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14/3/2024
„ We have already travelled with RSD 26 times !“
A spontaneous interview with the most loyal customers of the RSD travel group:
Customer satisfaction with the RSD Group, to which TSS/RSD/FVF also belongs, is very high. The majority of our guests travel with the tour operator again and again. Why is that? What particularly impresses our travellers? We spoke to a couple who have travelled with us no less than 26 times in the last ten years. They are our most loyal customers.
The fit retired couple also have a very fulfilled life in Germany. With children and grandchildren, friends, cycling tours and culture. For many years, however, they had to lovingly care for their mother-in-law, so holidays were out of the question, at most a few days at home on the balcony.
After the death of their mother-in-law, the two discover the group’s travel brochure by chance. It was enclosed in a Red Cross member’s magazine. They read it with curiosity, were impressed by the destinations and found the price-performance ratio to be truly unique. „We discovered a sensationally cheap Lycia trip,“ they say, „We decided: Let’s try it out – we certainly can’t go wrong!“
This is how this long-standing, close relationship with RSD as their valued tour operator began in 2013. They travelled with us, for example, to Morocco and South Africa, on a river cruise to St Petersburg and Andalusia, to Ireland or Normandy. After every holiday, they report, they compile an elaborate photo diary of their travel experiences: „That way we can relive the many great holiday impressions later.“
They have never regretted any of their many trips. They have never been disappointed, quite the opposite: „The flights and hotels, the local excursions and, of course, the tour guides: Everything was always great, perfectly organised and always reliable.“
Feeling well looked after and cared for when travelling in unfamiliar surroundings is very important to our guests. „Especially when unexpected problems arose, we experienced that the RSD tour group always solved these problems quickly and well, and simply stood by their guests.“ The tour guides, they report, always speak the local language and – as in Turkey, for example – are excellent connoisseurs of nature and culture. They exchange telephone numbers with the tour group so that they and their guests can always contact each other in an emergency. For example, when a fellow traveller suffered a slipped disc in India in 2018, the tour guide was immediately on hand. The tour operator provided immediate medical treatment and constant personal care at the local hospital. The woman was able to return to the tour group three days later and enjoy the rest of her holiday.
Or in Rome in 2022, when a fellow traveller got lost near the Colosseum. The tour guide and coach driver knew their way around, immediately set off in search of the lost man and quickly found him again. Situations like this, our couple told us, gave us the feeling: „No matter what happens, you can rely on the tour operator.“ Also during the Normandy days after the visit to the unique Mont-Saint-Michel. Another couple boarded the wrong bus to continue their journey and were initially at a loss. No problem. „The tour guides called them, knew where they were and said: ‚Just stay there, we’ll pick you up straight away‘!“
What our most loyal customers don’t really like: complicated travel arrangements, uncertainty at the holiday destination, having to worry about hotels or rental cars, finding out when and where which sightseeing is possible. „RSD takes care of all that for us. We book an all-round package, we don’t have to worry about anything. We simply set off, leave everyday life behind us and enjoy the holiday days to the full!“
To make this enjoyment even more perfect, they benefit from the many options on site: „We book almost every additional excursion that is possible.“ Their motto: „If we’re going to stay in great places, then we want to see all the highlights. After all, what would Cappadocia be without a fascinating balloon ride? Or the Kruger National Park without an adventurous jeep safari?“
So it’s no wonder that our valued guests can tell us about countless extraordinary experiences and adventures. They think back to glorious weather during their Hurtigruten cruise along Norway’s coast in 2023: „The captain sailed into the narrow Trollfjord – simply marvellous. We had glorious sunshine at the North Cape, and that was at the end of September!“ They flew over Niagara Falls in a helicopter. In the Himalayas, they were allowed into the cockpit of the aircraft – with a spectacular view of Mount Everest. In 2018, they travelled to the top of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai. Also in Dubai, at the Burj Al Arab, one of the most luxurious hotels on the planet, they sat cosily at the bar and indulged in delicious cocktails. And in the evening, over dinner or a nice chat with fellow travellers, they shared their experiences of the day.
The tour guide team is a recurring theme when our most loyal customers think back. It’s not just the expertise of these colleagues. It’s also their commitment and ingenuity in getting the best out of their guests‘ holidays. For example, on the wonderful Yangtze cruise in China. During a boat stop, the Chinese colleague took our holidaymakers to farmers who were harvesting medlars. And we learnt that many of the enthusiastic guests wanted to join in straight away. Then in India, free food for the poor in a Sikh temple. Our local tour guide had used his personal connections to show his travel group this touching aid programme. „Every 30 minutes, 500 new people were fed – unbelievable,“ our well-travelled couple recalled.
And what plans do they have? They tell us: In autumn, Istanbul & the Aegean are on their holiday agenda, followed by the Sri Lanka study trip with a beach extension. And in April, they are really looking forward to Jordan. This time at the invitation of the tour operator – our small thank-you for their wonderful customer loyalty with 26 holiday trips already completed.