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Safaris can often be expensive, once-in-a-lifetime trips – how can you be certain that the company you’re considering is a genuine expert when it comes to designing safaris? Below, our co-founders highlight a few points that are core to our values.
We have always employed the very best specialists. It might sound somewhat cliché, but the key to our success has always been our staff. Today we have a team whose members are recognised as among the most experienced individuals in the industry. All of our specialists are either ex-professional safari guides or camp managers, or people who were born and raised in Africa.
“I’ve always believed it’s our team’s high level of experience that guarantees the most successful safari design.”
“I don’t know of any other safari company whose staff has this level of actual safari industry experience.”
Since the birth of YZ, we’ve employed people from Africa’s best safari companies. And the people working behind the scenes are also highly experienced. They’ve worked for companies such as &Beyond, Londolozi, Wilderness Safaris, Robin Pope Safaris, Great Plains Conservation, Alex Walker’s Serian, The Bushcamp Company, and Selous Safari Company.
We invest significantly in the training and progression of our safari specialists. They are guaranteed extensive trips to Africa every year. These trips are the best research safaris we’ve seen in the travel business, keeping us in touch with expert guides, wildlife movements, and any new properties or changes in the industry. So when you contact our team, you’re in touch with people who have recently visited the camps they are talking about and recommending to you.
At YZ, it’s really important to us that our specialists don’t aggressively ‘sell’ safaris. The simple theory is that if we focus on offering the best possible advice, you’ll recognise our level of knowledge and you’ll want to book a trip with us. The ‘hard sell’ approach favoured by other companies is simply not the way we want to work. Our staff are encouraged to engage through the sheer quality of information we can provide rather than through a forceful sales approach.
It may sound like a strange thing to say, but our team are encouraged to design trips that they would go on themselves. The point here is that we don’t design safaris to properties offering the highest commissions, so our sales staff are not incentivised by commission opportunities from an individual booking. That’s something surprisingly few companies can say – it’s incredibly important at YZ, for our clients and ultimately for the best safari design.
“We are very proud to have won ‘Europe’s Leading Safari Tour Operator’ at the World Travel Awards for six years in a row!”
Again, it may sound like a strange thing to say, but if we are striving to be as good as we can be, everything else should fall into place! From weekly meetings to interdepartmental brainstorming sessions, we like to scrutinise each part of the business – from sales, to marketing, to operations and client support – and constantly focus on how we can improve every area.
Incredibly high levels of customer service are integral to the way we work. Of course that’s easy for many companies to say – and should come as standard bearing in mind the cost of a safari – but it isn’t always the case. We have a special department that concentrates solely on the level of service our clients receive. We have a 24/7 emergency phone line that’s operated by our best consultants every single day of the year. It’s a core company value and something that really comes through in our online reviews.
YZ's reputation and ‘preferred partner’ status with many camps and lodges means we are confident our rates are extremely competitive. The brand has been built upon the fact that we want to offer value, but at the same time it's important to stress that we don't want to be the cheapest on the market. We've always believed that's a dangerous approach to take in Africa. At YZ we do our best to lead the industry safety standards, especially on that incredibly rare occasion when we have to react in a crisis. That kind of operational focus comes at a price.
We’ve always believed in giving something back to Africa. Since the company’s beginnings, a percentage of our profits has gone towards conservation and helping communities through the charities we support. It’s incredibly important to us and something we’re happy to talk about with our clients.
We want to inspire your complete confidence, so that when you book with us you know you’re being looked after from the beginning of your safari to the end. Yellow Zebra is fully accredited and bonded under ATOL 10614 and we’re on standby 24 hours per day, 365 (or 366!) days per year. Yellow Zebra Safaris is a full member of the African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA), the main trade association that oversees the safari sector and is recognised throughout the industry as the definitive authority on all matters concerning tourism to Africa. You’re in safe hands!
If you’re still not sure whether to choose YZ, here’s a video message from co-founder Julian.
“I hope the video I took during a recent trip to northern Kenya gives you an insight into just how seriously we take the responsibility of looking after you while you’re in Africa.”
Are you ready to start planning your safari? We can’t stress enough that the best way to start planning a trip is to have a chat with one of our specialists over the phone. Please feel free to call us on +44 (0)20 8547 2305 or fill out our contact form. Our team will work with you to design a safari that’s perfectly tailored to your needs.
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