Mary Fuller · Mar 21, 2025 · 4:04 PM
Outbound · 22:55 · Planner: Rose Morrissey · +12393154141
“Good god, why is it so expensive? If you book that hotel on your own, it's probably a third less.”
Rose should contact Tauck immediately to request a price reduction (emphasizing Mary's research showing lower independent hotel rates) and clarify (1) whether guide tips are included, (2) exact insurance coverage window (15 days including or after the tour), and (3) feasibility of same-day Istanbul-Cappadocia flight connection. Call Mary back by end of business today with concrete revised pricing and answers.
Full analysis
What happened
Mary called to discuss her Tauck-booked Cappadocia tour (September 14-15) after reviewing the itinerary and pricing. She confirmed satisfaction with most activities—balloon ride, underground city, church visits—and praised Tauck for honoring her exclusions (no cooking classes, rug weaving, pottery, or major hiking). However, she expressed strong concerns about the total price (~$10,000-$11,000), finding the hotel cost inflated compared to independent booking, and flagged the insurance charges ($1,600 for guest protection plus cancel-anytime upgrade) as excessive. She also researched alternative flights (Turkish Airlines Miami-Istanbul-Cappadocia same-day connection) and wants clarification on whether guide tips are included and if Tauck's insurance covers 15 days post-tour. Rose committed to negotiating the price with the tour operator, verifying insurance details, checking on tip inclusion, and researching flight logistics. Mary will await a callback after Rose speaks with the booking agent.
Emotional read
Mary is methodical and detail-oriented, approaching this trip with careful research and skepticism about value. She expresses frustration with the high costs ("good god, why is it so expensive", "absolutely ridiculous") but remains engaged and collaborative. Her tone shifts from critical to slightly warmer when the agent confirms airport transfers are included, showing she can be reassured by concrete benefits.
Emotional arc through the call
Mary started slightly frustrated (missing email, high prices), grew more engaged as she walked through the itinerary details and found most activities acceptable, but ended cautiously optimistic pending Rose's ability to negotiate a better price.
How customer sees Pavlus
- neutral · did not receive email from Mary that she sent Tuesday with questions and suggestions
- positive · Mary appreciated that Rose acknowledged the high pricing and committed to going back to negotiate with the operator
- neutral · no explicit praise or criticism of Pavlus as an agency; customer treated Rose as a helpful intermediary
Process friction
- email sent by customer on Tuesday was not received by agent
Value perception
Mary is skeptical of the all-inclusive price, believing she could book the hotel for significantly less independently ("probably a third less") and noting her cruise insurance was only $800-900 versus Tauck's $1,600. She does acknowledge value in Pavlus/Tauck handling logistics and airport transfers but expects better pricing negotiation.
Customer behaviors
conducting independent research on pricing, flights, and insurance alternativescomparison-shopping hotel rates and third-party insurance vendorsdeferring final decision pending agent's price negotiation and clarificationsmethodically documenting concerns and questions in writingfact-checking agent and Tauck information (e.g., insurance coverage terms)
Topics & signals
| Topics | Cappadocia tour itinerary reviewactivity preferences and exclusionspricing concernsinsurance costs and coverageflight logistics and connectionsairport transfersballoon ride booking |
|---|---|
| Destinations | CappadociaIstanbulUnderground cityMiamiAthensTurkey |
| Cruise lines | TauckTurkish AirlinesAAA / Affinity Travel |
| Buying signals | reviewed full itinerary in detail and researched hotel locationconfirmed interest in balloon ride and underground city activitiesexplicitly excluded unwanted activities and Tauck accommodated thatresearched insurance alternatives and flight options independentlyavailable all day to receive follow-up call with pricing adjustmentswilling to proceed if agent can negotiate better price and insurance |
| Objections | pricing seems excessive compared to booking hotel independentlyinsurance cost of $1,600 is absolutely ridiculousuncertain how balloon flight will be booked and weather-dependentunsure if tour guide tip is included in priceconcerned about arriving in Cappadocia at midnight via layover routewants same-day Istanbul to Cappadocia connection to avoid overnight layover |
Analyzed 2026-05-27 21:40:24 by claude-haiku-4-5-20251001. Confidence 0.87.
Transcript (20,026 chars)
Customer: I'm well thank you. How are you? Agent (Rose Morrissey): Hi, how are you? Agent (Rose Morrissey): Oh, good. Very busy but I didn't even get that email. Customer: Oh, you didn't you know, after I sent that to you, I went back and looked I sent it Tuesday and said that you know, I had some questions and some just suggestions or whatever run. I don't know where it went. Yeah. Agent (Rose Morrissey): No. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, yeah, anyway. Okay, so, did you look at the itinerary that she had for you? Customer: Yes. You know I did trying to think, well the itinerary is not the problem with me at all. I'm trying to pull up my paperwork. I got a stack here. It. Agent (Rose Morrissey): What did you think? Customer: The balloon thing, I understand you know you got the depend upon whatever I looked at the other two days or the two days of journey and all that stuff which I thought was fine you know, I could do all of that, I didn't have any problems with any of the site thing, stuff for two days. I thought, yeah, those are pretty good. I'd like to see that and then I did some research on how far those areas were from the main area and you know, it's reasonable. So I'm assuming they're going to take me by car to see all this stuff. Yeah, yeah. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, uh-huh. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Okay. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. They are mm-hmm. Customer: You know, the first one I wrote down, I thought, oh, my gosh! Okay, so they're going to try to get me on a balloon ride which would be fun. But it's, according to the weather and all that good stuff and they proposed doing it. I forgotten what day it was. Maybe it was the first day or the second day, I'm not sure but it. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Uh-huh. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah. Agent (Rose Morrissey): I think it was separate. Oh, well no. The second day you're at leisure on your own. Mm-hmm. Customer: Yes, okay, that. Customer: So the second day was leisure says three and four is when they had stuff going on so I thought, well that's okay and then the balloon wide thing said it was, you know an early morning flight switch is normal know they get you up before dock before the sun rises. And, and then it says something about, you know, landing and then delivered back to the hotels and time to have breakfast and I'm thinking, well if I'm gonna do that I don't need the champagne breakfast bluing flight. I can go back to the hotel. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Mm-hmm, yeah. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, mm-hmm. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, I know rose so you can see yeah. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Right. Customer: Which you know, and I'm not sure how they're going to book that balloon flight. I'm assuming once I get there, they have somebody in mind. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Well. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Oh, yeah. Yeah, and then you'll be, I mean they I'm sure they've done this many times where they have to just the weather is the biggest thing so yeah, so I'm sure they, that thing looks really pretty. Yeah. Customer: Oh, yeah. Customer: Yes, yeah. Customer: Yeah. And you know, that's something I really want to do. I don't see that there was anything in there that was going to be. I certainly don't need cooking classes or rug demonstration for weaving cause I've done all that stuff. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Mm-hmm. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, yeah. Customer: So you know I didn't have any problems with what they had scheduled me to do. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Do you want to do something else other than the you know, the cooking classes that they have you down for with yeah. Customer: No, no, they didn't. They when I wrote back and said I don't want any cooking classes. I don't want any rug waving cause I've seen waving demonstrations and Turkish rugs and all that stuff before and I didn't want any major hiking or whatever went back in San, oh, I. didn't want any pottery demonstrations. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Mm-hmm. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Right. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. Okay. Customer: So, okay. That was part of what I wrote back and they did not put it in there, in, in what they're recommending. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Mm-hmm. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Okay, good. I think I'm looking at it right now. I didn't, yeah, open air Sam. Customer: Yeah, so. Customer: They were pretty good about that. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Okay, okay. Customer: I don't know how much you've gotten in front of you over there. Customer: Pretty well. Customer: Let me say that. So there was two days of touring. Customer: Oh, yeah, yeah, I think it was Sunday September 14th returned to your hotel for breakfast and I'm thinking, well I don't need to do the Champaign loon but I'd like to do one that doesn't have fifty people squeezed in there. Agent (Rose Morrissey): I see it all here. Mm-hmm. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Oh, yeah, I know. Mm-hmm yeah. Customer: And you know the dark church I wanted to do that was, okay, that Sunday stuff and then Monday was another day of touring it to the underground city which you know, I'm, I wanted to do that and the open air musing 'em is probably not that big a Diego, I'm not that, although it looked like it was pretty good on Monday September 15th they were talking about. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, mm-hmm. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Mm-hmm. Customer: The church and, and kind of an outdoor place. The church is with pre acrostic, period stuff, blah, blah, blah that you know, that's okay. I. don't need a full day of that sort of thing 'cause I'm not gonna do major hiking. Yeah. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah. Yeah, that gets yeah, you've seen, you've seen a lot of churches. I'm sure you. Yeah. Yeah, mm-hmm. Customer: Oh, my gosh. Yes. Yeah, so, you know, I think that, let's see, Monday, breakfast underground city and then I think that afternoon. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Mm-hmm what's interesting about the underground city it's the rose call. Customer: Yeah, you know, it is from what I've read. You know, I'm, I think that, you know, you have to kinda lean over maybe squat to get through some of those places, but I'm thinking, well, if I don't want to do it, that's fine, but. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Wow. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah. Customer: Trying to think was that seemed like it was a full day. Yeah, continue to floor the mask and what have you know. I'm not sure I need that but I mean. Customer: Return. Agent (Rose Morrissey): They can always tell them, you know, there's something else that we can do, you know your tour guide mm-hmm yeah. Customer: Yeah, you know that sort of thing. Okay. So I didn't have any problems with that. The hotel is obviously the one they use. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yes, and you gonna be in a. Oh, how nice. Well, I need to see pictures of that. You're gonna do that. Wow. Yeah. Customer: A-N-K yes. And you know, I think that was okay. Customer: Yeah, and, and that's fine. The hotel looks like it's nice. I've done a lot of research on the hotel, it's a good location, that sort of thing. So, anyway that kinda got me through there. And then I. started looking at what they're charging me for this and somewhere, I. have a piece of paper on that. Okay. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, yeah. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, I saw that too was like, oh, hello, yeah, mm-hmm. Customer: Yeah, and I'm thinking, good, god, and long is it so expensive? You know, if you book that hotel on your own, it's a lot less than, obviously what they're throwing in. I'm not sure. Agent (Rose Morrissey): I'm gonna go back to her and see if she can treat the price for us. Because that's, I saw that, I saw that and I go, oh, that's. Customer: Yeah. Customer: Yeah, the hotel there, I mean, if you went to that hotel and tried to book a room, I'm sure it's probably a third less than what they're throwing in there. But she's got it all in one big thing here. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Mm-hmm yeah, I know, I, when I saw the price that a Wi, okay, this is, this is kinda but looking at the insurance too was high. What we could do, yeah what we could do on the insurance not to use their insurance and we can look at Allon you know, outside of. Customer: That's, you know it was. Customer: Yeah. Customer: Oh, my god. Yes. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Of, of A-N-K. Customer: Yeah, that and then also let's see what did I look at? Oh, A-N get not A-N-K but uses that A. A. A-O-N. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Trip name A. A., yeah, an, yeah, they do. They changed it. Yes. Customer: Yeah, and I you know, I found that on a kind of interesting because I think you talked to tauck and I thought well I've got a phone number cause I for on, I could probably call him directly and say look, I'm going to be going to San bol and according to talk jock said they would continue the insurance for up to fifteen days after the tour and they can't do five days before the tour. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Okay. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Uh-huh mm-hmm mm-hmm. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Oh! I didn't know that. I thought you can. No, I thought you could still. Customer: That, that is what tac told you. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Let me, let, let me check with not five days be no I, if they say fifteen days after they will still cover you. Is that what they. Customer: Yeah, that's, I mean, when you talk with tauck about that, you came back to me and you said that tauck said they would cover-up to fifteen days now. I don't know if that was fifteen days after the tour or fifteen days including the tour. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Right. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Let me check with the. Let me double-check that normally they would, I would but let me double-check. Customer: Okay. Customer: And then I thought, well, you know, I got the number of this A A. place from one of my other tow tours. You know, it says here's the insurance. So, I wrote down the phone number and I. felt well, I. guess, I. could call these people and say I'm taking this toward table. But I. want to I. don't have to tell him, I'm going to Capitan maybe I. don't know I'm arriving early. Can I get the coverage to start early? Agent (Rose Morrissey): Mm-hmm. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, you early. Agent (Rose Morrissey): I believe so would Tella we've never had that problem, let me check with on that. Yeah, yeah, I think you could do it but let me double-check and I'll let you know. Okay, but all, all I know but I'm gonna take this back to the gal and see if she can tweak the price a little bit this I mean, a lot more, not a little bit. Yeah, do. Customer: Okay. Customer: Okay. Customer: Alright. Customer: Yeah. Customer: Well, and then, then I started thinking, I know I'm publicly telling you more than what you want to hear in one voice here. I started thinking, okay, and I went online and went into some search, you know, I. wanna fly from Miami to Caposia and a Turkish airline has, you know, Miami to Stan. Boll a three hour layover and you can go to Caposia and you get into Caposia like 10:00 at night and I'm thinking, well that's night one in this hotel. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Oh. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, yeah, mm-hmm. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Oh. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, and then not only that you're coming in on a place that you're not familiar with it that late mm-hmm mm-hmm. Customer: Correct. Customer: Yeah, so you know, and I. realize that agan K. would have somebody in Caposia at 9:30 or 10:00 at nine to meet me at the airport and take me to the hotel and, and that's good cause I'm, quote not doing anything the next day. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yes, sir. Yeah. Yes, you will. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Mm-hmm yeah, and you know, next day you just do whatever you wanna do. Customer: Oh, yeah, no, that's fine with me you know, I can walk around and do and get kinda relaxed there. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, it says over here, yeah, includes all your airport transfers with a A-N-K representative. Customer: Cool. Customer: Correct. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Customer: I'm trying to think, yes, it was the driver and then the airport transfers. I forgotten where that was but, I mean, I. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Private arrival and departure transfers. Customer: Correct, so you know that made me feel good because it would kind of be nice to, you know, have somebody there with me but I'm thinking, oh my god. I mean, that's kind of, that was my only thing because you know I'm, it's going to be let's see, one. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Mm-hmm. Agent (Rose Morrissey): That's somebody there. Agent (Rose Morrissey): It's sell. That's $10,000. Customer: I know it's ridiculous. Yeah, it's. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Mm-hmm and I'll see if I can get more discount for you from Ablis. Customer: Yeah. Well, there was something about what was the less commission? Agent (Rose Morrissey): Let's see. Yeah, let me see. Customer: On that invoice notice. Agent (Rose Morrissey): I. Agent (Rose Morrissey): So, you're with the insurance. It's 110-9431. Okay. Without the insurance final, it's 90019081. Customer: Correct. Customer: Correct. Agent (Rose Morrissey): So, and then lis the, our what do you call it? It's five percent so I have to go and look at because there's other prices. I need to find out what is the commission Bo fair. Hold on a second, and if I find that right now, I can tell you. Customer: Okay. Customer: Well, there was something that said left commission, $1,668. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Oh, let me see. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Let's come. Yeah, 166833 commission and I said I was gonna give you what 700. Customer: Yeah. Customer: I think so, I, forgotten. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, yeah, so it's the Ma, the margin on these TaylorMade tours are very small, I mean we don't even, yeah, compared to, to talk but if I. Customer: Yeah. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Well, we can go ass, you get 8:34, we get 8:34. Customer: Well. Customer: Yeah. Well, whatever the biggest thing, I mean, and I certainly don't mind paying somebody to pick me up at the airport and make sure I get back to the airport and all that other good stuff, you know, added on top of all of this. Would be the Blom ride, which is probably gonna be 250 I'm guessing. And then some, some tip I'm assuming for the person that's gonna spend almost two days with me. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, yeah. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Mm-hmm. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah but I, I'll have to check to her about the tip on that if it's included. Yeah. Customer: Okay. Yeah, cause I'm thinking. Okay, and of course the hotel does, does it, does include breakfast? I mean, that's not a big deal. I. don't need that much food anyway. Customer: But other than that, it was. Agent (Rose Morrissey): And uh-oh and then you probably gonna, it did not include a lunch and dinner. Did it, I see it, yeah, yeah. Customer: No, it did not include any lunches in dinner and from what I can see here there's like two full days of tour. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, but maybe you'll eat some nice local foods but again yeah. Yeah, mm-hmm. Customer: Well, that would be fine. Yeah, that's not a big deal. I think the thing that bothers me the most was the insurance, and I thought that is absolutely ridiculous I forgotten what was the insurance rose. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Okay, I'll check with. Agent (Rose Morrissey): The insurance was like sixteen it's twelve it's guest protection program at 122378. And then the cancel anytime upgrade, 47453. Customer: Okay. Customer: Yeah. Agent (Rose Morrissey): We should check with and see what they have. Customer: Yeah, because I mean I'm thinking Jeez that's $1,600. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Mm-hmm mm-hmm yeah, it's, yeah. Customer: For insurance and I know that I've already paid, probably $8 or 900 for this cruise from Mabl Athens that I'm going on. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, I know their insurance is high so I will, I, okay, so I will check on the tips for the guide, see if it's included and then I'm gonna check with on their insurance. Customer: Oh, yeah, the. Customer: Yeah. Customer: Yeah, well, and. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Cause I thought you can, you know, you're going in one day, you know, three days prior or four days prior, yeah. Customer: Yes. Customer: Well, I think I have an extra. Yeah, yeah. Customer: Four days prior and you know, and that whoever that A A. A-O-N. Affinity travel, I looked up their phone numbers and that sort of thing and I thought well, you know, if toc tells me, no, maybe I called them and buy some insurance. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Do you have an extra? Agent (Rose Morrissey): And maybe they can buy some insurance from them. Customer: Yeah. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah. Customer: So anyway, that's kind of where I stand. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Hey, so then, I'm gonna go tweak the price a little bit more. Customer: Yeah, tweak the price and see what you can find for insurance and other than that I would like to kind of look because I don't want to get stuck with this rose if I fly. I, I'm thinking Miami would be best Miami to stern bol and then a layover tern ball I. don't want it to have to be an overnight layover to get to Caposia. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, then because what's gonna Happ you have to take your luggage out and then. Customer: Yes. And, I, I'm not sure if I fly into the main airport in tile if I can then go on to pados from that airport. Are one of those two smaller airports or whatever. Agent (Rose Morrissey): But. Agent (Rose Morrissey): How much suitcase do you take with you when you go? Customer: Not that much. Customer: You know, not, not I. mean a medium size. Suitcases is gonna be a cruise. It's not that much. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Mm-hmm. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Okay, so a Miami to the sump you want to do Miami was that because took share has a direct flight into Miami to assumable and then go from assumable to capital. Customer: Yeah. Customer: Tim Bo. Customer: Yeah. Customer: Yes, and yeah, that's the key. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Mm-hmm that same day. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yes, same day. Okay, alright we could that's that shouldn't be a problem hopefully that depending on what time does system will arrive I mean Turk share arrive into stumble. Customer: Tim bod. Yes, it seems to me that it was going to, I mean, you know, I just looked at briefly to see if I could do it and it seems to met, there is a three hour layover and then you could go on the quote Caposia and it got you into Caposia their time about 9:50 at night. Customer: Which, by the time I. get to the hotel will be midnight. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Because the first PLA for Miami international Tobu fua is approximate eleven hours minutes. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, you are right part at 320. Yeah, you arrive as simple at 9:40 PM. Customer: What? Agent (Rose Morrissey): Is scheduled to depart Miami at 3:20 PM? Agent (Rose Morrissey): Okay, and arrive in as simple at 9:40 AM. Customer: Oh, my god. Agent (Rose Morrissey): No let me look at my airline, I was just asking Google. Customer: Oh, okay. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Yeah, I'll look at that on the air because that's. Customer: Yeah. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Cause if you leave, you're right there in the morning or mid morning or something and then it to capitols same day. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Of arrival. Okay, alright, I'll look at that as well but yeah, let me, let me ask her if there's a way that she can tweak this. Customer: Okay. Agent (Rose Morrissey): This pricing to month. Okay, I'll get back to you. Customer: Yeah, okay. Customer: Alright, well, I'm gonna be here all day so you know. Agent (Rose Morrissey): Alright well if I get a hold of her now then I'll call you after I speak with her. Customer: Okay, that sounds good. I'm here today. Alright, thank you rose. Okay, alright. Alright, bye-bye. Agent (Rose Morrissey): How? Agent (Rose Morrissey): Thank you. Talk to you later. Yeah, my pleasure. Bye-bye. Bye-bye.