Aylesbury's TIC gets the thumbs-up from mystery shoppers

Archived press release

Date Published: 14/12/09

Staff at Aylesbury’s Tourist Information Centre (TIC) have been praised after impressing in a national survey to assess quality of service.

The Aylesbury Vale District Council-funded TIC, based at the Kings Head in Market Square, was one of 302 tourist information centres that were subjected to a series of mystery shopper-style checks commissioned by Visit Britain, the national tourism agency.

And it achieved sixth place overall with an average mark of 93 per cent, scoring higher than centres in places such as York, Bath, Cambridge, Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon.

Aylesbury TIC was put to the test during the summer. The assessment judged three different areas of customer service with visits, telephone calls and emails.

The TIC scored 88 per cent for on-site visits, 96 per cent for telephone calls and an outstanding 100 per cent for email responses – higher than the respective national averages of 75 per cent, 81 per cent and 72 per cent.

Councillor David Thompson, Cabinet Member for Leisure, said: “I’d like to congratulate staff on their marks which put them amongst the top performing TICs in the country. Tourism is very important to Aylesbury Vale, and we acknowledge the need to ensure that people receive a prompt and effective response to their enquiries. However, it is also important that we don’t become complacent and we will continue to strive to improve on our results in the survey.”

From coach tickets to guided walks around the town, the Aylesbury TIC offers a variety of services to visitors and local people alike. Tickets for local theatres and events can be booked through the centre as well as accommodation.

There are plenty of new gift ideas too and lots of free information on what’s on, what to do and where to go, not just around Aylesbury Vale but across the UK.

The TIC is open six days a week from 9.30am to 5pm Monday to Saturday between April and October, and from 10am to 4.30pm Monday to Saturday between November and March. For more details, telephone 01296 330559 or email tic@aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk