Going the extra mile
A FAMILY of five were heartbroken after passports arrived two hours after their holiday flight took off.
Lisa and Paul Carr had to explain to their three children that the trip from Newcastle to Torremolinos was off.
But it was back on again when staff at their travel agent went the extra mile to make sure the family were able to go on holiday after all. An alternative flight was arranged at the last minute to take the family on the sunshine break.
Dawson and Sanderson even paid for a taxi to take the Carrs to Leeds/ Bradford Airport to board the new flight. They caught the flight by the skin of their teeth but went on to enjoy the family holiday.
Admin clerk Lisa, 38, said she had been ready to cancel the day before when it was obvious the passports – for two of the children – would not come in time. She said: “I contacted Dawson and Sanderson the night before to say the passports had not arrived and that we were ready to cancel.
“But they did brilliantly and really went out of their way and we ended up having a fantastic holiday.”
The Carrs, from South Shields, realised just a week before their break that they needed to renew the passports but lost the race against time for new ones.
Senior manager Donna Raji said: “Service beyond expectation is our motto and this was definitely an occasion where we had to step up to the plate and think quickly.
“When I heard what had happened I could not ignore it.”
Lisa and Paul Carr had planned all year for their holiday with children Jessica, 13, Grace, 10, and seven-year-old Max.
Donna and her team’s quick thinking has been praised by bosses at Dawson and Sanderson.
Managing Director Chris Harrison said: “There are so many examples of when our staff have gone out of their way to help customers – from personally delivering visas and travel tickets to their homes, to befriending widowed customers who are travelling alone for the first time. But the actions of Donna and her team were outstanding.”