother to find out if the sea was safe for young children, and if watersports were available?

We believed our three queries would test the agents to breaking point. Some might know their ferry routes and be able to dig out a competitive fare quickly; others might have the patience and people skills to deal with our flaky bride-to-be, or the know-how and determination to find a pair of beachfront villas for our two families.

But could they do all three?

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The top five

JOURNEYS A LA CARTE
Uttoxeter, Staffs
01889 567755

To the staff at this small, independent agency in Uttoxeter, we take off our hats. They were exceptional. First, our ferry request was answered within two hours by Margaret, who sent a detailed reply suggesting that we sail from Portsmouth to Le Havre or Caen. She quoted prices and times, and pointed out that by travelling a day later, on the Sunday, we would save money, but that the late arrival time might not be suitable for school on Monday morning. Three days later, Margaret sent a friendly follow-up e-mail, saying that she had just made a similar booking for another client and found that avail- ability was running low. The only question mark was over the prices quoted, which were £10-£30 higher than the fares we found on the ferry websites. We presumed this was the agency’s fee, and thought it a price worth paying for great service. Marks: 8/10

In the second test, our young bride spoke to Charlotte, who pointed out immediately that September was hurricane season in the Caribbean. She suggested that we think about other destinations, such as Mauritius, but quickly picked up on the fact that we were committed to the Caribbean. Charlotte then spent a long time explaining our options. She said that the agency operated a wedding list, so friends and relatives could buy gifts such as candlelit dinners and airport-lounge passes.

Next day, we received an e-mail detailing the weather patterns and legal red tape on each of the relevant islands. A week later, she phoned to check we had everything. This was first-class service. Apparently, Charlotte was last year voted Kuoni’s Long-haul Consultant of the Year. We could see why. Marks: 10/10

When we phoned about our family holiday in the Med, we spoke to Caroline, who asked lots of sensible questions. Next day, Sue called to say she had so many options she needed to ask more questions: how close did we want to be to a beach? Were we worried about the heat in the southern Med? Did we want fully equipped kitchens? It was quite a grilling, but we felt Sue genuinely wanted to find the right holiday for us.