African Safari blog

The Value Of Our Service

The DA Difference

It is almost impossible to put a value on a great safari experience, which is, of course, primarily, what Destinations Africa provides. According to our clients we have our finest-ever team and their knowledge and service is simply unbeatable.

Again according to our clients, everything else is pretty damned good too and we are offering good value for money, which, of course, is the bottom line when it comes to choosing a safari. As one multiple repeat client once told me: “You are not the cheapest but you are the best and offer great value for money”. The guest testimonials on our web site show the importance of this. Firstly, you contact us because you want our help in planning and booking a safari to Africa. We do not say that nobody else can do this for you, but we do say that you will have a totally amazing safari that you will remember for ever that is great value.

We don’t negotiate on the price either. I am unable to haggle – I find it awkward and embarrassing – so we set a price, which we think is fair, generous even, and we stick to it. Price is only ever an issue in the absence of value.

With so many websites offering so-called ‘discount services’ and tour-operators outdoing one another to offer the same service for the same price, you can be quite sure that, however and with whomever you book, you will get exactly what you pay for. Pay peanuts and get monkeys. And if we decide to give you a discount, it will be because you are a repeat client or the lodge has given us a loyalty discount, not because you asked for it!

Otherwise, it all ends up in chaotic horse-trading and we end up in the situation we have all been in, whereby you take your car in to a dealer to sell it and after looking up the price for a second hand version of your particular model, he then explains to you that he will also have to deduct an amount for the tiny scratch on the door, and for the fact that the car needs new windscreen wipers and brakes. I mean, surely that is built into the price of a used car that it is… well, used? Just as we have already declared and costed in all possible accommodation, activities, internal flights, transfers, meals, drinks, park fees and much more. We have planned your itinerary to give you the very best available for the time and budget that you have declared to us. Coming back to us to re-do your itinerary for a cheaper price is sometimes possible but always results in a lesser experience – a retrograde step surely.

I don’t haggle in markets either. It is patronising. There we are. It costs what it costs – and we offer good value. The friendly, knowledgeable and committed service, experience, planning, quotes, booking, 24 hour back up, making changes to your itinerary and putting up with some seriously weird requests and even rude people is actually free. You pay no more when booking through us than if you booked directly on the internet. We earn our income by obtaining a commission from the supplier and thus the cost to you is always at or below the Rack Rate offered by the supplier. That is why all our services etc to you are free. You pay nothing for them so why would you try and plan your own safari and book directly when you have our expertise to do this for you at no cost?

However – in closing – we do not appreciate you using us in order to take our ideas to a competitor who will then give you a discount because they have no “skin” in the process, have given you no services, no information, no knowledge and have not incurred any cost of staff etc. Please be respectful. By all means seek additional quotes but don’t share them with other operators – it is dishonest and unfair on those that have given you time, expertise and free advice.

Happy travels!!

Related Source:  Zimbabwe Travel

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