A friend advised us to enter for the Cornwall Tourism Awards - something we'd never done before. As a new business (less than 2 years old) We hadn't considered it but they pointed out it was a good way of getting a professional review of what we do. So the application form was duly completed and we subsequently received a visit from the judging panel. After a few weeks of waiting we were notified that we had received a commendation! Some of the feedback from the judges is attached:
On time in place as we had agreed. Good quality and big car with branding. Car very clean and tidy. Peter also wore a shirt with discrete branding. Very pleasant and clear approach - talked us through where we were going and how long it would take before we started. He double-checked that this matched our understanding of what we wanted to do. If we asked questions there were clear answers. Did not seem to be working from a script (though he probably has one in his head it feels more personal than that).
Very good driver. (Advanced police motorist)
The WOW is having your own private tour put together for you and which can be amended as you drive round that brings you closer to the key parts of Cornwall through the eyes of someone who lives there. A 'Concierge' service.
The overall ambience is 'personal' - at the end of the tour one feels that we really know each other and we have seen all the 'best' places and heard some of the background that we wouldn't know otherwise or by visiting on your own. Peter has done his homework and knows what to show you and tell you - he has moved into the area from London, loves it and wants to put something back into his adopted county.
Memorable about the trip was the ease with which we moved around Cornwall and saw the key places/things. We visited Charlestown and saw the Poldark set - didn't realise there was one but very interesting to see. And then through Fowey.
Strengths
1. The cars used - very comfortable and good for viewing the various sights. And driven by ex-police with high level driving qualifications (quite important given the actual audience - older and often from the USA) and well-used to driving many different types of people.
2. The Driver - high level of personal service without being 'over the top'. Relaxed approach but very efficient and knowledgeable.
3. The personalised itinerary based on your own interests and the knowledge of areas that you are really interested in.
4. The flexibility (Peter will work into the evening if that suits the customers better) and the personal touch
As you can imagine, we were blown away by the result and the comments!