When a close friend was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 21, it was a real shock.
He was declared unable to travel and consequently had to cancel the dream holiday to the Canary Islands he had booked with his girlfriend.
It was a distressing time for all involved and the last thing the couple needed was a company attempting to profit from their situation.
So when Cosmos Holidays adamantly refused to refund any of the money the couple had paid in full, in advance, they asked for my help.
The objective: what’s right
Having worked in the tourism industry, I knew what the company’s arguments would be, and how to use them to the couple’s advantage.
I was certain that a large operator such as Cosmos would put up some resistance, but faced with such overwhelmingly compelling circumstances as these they would relent.
Also at this point it was clear that nothing but a full refund for the couple would have been right.
As an aside, it is also worth noting that the couple didn’t have travel insurance.
This was unfortunate, and I would always recommend that you buy travel insurance as soon as possible after you’ve booked your holiday.
However, I don’t think it was relevant in this case and travel insurance isn’t a magic bullet, as I will explain in a later post.
Round 1: the standard brush off
As expected, Cosmos claimed at first instance that their terms and conditions were clear-cut: no refund was possible.
It was stated in their terms, whatever the circumstances of cancellation.
Cosmos were sympathetic to the plight of the couple but the decision was out of their hands.
Upon purchasing the holiday the couple had agreed to these terms and consequently there was nothing the company could do.
Cosmos apparently receive queries like this on a regular basis and were unable to make an exception in this case.
This is the standard response and many people give up at this point.
You shouldn’t.
As a hotel manager who had been faced with circumstances like these, I had always refunded those individuals involved.
We, too, had terms and conditions that offered no refunds.
But there is always someone in the company that can decide to waive or go beyond any terms and conditions; small print isn’t the last word.
The trick is to speak to that person.
Be warned – they are usually very difficult to get hold of.
Round 2: a personal decision
Faced with the brush off, I explained that I, too, had terms and conditions as a hotel manager and that I wouldn’t hide behind them.
While I understood that the person I was speaking to didn’t have the authority to go outside the terms and conditions, I’d like to speak to someone who could.
Similar conversations happened with various supervisors until I was eventually speaking to the managing director (MD).
At last, after a lot of perseverance, I was speaking to the person I needed to convince.
The MD started with the same brush off – the terms and conditions.
I simply argued that he shouldn’t hide behind the text.
He, of all people, can make a decision based on the facts and not on the small print.
“In these specific circumstances, why would you refuse to refund the couple for their holiday?”
The MD brought up the lack of insurance, and said the couple should have been protected that way.
I agreed but unfortunately it wasn’t relevant to the case: why did he not want to refund the couple?
“You are entitled to decide that you will not refund the couple, of course.
“But you can also decide to do so.
“There are circumstances, I know having done it myself, where you make an exception and do the right thing.
“I think these are such circumstances and I simply want to know why, in such a compelling case, you would not wish to make the decision to refund the couple.
“What’s the reason you would want to keep their money?”
If there is one technique that’s worked more than any other, it’s giving the individual you’re talking to a difficult call to make; you make it their personal decision and not allow them to hide behind a corporate veil.
You’ll see this time and time again in my case studies.
In this case the MD was entitled to keep the money but it wasn’t right.
He could refund the holiday or personally decide that he wouldn’t help a couple in that situation.
That’s a tricky decision.
You need to carefully plan what you want to say and stick to it.
Whatever other arguments are thrown at you, don’t get distracted.
Being a consumer crusader is about identifying what’s right under the circumstances, and getting the individual you’re talking to to address that argument.
Ask them to explain why they’ve chosen not to do the right thing, and don’t let them use the company policy as a valid excuse.
The result: when to compromise?
In this case, admittedly a particularly compelling one, Cosmos Holidays agreed to give the couple a voucher for the full value of their holiday.
It’s worth having in your mind before you start what outcome you would be willing to accept.
You may not be able to get all you want.
In this case a voucher was a good compromise – the couple would still go on holiday with the company when circumstances allowed.
A twist in the tale
However, there was a twist.
The MD informed me they would have to deduct an administration charge of around £200.
My response was disgust.
“In this situation, isn’t it a little unseemly to haggle with me over such an amount?”
Again, the MD didn’t have to charge this fee – is that the decision he wanted to make?
To his credit, he did not insist.
A voucher for the full refund was forthcoming.
It was tricky, and took at lot of work, but Cosmos did see sense and did the right thing by their customers.
Administration fees cropped up again, though, as I will explain in my next post.