THE KENSINGTON TOURS EXPERIENCE

GUIDES IN EUROPE

AgendaT H E K E N S I N G T O N A D V A N T A G E

‣ Why Kensington?

‣ Destination Experts

‣ Private Guides

‣ Traveler Profile

‣ What Our Travelers Say

‣ North American Client Culture

K E N S I N G T O N ’ S G U I D E S

‣ Guiding 101 – Do’s and Don’ts

• Before the Tour

• Communication

• Professionalism

• Problem Solving

• Common Pitfalls

‣ Customer Service BeliefsW R A P - U P

‣ Questions

THE KENSINGTON ADVANTAGE

Why Do Our Clients Choose Kensington Tours?

• Tailor-made journeys to more than 100 countries worldwide

• Private-guided experiences led by vetted expert guides

• Infinitely customizable itineraries designed by our

knowledgeable Product Development team

• Itinerary customization and on-trip assistance provided by

skilled Destination Experts

• Award-winning service with 24/7 in-country client support

• Representing a community of 50,000+ delighted clients

DESTINATIONEXPERTS

T H E K E N S I N G T O N A D V A N T A G E

Preparing once-in-a-lifetime experiences from the world’s finest ingredients

Who Builds the Client Itineraries?

• Intimately familiar with the destinations they sell;

specialists in select countries (experts, not generalists)

• Possess unique knowledge and skills that supplement

the great work done by the local office

• Supported by robust hotel, logistics and tour training and KT’s

unique technology platform that allows for easy

customization

• Work with the clients from the first trip-planning consultation

to the day they return home – a high-touch, personal,

customer service driven experience

PRIVATE GUIDES: THE ONLY WAY TO

EXPLORE

T H E K E N S I N G T O N A D V A N T A G E

Here’s What We Tell Our Clients About You:

• Kensington Tours is a leader in the private guided travel space

• Hand-picked specialist guides are our specialty, adding depth

and richness to the clients’ experience by allowing them to be

welcomed to the destination by a local

• We connect clients with specialist guides that service unique

needs or interests (e.g. history, art, etc.)

• Our guides are proficient in English

THE KENSINGTON TOURSTRAVELER

T H E K E N S I N G T O N A D V A N T A G E

A F F L U E N TU R B A N I T E S

I N T H E P R I M EO F L I F E

H I G H L YE D U C A T E D

C U L T U R E D , A C T I V E & G E N E R O U S

WHAT OUR TRAVELERS SAY

“I WILL NEVER USE ANOTHER

TOUR COMPANY”

- K Y L E W . , U S A

★★★★★

“KENSINGTON DOES A TOP-NOTCH JOB”

P A M E L A R . , U S A

★★★★★“I WILL CONTINUE TO USE KENSINGTON AND REFER (KT)

TO ANYONE WHO ASKS (OR DOESN’T ASK)!”

B A R B A R A D . , U S A

★★★★★

“OUR TRIP WAS FLAWLESS. WE WILL CARRY THIS

TRIP IN OUR HEARTS FOREVER.”

- M A R C Y F . , U S A

★★★★★

9.6/10T R U S T S C O R E 75+

N E T P R O M O T E R S C O R E

CULTURE

T H E N O R T H A M E R I C A N C L I E N T

Customers expect:

• To have a response to their question quickly (within 24 hours, if not sooner)

• To be able reach someone 24-7

• To have their opinion respected; they want to see action to resolve issues, not reasons why it did or did not happen

• To be asked about their experience; they will not always proactively share information (good or bad)

• Transportation to be clean and smell pleasant (not of cigarette smoke)

WE CREATE THE EXPERIENCE THAT CHANGES THE LIFE

LOCAL EXPERTS · FLEXIBLE OPTIONS · CLOSE CONTACT

KENSINGTONGUIDES

W ha t is Kensing ton Tours looking forin a priva te g uide?

A KENSINGTON GUIDEFRIENDLY HOST · STORYTELLER · KNOWLEDGEABLE · FLEXIBLE ·

PROMPT & COURTEOUS · PROBLEM SOLVER · PROFICIENT IN ENGLISH

DESTINATION EXPERT LOCAL OFFICE (OPERATIONS) GUIDESBefore the trip

- Learn about the client- Develop a trip to meet their

interests/needs

- Book services- Communicate information to the

Guides about the specific trip details

- Clarify details about the itinerary

During the trip

- Relay any feedback about the trip to the Local Office

- Work with Local Office to make itinerary changes as they are communicated

- Secure additional services- Keep in communication with the

Guides

- Execute the details of the itinerary- Make adjustments to the itinerary

as needed by the clients

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

BEFORE THE TOURK E N S I N G T O N G U I D E S

Educated with deep destination knowledge (history, culture, architecture, trends, food & wine, “the local gems”, economy, politics, and regulations in destination).

Strong understanding of North American culture, expectations, attitudes and norms.

Strong understanding of Kensington Tours and of the Kensington Client.

Professional or suitable traditional attire, and well groomed.

Knowledgeable of client’s itinerary before their arrival.

Registered, qualified or licensed local or national guide, recognized by the appropriate authority.

Kensington Expectations

Guide is not able to answer questions or provide in-depth information.

Guide is dressed poorly and/or wearing outfit with a company logo other than Kensington Tours.

Unable to adapt style/content based on client interests.

Guide is not reading the client’s preferences in terms of when support is needed or when they’d prefer to be left alone.

• For instance, some guests prefer to eat meals with the guide and others wish to be left alone – knowing how to tell the difference is key!

What to avoid

#1 - “I was very disappointed with my guide. His level of knowledge was about what I could have read in a guide book or on signage, he

offered little in the way of history or culture or anecdote and was generally uninspiring.”

#2 - “One of our guides, was very unfamiliar with the subway system and had us walking in

the rain back and forth until she found the right line.”

#3 - “The guides were truly terrific. They were so knowledgeable about what we were seeing and about the history and social background of

each site and area. They all showed a love for their country and for the opportunity to show

each destination or landmark to visitors.”

#4 - “Our fun and personal travel guides and drivers knew every detail about their

cities/country and could answer all our questions..”

BEFORE THE TOURK E N S I N G T O N G U I D E S

Examples of Client Feedback

K E N S I N G T O N G U I D E S

COMMUNICATION

Engaging and delightful.

Excellent communication skills & pleasant speaking manner.

Fluent in English and local language; speaks English with an accent that can be easily understood by clients.

Good listening skills to understand needs of the client.

Engaging the client at the start of the day by explaining the day’s activities and asking how they are feeling; do they want to make any changes?

If changes to itinerary are recommended or required, the reasons for the change are communicated clearly to the client and agreed upon by the client.

Kensington Expectations

Guide does not start the day by explaining the itinerary and timing to determine whether all parties have the same information.

Guide does not inquire as to what the clients interests are so that the content may be customized.

Guide interrupts the clients, or alternatively, goes long stretches without insight or instruction.

Guide makes changes to itinerary and does not explain to clients why the change is needed.

What to avoid

#1 - “The private guide was rude, did not provide much information, and seemed to be bothered

by our requests.”

#2 - “He didn't do a good job with the timeline--he seemed locked into a preset schedule, rather than giving me choices about what I wanted to

emphasize and what I didn’t.”

#3 - “Danny was a great guide in [ ]. When he saw we had a little extra time he suggested an

extra stop that he thought the girls would enjoy..”

#4 - “Our guide was incredible, so easy to talk to and took such good care of us. We trusted him

with our kids completely and he was so relatable and personable.”

K E N S I N G T O N G U I D E S

COMMUNICATION

Examples of Client Feedback

K E N S I N G T O N G U I D E S

PROFESSIONALISM

Punctual, professional and polite.

Positive attitude with an easygoing, approachable personality.

Passionate! Inviting outsiders into your community and worldview should be something that clearly motivates and energizes you.

Pay full attention to clients throughout their tour. Explain to the clients if:• A personal call is required• You need to speak to the driver about logistics at

length• You need to call a location to prepare the next

service.

… And be discrete when having these conversations.

Kensington Expectations

Guide speaking on the phone in his/her own language during tours without explanation.

Guide checking the time too many times, texting regularly or appearing uninterested.

Guide talking badly about clients in the local language.

Guide is late for pick up and/or unapologetic for errors.

Guide includes a stop for the purpose of souvenir shopping or includes shopping of any kind when not requested by client or included in itinerary.

Guide shares personal opinions without being asked by the client (e.g. politics).

Guide takes pictures of clients using his/her own camera (not the clients).

What to avoid

#1 - “He even told me he was a free lance guide, not a regular guide used to dealing with KT

clients.”

#2 - “I did not appreciate that every tour involved a sales pitch. The rug seller was a

particularly egregious example. In one day we had to negotiate the ceramics, leather goods, and rug sales pitches. This is not what I signed

up for and it became very frustrating.”

#3 - “Perhaps the low point of the trip was when our guide told us the night before that

the lunch [at the facility we were touring] wouldn't be acceptable for our dietary needs, and that we should steal some food from the

breakfast buffet to bring with us.”

#4 - “Kensington assigned us the best, most personable, knowledgeable and delightful

guides.”

K E N S I N G T O N G U I D E S

PROFESSIONALISM

Examples of Client Feedback

K E N S I N G T O N G U I D E S

PROBLEM SOLVING

Flexible with the itinerary and goes above and beyond to meet client expectations.

Proactive and has the ability to foresee potential customer service complaints and take necessary action to keep the client satisfied.

Report any issues or potential problems to the local office to ensure they are aware of them.

Takes responsibility for any clients’ problems even if they are out of his/her control.

Keeps the tour at a comfortable pace to avoid making the client tired, uncomfortable, or ultimately irate – the cause of many unnecessary problems!

Always let the local office know if there are issues while on the trip, no matter how big or small.

Kensington Expectations

Guide openly disagrees with the itinerary and/or blames the Kensington Destination Expert for planning a tour a certain way. We are a team!

Guide is resistant to schedule changes requested by client.

Guide does not use their own expertise or insight to ensure that a revised or improvised tour flows logically, or includes the right number of activities to ensure the pace is appropriate for the clients.

What to avoid

#1 - “The guide in [ ] was excellent. She spoke the best English, was the most engaging with the children, and was flexible about activities when the children were ready for something

different. The guide for [ ] was also great at rearranging our day when weather cancelled

the initial plans.”

#2 - “The client constantly worried about her son and the mosquitoes. The client

appreciated the guide's work to make sure they felt comfortable (didn't go too deep into

the jungle, helped with mosquito netting).”

#3 - “The guide service provided was exceptional. They met us at 2 a.m. when they

were supposed to arrive at 2 p.m. They gave no indication it made the least bit of difference

what the time was. They came bearing gifts for the next 2 days.”

#4 - “I contacted your rep in country to report our issues; his first response was for me to contact the rep I booked with. Not what I

wanted to hear.”

K E N S I N G T O N G U I D E S

PROBLEM SOLVING

Examples of Client Feedback

K E N S I N G T O N G U I D E S

COMMON PITFALLS

1. Being late

2. Changing meeting point without alerting client

3. Changing itinerary without consulting the client

4. Guide personal presentation (appropriate attire)

5. Monotonous tone; “script-like” delivery

6. Smoking in vehicles before picking up the client or during the tour; clothes smelling of smoke while on tour

7. Forgetting that they represent Kensington Tours

8. Not reviewing the itinerary with the client at the start of the day or highlighting flexibility

9. Unable to provide restaurant or free time activity recommendations

10. No water in vehicles

In Europe

CUSTOMER SERVICEBELIEFS

K E N S I N G T O N T O U R S

1. We are here to serve the client

If clients want to change something, we do our best to meet their needs, even if it is last minute. We do our best to serve the needs and interests of our clients as long as it doesn’t put the client, guide or organization at risk.

2. We expect the best but prepare for issues

We expect our trips to execute flawlessly, but we appreciate that things can happen outside of our control. We believe that we can earn the client’s trust and respect in how we recover from mistakes. We are honest and forthcoming about when things don’t work; we own up to it and find a way to make it better.

3. The customer has a right to their opinion

We put hard work into the design and execution of our services. Clients do have a right to feel that those services do not meet their expectations or standards. We listen without judgement and try to make the situation better.

4. We respect our KT staff and partners in destination

While we are here to serve our clients, we respect our staff and partners. We have zero tolerance for any kind of harassment from clients and from our staff or partners to our clients. If at any time staff feel that they are being mistreated, it is to be reported to the local office and KT office immediately.

CUSTOMER SERVICEBELIEFS

K E N S I N G T O N T O U R S

Smile.

“There is an immense power found within a smile. A smile conveys feelings

of happiness, hope and positivity to anyone who sees it. When you smile, you are sending a message to those around

you that they are accepted, they are welcome, all is well.”

Huffington Post

QUESTIONS?