SUMMARY:
Since 2004, our client has been a leading presence in the main safari destinations in Tanzania and Kenya, as well as a driving role in several pioneering projects. Their ultimate goal is to turn crucial and fragile natural habitats into lasting conservation economies, benefiting both the environment and local communities. At present, the company owns and operates 20 lodges and camps as well as a ground handling operation. Our client is the first Sustainable Safari / Lodge Company in Africa to receive a 5 Star rating for Sustainability from GIIRS, was recognized as one of the “Best Companies for the World” in 2013 and was awarded the 2014 Tourism for Tomorrow Business Award.
They believe that world class travel can go hand-in-hand with improving livelihoods and conservation of nature. Their luxury camps and lodges are in some of the most special placed on Earth. Places they want to safeguard for the future. They strive to transform whole areas, from crucial fragile natural habitats with often impoverished communities into lasting conservation economies: effectively protecting wildlife whilst providing opportunities for local people to prosper. Whichever department you work in, your efforts will be crucial in achieving our conservation goal.
Our client is looking to employ a Guest Services Consultant to join their dynamic team. This is an office-based vacancy. This position is responsible for the various services to our client’s guests and guest interfacing platforms and ensuring service excellence concerning guests
POSITION INFO:
SKILLS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Excellent communication skills
- Responsible go-to person
- Proactive mindset and can-do attitude
- Ability and willingness to lead by example
- Ability to organize, motivate and encourage others
- Sharp commercial awareness and ability to find commercial solutions to problems
- Ability to take on board and disseminate constructive feedback from external and internal sources
- Strong administration and organizational skills with great attention to detail
- Ability to work well under pressure
- A service delivery mindset and a strong customer service focus
- Experience in handling difficult situations (e.g., complaints, last minute requests, changes whilst travelling)
- Experience in and willingness to handle issues outside of office hours when required
- Experience of delivering results in a performance oriented and fast paced sales environment
- Ability to work independently as well as within a broader team setup
- Experience and good understanding of the safari tourism environment
- Experience of as many aspects of the industry as possible, more than one side of the fence
- Experience of dealing with and delivering on Western business demands
- Experience with travel and reservation systems
RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES – Guest Services
- Provide a broad level of support for the commercial team and wiser organization where it concerns services to our guests and ensuring service excellence concerning guests
- First point of contact for operations for situations on the ground that impact guests. Guest Services support and coordinate as necessary during times of crisis / incidents to ensure a smooth distribution channel
- Enhance guest experience through additional checks on last minute bookings, VIP treatment on safaris for certain agents, special touches to booking in resort, concierge type service, post-travel requests from client, contact through newsletter as necessary and possible
- Monitoring and handling guest interaction channels:
- Live Chat
- Responding to queries about the company product
- Identifying potential leads and developing them into enquiries
- Monitoring of GuestRevu
- Identifying potential opportunities to encourage clients to post positive review on TripAdvisor
- Escalate positive reviews if appropriate
- Escalate negative review for appropriate action
- Monitoring of TripAdvisor
- Responding to all reviews
- Ensure appropriate action for negative reviews in partnership with relevant departments
- Lead distribution in partnership with ARM and Retail Sales
- Monitoring the leads received via the company’s website, distributing them to lead sharing agents and the company’s direct sales team, updating Knack and tracking monthly lead distribution per agent
- Coordinate complaints and compliments from individual safaris including monitoring these in the relevant system, gathering detail from internal and external stakeholders and assist to create a sensible, cost-conscious, and guest focussed action plan for satisfactory resolution
- Strive for excellence in guest services including improvement on quality and service through reporting on number of files handled, incidents and codes resolved, negative reviews handled, live chat scoring as well as any further relevant targets / objectives set out
- Manage ad hoc requests and projects as required for confirmed safaris to limit agent and guest exposure as well as limit sales disruption and create a sensible action plan for satisfactory handling
RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES – Loyal Agents
- Identify Loyal Agent safaris due to travel monthly for pre-travel checks to gather additional information from agents and pass on to camps, safari ops and 3rd party suppliers
- Make discretionary decisions or suggestions on special touches and value adds for safaris, seek opportunity to delight as well as upsell
- In-trip feedback and reporting “live” to agent during their trip
- Coordinate on-the-ground issues and alert relevant colleagues of anything that is a threat
- Priority problem solving at any stage, whether pre / during / post travel to resolve issues swiftly
- Responsible go-to person for Loyal Agents
- Alert Loyal Agents of public holidays in South Africa and other relevant African countries
- Ensure Loyal Agents have up to date contact information of the company’s offices, afterhours phones and operations
- Ensure the company’s offices have up to date contact information of Loyal Agents’ offices and afterhours phones
RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES – General
- Build and maintain good relationships with both internal and external stakeholders to facilitate the smooth running of the sales process
- Report any errors or issues to your line manager immediately on discovery
- Provide proactive support to colleagues in peak or leave times should capacity allow
- Proactive approach towards your personal and departmental objectives and working together with management to ensure we reach these targets
- Following and adhering to all procedures as set out in the operating manuals
- Attending all training that is offered and proactively growing your knowledge of the company, our products (as well as that of 3rd party suppliers) and the countries in which we operate
- Use systems to their maximum potential and play an active role in helping to improve where possible
- Awareness of ways in which we can increase sales and play an active role in increasing the performance of the unit
- Encourage inter department cooperation
- Any other duties as required including possible project work
Required Work Practices
- Across all interactions, promote the image of the commercial team as a best in class externally with our clients and internally with our key stakeholders
- As a key point of contact and the face of the company, upholding and contributing to the reputation of the company as a leading safari operator
- The company values are values that plan an important role in how we define ourselves and set ourselves apart. We place high value on living these values in every day work practices. These values are genuine, inspired to do good, caring family spirit, teamwork, dedicated to service, consistent quality and going the extra mile
- When staff events happen within working hours, it will be compulsory to attend
Conditions & Hours of Work
- The position is based in the Cape Town office, and you would be required to work 9 hours per day, including a 1-hour lunch break. The working hours need maximum flexibility as required for business purposes, but are generally coordinated within the team to be between the hours of 08h00 and 18h00
- Overtime may be required during peak periods
- You may be required to travel for work from time-to-time
Should you meet all the requirements and wish to apply, please send your latest CV and motivation to --------Please upload your CV here-------->
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