Tots to Travel wins Customer Kings Award
Family friendly travel company recognised for excellent customer service
March 2010

Wendy Shand, a mum of three (including a 6 month old baby), has proved that it’s possible to merge an online business with good old fashioned customer service by winning a Cisco Customer King award. What’s more, she runs the business entirely from home, has an estimated turnover over of £1million for this year and is looking to expand into Asia.  

This is what the judges had to say about her:

“The Tots to Travel package is so complete, the Customer Kings judges were left scratching their heads as to what more Shand could do to improve it. No doubt that, as a mum, Shand will use her personal intuition to come up with something. And the high-street travel majors will be watching with concern to see what she stuns us with next.”

11^th March 2010 – Tots to Travel has been crowned as one of the eight winners in the 2010 Cisco Customer Kings awards, held in conjunction with Real Business magazine.  The awards recognise UK companies that provide the best customer engagement and service.

Tots to Travel, an online holiday company specialising in family-friendly accommodation, sends teams of inspectors (all mums) to visit every property listed on its website to ensure they are safe and properly equipped for families with young children.

The company provides in-depth information on every property, with any potential safety issues like a low window or steep flight of stairs highlighted, so that parents can make an informed decision about whether it is right for them.  The properties have an extensive array of child-friendly kit available, from plastic crockery to dress up boxes and electric plug socket covers, while parents can enjoy the benefits of on-site baby-sitting, home cooked meals and spa treatments.  The company even offers packing lists, advice on how to travel with children and creates personalised short lists of properties based on a customer’s exact needs.

“We are ecstatic to have won this award. Our objective in setting up Tots to Travel was to enable parents to have the holiday they need, without all the usual stress that goes along with it,” explains Wendy Shand, founder of Tots to Travel and mum of three. “We’ve tried to blend the best of the internet with good old fashioned customer service. Critically, we truly understand our customers and give them the kind of service we’d like to receive as parents.”

Every customer is asked to review their holiday when they return. 91% of Tots families rated their holiday as 'absolutely fabulous' or 'great' in 2009.

Real Business’ Charles Orton-Jones comments, “Tots To travel is a perfect example of a company that places its customers at the heart of its business; every action, decision and service is completely tailored to their customer’s needs making them an extremely worthy Customer King. They have taken a serious problem for parents across the country and offered a unique service to take the headache out of travelling with small children – it’s simple and very effective.”