John Zondlo · Feb 3, 2025 · 11:57 PM
Outbound · 12:40 · Planner: Victoria Hill · +16028261737
Sentiment
positive (0.75)
Intent
researching
Trajectory
improved
“I've done a lot with Viking and I've always been happy with Viking. I think Viking tends to be a little more expensive but I have been happy with Viking.”
Next best action
Send John written comparison of third-week-June Alaska cruise options (Holland America, Princess, Celebrity, Viking) with availability and pricing by end of week, and separately send links and summaries for the two Vacations by Rail 8- and 9-day Pacific Northwest itineraries so he can review in parallel with your research.
Send John written comparison of third-week-June Alaska cruise options (Holland America, Princess, Celebrity, Viking) with availability and pricing by end of week, and separately send links and summaries for the two Vacations by Rail 8- and 9-day Pacific Northwest itineraries so he can review in parallel with your research.
Full analysis
What happened
John Zondlo called to comparison-shop Alaska cruises for the third week of June with his daughter and two adult grandchildren (one week maximum). He vented extensively about a disappointing recent Holland America Mexican cruise taken during school holiday season—overcrowded with families, small children in main dining, forced to use specialty restaurants. He wanted Pavlus to lock in prices and availability across Holland America, Princess, and Viking to help him compare. Victoria offered Celebrity as an alternative and noted Viking's age restrictions (21+, which John's adult grandchildren met). John also raised a secondary trip: Pacific Northwest rail travel in late July/August, expressing interest in Vacations by Rail options over the pricey Rocky Mountaineer. Victoria provided specific Vacations by Rail itineraries (8- and 9-day options) and warned that Rocky Mountaineer carries Disney-like pricing without proportional added value. John committed to personal research on Vacations by Rail while Victoria agreed to research Alaska cruise availability; he emphasized time pressure since grandchildren's schedules are tight and he feared they'd book alternative plans if he delayed.
Emotional read
The customer started somewhat guarded and venting about a disappointing recent cruise experience, but warmed considerably as Victoria engaged thoughtfully. By call's end, John was collaborative, appreciative of the agent's research willingness, and energized about concrete options. He expressed genuine anxiety about time pressure with his grandchildren's limited availability, which motivated urgency.
Emotional arc through the call
Started cautious and frustrated (venting about Holland America disappointment and prior poor experience), gradually warmed as Victoria offered thoughtful alternatives and specifics, and ended collaborative and appreciative with shared commitment to research.
How customer sees Pavlus
- positive · praised Victoria for remembering prior conversation about southern Italy and Greece from August of previous year
- positive · appreciated that Victoria called him back and offered to do research; stated 'I'm glad you got a hold of me. I appreciate your callback'
- positive · responded well to Victoria's proactive suggestions of Celebrity as alternative cruise line and Vacations by Rail as train option
- neutral · noted receiving frequent Pavlus marketing emails with 'spectacular deals' but did not comment on their value or relevance
Value perception
John did not explicitly state a view of Pavlus's value vs. going direct, but his willingness to ask Victoria for price/availability research and his appreciation for her proactive suggestions (Celebrity, Vacations by Rail) imply he sees value in her expertise and deal-sourcing capability.
Customer behaviors
comparison-shopping three cruise lines for same Alaska itineraryventing about disappointing recent cruise experience to reset expectationsseeking agent to lock in pricing before he commitsopen to agent suggestions but also doing parallel personal researchdeferring final decision pending availability confirmation and grandchildren buy-inexpressing time urgency due to grandchildren's limited vacation windows
Topics & signals
| Topics | Alaska cruise comparisonHolland America disappointmentPrincess vs Viking vs Celebrity optionsPacific Northwest train travelCanadian Rockies rail tourVacations by Rail optionsRocky Mountaineer pricing |
|---|---|
| Destinations | AlaskaInside PassageMexicoSouthern ItalyGreecePacific NorthwestCanadian RockiesColumbia RiverPortlandSeattleVancouverVictoria |
| Cruise lines | Holland AmericaPrincessVikingCelebrityCarnivalAmerican Cruise Lines |
| Buying signals | named specific travel timeframe: third week of Juneidentified travel companions: daughter and two adult grandchildrenexpressed openness to Celebrity as alternative despite unfamiliaritycommitted to narrowing options before grandchildren book elsewherewilling to do concurrent research to expedite decision |
| Objections | Holland America disappointed on recent Mexican cruise over school holidaysconcerned Rocky Mountaineer charges premium pricing for no added valueworried grandchildren will make other plans if booking delayeduncertain if Holland America recent poor experience was anomaly or pattern |
Analyzed 2026-05-24 23:51:16 by claude-haiku-4-5-20251001. Confidence 0.92.
Transcript (10,632 chars)
Agent (Victoria Hill): Hello, this is Victoria with polis travel, is this Joanne? Agent (Victoria Hill): Hi, how are you doing today? Customer: Yes, it is. Customer: Great, thank you and I'm sorry I missed your name. Agent (Victoria Hill): It's okay my name is Victoria. You had sent an email to my teammate Taylor. She had forwarded over to me. I work with the Allens. Customer: Okay. Okay, that's good. Agent (Victoria Hill): So, I just wanted to reach out to you and introduce myself to you and see how I can be of assistance. Customer: Okay, I wrote a little note with my, just hold on for a minute. I have my TD on just a second. Agent (Victoria Hill): Sure. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. Customer: I have you competing with the television? That's not good. Okay I have a plan for the third week in June a cruise to Alaska with my daughter and her two adult children. I kept kind of looking around. I have traveled on a Holland America and I have traveled on princess and I think those are the two major I know Viking is going up there now too. So what I would like. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): Mm-hmm. Customer: It's kind of a comparison as to price availability and what they're offering and I know you have all these. I keep getting all your emails with all these spectacular deals. So, I wonder if you could kind of lock something in for me so I can compare. I just got back from a Mexican cruise on Allen America. And frankly I was very disappointed I traveled many times with Allan America but, and their ships were smaller and very, I don't classic and sophisticated and this cruise maybe it's because I, I'm in a mistake, I went over a school holiday over new year's was rolling with kids and just, and it was. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): Mm-hmm. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. Customer: We ate in the specialty every single night because the regular dining room had screaming babies and high chair and. Agent (Victoria Hill): Mm-hmm. Agent (Victoria Hill): Mm-hmm. Oh, my goodness. Customer: It was, it was really not what I expect. It was one of the biggest talent Americ chips, I've ever been on. I know they're doing more and more. They've always been a partners with carnival but this cruise seem to me like a carnival cruise so I just kinda disappointed. But so maybe the smaller ships are still good. Maybe it was my error to pick a time when kids were off school, I don't know but it, I came home really disappoint it. Agent (Victoria Hill): Mm-hmm. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay, alright, I could understand that. I would probably feel the same exact way. Customer: Okay. So, do you have any suggestions about how in America or printers or biking for that week and third week in June? Agent (Victoria Hill): Sure. So I'll need to do some research if you wouldn't mind just to see what could or what the availability is for that time period with both of those companies. Now, I mean Holland and prince, us those are the two cruise lines that has been in Alaska, the longest. So those two would have most certainly been the ones that I, whatever recommended first, however with your feelings on Holland then yes. I mean, we can most certainly go ahead and look at princess, another cruise line and I've actually had a teammate that has gone on several of these to Alaska is with celebrity as well. She has been very very pleased with the Alaska itineraries on celebrity. So that may to be an option and. Customer: Okay. Customer: Okay, okay. Customer: Mm-hmm. Customer: Okay. Customer: Okay, that's fine. I, I'm open for that. I've never been on a celebrity if we need to do the inside passage my grandchildren, you know, only have a week off from work. So we can't do anything more than the seven day but I'm open and if I say maybe this was just a flu key thing with how in America I don't know but if mm-hmm. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay, okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): Mm-hmm. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. It could be, it could have been now the adult grandchildren, so they are over the age of eighteen, correct? Okay, alright. Customer: So I was. Customer: Oh, they're adult. Yeah, yeah, 112127 or one's 23127 they're not kid but yeah. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. Okay, so then we can, we'll certainly go ahead and look at Viking if they have availability there because with biking their ocean all guest must be over the age of 21. Customer: Yeah and I've done a lot with biking and I've always been happy with biking. I think biking tends to be a little more expensive but I have been happy with biking. So if you will do a little research, then the other thing, Victoria is near the end of the summer maybe August. I have a friend who was interested in exploring the Pacific Northwest. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay, good. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. Customer: Maybe, a Canadian Rockies, you know on the train. I've done Canadian Rockies but with like Collette bus tour I never did the train. I think that would be fun or I know there's American. Is it American cruise line that goes in there on the Columbia, I have not heard positive thing about them but I have never experienced them. So, I don't know. Have you had feedback on them? Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay, okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): I have have feedback. I've, there has been some that have not been the most stellar of of feedback. But for the majority they've all been very, very well. So, you know, if that is something that you're wanting to investigate or to look at we can most certainly do so as well. Customer: Okay. Customer: Yeah, and I, the training kind of appeals to me when I looked at this was several years ago. The, I believe it was collect they did, they went every place they trained but they stayed longer like we had two or three days at and, and so I kinda liked that better but the train I understand is, is lovely that you know full service dining and it, that sounds like you know in adventure that would be good so, and that would be. Agent (Victoria Hill): Mm-hmm. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. Customer: Probably August that I would do that late July, August. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay, okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): So, Pacific Northwest, something on a trade. Okay there. Customer: Okay. Customer: Or you know, if there's another kind of a trip up in the excursion of buses, I can kinda, you know, I'm 81 you get kind of sticky setting up on the bus. Agent (Victoria Hill): Sure. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. There is another company it's called vacations by rail. Let me look at those real quickly. Agent (Victoria Hill): So, I know they offer different itineraries in the Canadian Rockies, they also offer them over in Europe as well. Let me see what they might offer in that region. Agent (Victoria Hill): Specific northwest. Agent (Victoria Hill): So, they do offer some S. Smith scored ones on the train. It's called the Pacific Northwest coastal adventure. Agent (Victoria Hill): And they also offer zine and culture. That's done all by rail, Pacific Northwest. Customer: Okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): And a third option there third option is Portland, Seattle and Vancouver with Victoria. That is going to be an independent travel, but done by rail. Customer: Okay. No, I wouldn't, I wouldn't do that one. Agent (Victoria Hill): Yeah, so I would suggest looking at their website, again, vacations by rail. Customer: Mm-hmm. Okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): You might like the other two options that were provided one of them. The first one is an eight day, the second is a nine day. Customer: Mm-hmm okay. Nine day. Okay. What else? So Victoria what is your last name? Agent (Victoria Hill): Mm-hmm. Agent (Victoria Hill): Hill you and I, we actually did speak, we spoke last August actually, we were discussing a looks like southern Italy sis and grease itinerary so we have been in communication it's just been some time. Customer: Okay, and. Customer: Okay. Customer: Okay, that's fine, that's fine. So if you can do some of this and I'll I'm gonna look at that vacations by real, what's the other, isn't it just rocking mountain railroad or something? Agent (Victoria Hill): Rocky mon yes, so there is rocky mount, however with the name comes the price. Yeah. Yes, they are quite prior to their Canadian rails up there, so, I would most certainly, you know, if you want to just look at the itineraries go ahead, go on, you know, look them over, but again it, it's like Disney anything with Disney you're gonna pay. Customer: Oh, okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): Do. Customer: Okay. Well that's a good tip because I probably just would have looked at that and said, oh, and sac, maybe that's why I decided to go with the other one too. And that was years ago. So, je, you know, you're not getting anymore for a lot more money by going by rail, I, you know, it's been it's been a long time since I did it. But okay. And then you will be in touch with me that you have my email. You have my, my phone number. So good, this thing with the. Agent (Victoria Hill): Oh, it's okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): Yes. Agent (Victoria Hill): Yes. Customer: The inside passage, Alaska. I'm gonna be kinda anxious to nail that down and you know, make, make our plans before those kids decide on something else. It's like pulling teeth with that. Yeah, no. You know, they get limited time off and I don't want them. I don't want to drag my feet and they make other plans. So, that's where I am in that one. Okay Victoria. Very good. I'm glad you got a hold of me. I appreciate your callback and you I will appreciate some research that you do for me and I'm gonna do a little look at myself. Agent (Victoria Hill): I could understand. Agent (Victoria Hill): Mm-hmm. Agent (Victoria Hill): Mm-hmm. Agent (Victoria Hill): Alright. Outstanding. Well if you find something you let me know, we'll look at it together but I'll do some research again third week of June Alaska. Do you have a preference and where it starts where it ends the direction or just as long as it's the inside passage? Customer: No, not, not, not really. No. Okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): Okay. Alright and seven days, okay. Agent (Victoria Hill): Alright, absolutely my pleasure, you and you enjoy the rest of your evening. Thank you for your time. Customer: Perfect, thank you so very much. Agent (Victoria Hill): Thank you, bye. Customer: Take care, bye-bye.