Reservations Manager

Job Purpose:
The primary objective is to serve as the sales driver and main point of contact for key accounts, while also taking charge of leading, motivating, and training the reservations team. It is crucial to ensure that all operations within Private Safaris business units are efficient and profitable, with a focus on alignment and streamlining across departments and business units. Additionally, the goal is to establish an environment that fosters smooth and effective workflows, ultimately delivering exceptional service and customer-centric experiences.

Key responsibilities:
Sales
- Maintain excellent customer/client relationships
- Gather and provide agent feedback with regard to sales and product needs
- Use knowledge to guide the team on the customer journey and be the expert
- Deliver on or exceed sales targets as per business expectations
- Investigate and understand the customers and operators’ business requirements.

Reservations
- Monitor the quoting and operational accuracy of the team
- Ensure operational excellence on a daily basis
- Monitor workload distribution and in cooperation with the HOD plan staff accordingly
- Oversee quotation checks and conduct spot checks, as well as create cost and margin awareness
- Guide the team to achieve goals such as the agent's Service Level Agreement/deadlines and sales targets
- Process, analyze, and action upon the turnaround time and workload reports
- Support improvement of expertise of staff Best Practices on the use of Systems. (Implementation of Best Practices and supporting the team to gain expertise and knowledge on current systems and process optimization)
- Maintain high levels of quality and drive profitability through margin control, sales training, use of barter/override agreements and encouraging the team to upsell
- Guide and monitor the team to achieve operational excellence
- Improve the quality of service/products by communicating and discussing customer feedback with the relevant teams/departments.
- Ensure team utilizes the product shelf as set out by the Product team
- Assist consultants with all queries on complaints received

Human Resources
- Plan in cooperation with the HOD the number of Destination Specialist needed, define the specific requirements for each post, create job descriptions, initialize the recruiting process, participate in interviews.
- Keep records on any kind of leave / off days / additional days worked.
- Build up and maintain a high level of motivation and team spirit.
- Be approachable and supportive to your staff.
- Ensure open communication and information policy and have regular meetings with your staff.
- Establish clear targets for your staff, carry out annual performance appraisals, and be involved in any required disciplinary procedures.
- Develop and support the staff.
- Ensure proper training for new staff in coordination with HR.
- Maximize the available staff force by cross-training consultants.

Financial
- Ensure correct and timeous invoicing/collection
- Ensure reservation team is following the processes as outlined in terms of invoices and Papertrail etc.
- Assist the team to resolve account queries
- Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts cost, profit, nett and gross selling prices.

Additional responsibilities:

- Know the customer product shelf as well as the Private Safaris priorities around sales/product
- Be aware of our competitors’ products
- Travel on occasionally on educationals’ and familiarization trips to Southern Africa, report back and provide training to the team.
- Demonstrate excellent communication skills and customer care.
- Support the decision making process of management by giving input.
- Keep all information obtained from management confidential if not explicitly told otherwise