Senior Reservations Agent - Cape Town Marriott Hotel Crystal Tower

POSITION SUMMARY

• Oversee accuracy of room blocks, reservations, and group market codes. Communicate company values and/or culture to new employees. Review and implement new Reservations procedures. Process all reservation requests, changes, and cancellations received by phone, fax, or mail. Identify guest reservation needs and determine appropriate room type. Verify availability of room type and rate. Explain guarantee, special rate, and cancellation policies to callers. Accommodate and document special requests. Answer questions about property facilities/services and room accommodations. Follow sales techniques to maximize revenue. Input and access data in reservation system. Respond to any challenges found for accommodating rooming requests. Set-up proper billing accounts according to Accounting policies. Troubleshoot, resolve, and document guest issues and concerns or escalate/refer to appropriate individual.
• Assist management in training, scheduling, counseling, and motivating and coaching employees; serve as a role model and first point of contact of the Guarantee of Fair Treatment/Open Door Policy process. Follow all company policies and procedures; ensure uniform and personal appearance are clean and professional; maintain confidentiality of proprietary information; protect company assets. Welcome and acknowledge all guests according to company standards; anticipate and address guests' service needs; thank guests with genuine appreciation. Speak with others using clear and professional language; prepare and review written documents accurately and completely; answer telephones using appropriate etiquette. Develop and maintain positive working relationships with others. Comply with quality assurance expectations and standards. Read and visually verify information in a variety of formats. Move, lift, carry, push, pull, and place objects weighing less than or equal to 10 pounds without assistance. Perform other reasonable job duties as requested by Supervisors.

Policies and Procedures

• Protect the privacy and security of guests and coworkers.
• Maintain confidentiality of proprietary materials and information.
• Follow company and department policies and procedures.
• Ensure uniform, nametags, and personal appearance are clean, hygienic, professional and in compliance with company policies and procedures.
• Protect company tools, equipment, machines, or other assets in accordance with company policies and procedures.
• Perform other reasonable job duties as requested by Supervisors.

Guest Relations

• Address guests' service needs in a professional, positive, and timely manner.
• Actively listen and respond positively to guest questions, concerns, and requests using brand or property specific process (e.g., LEARN, PLEASED, Guest Response, LEAP) to resolve issues, delight, and build trust.
• Anticipate guests' service needs, including asking questions of guests to better understand their needs and watching/listening to guest preferences and acting on them whenever possible.
• Assist other employees to ensure proper coverage and prompt guest service.
• Thank guests with genuine appreciation and provide a fond farewell.
• Engage guests in conversation regarding their stay, property services, and area attractions/offerings.

Communication

• Answer telephones using appropriate etiquette including answering the phone within 3 rings, answering with a smile in one's voice, using the callers' name, transferring calls to appropriate person/department, requesting permission before placing the caller on hold, taking and relaying messages, and allowing the caller to end the call.
• Speak to guests and co-workers using clear, appropriate and professional language.
• Talk with and listen to other employees to effectively exchange information.
• Provide assistance to coworkers, ensuring they understand their tasks.
• Exchange information with other employees using electronic devices (e.g., pagers and two-way radios, email).
• Prepare and review written documents (e.g., daily logs, business letters, memoranda, reports), including proofreading and editing written information to ensure accuracy and completeness.
• Discuss work topics, activities, or problems with coworkers, supervisors, or managers discreetly and quietly, avoiding public areas of the property.

Assists Management

• Coordinate tasks and work with other departments to ensure that the department runs efficiently.
• Serve as a departmental role model or mentor by working alongside employees to perform technical or functional job duties.
• Assign and ensure work tasks are completed on time and that they meet appropriate quality standards.
• Encourage and motivate employees to perform their best, take responsibility for tasks and assignments, make decisions and provide input on possible improvements.
• Ensure that hourly employees are trained on company core values, job roles, responsibilities, and technical and service aspects of the job.

Working with Others

• Support all co-workers and treat them with dignity and respect.
• Handle sensitive issues with employees and/or guests with tact, respect, diplomacy, and confidentiality.
• Develop and maintain positive and productive working relationships with other employees and departments.
• Partner with and assist others to promote an environment of teamwork and achieve common goals.
• Actively listen to and consider the concerns of other employees, responding appropriately and effectively.

Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement

• Comply with quality assurance expectations and standards.

Physical Tasks

• Enter and locate work-related information using computers and/or point of sale systems.
• Read and visually verify information in a variety of formats (e.g., small print).
• Move, lift, carry, push, pull, and place objects weighing less than or equal to 10 pounds without assistance.

Reservation Services

• Verify all reservation information with callers to ensure accuracy.
• Accommodate and document special requests in an accurate and efficient manner.
• Assign confirmation/cancellation numbers and clearly relay this information to callers, giving them the option of emailing and/or faxing these numbers.
• Determine the most appropriate room type to meet guest requirements and maximize room rate.
• Explain guarantee and cancellation policies to callers.
• Use sales techniques when assisting guests in making reservations, including personalizing calls, obtaining complete guest needs, suggesting alternate dates or directing guests to sister properties on sold out days.
• Answer guest questions about property facilities/services (e.g., hours of operation, room availability, restricted dates, rates and room types, packages, promotions, entertainment, restaurants, special events).
• Describe room accommodations and benefit feature sale amenities to guests.
• Communicate information regarding designated VIP reservations, including VIP name, company, and title to upper level management.
• Identify guest reservation needs by asking open-ended questions to obtain all necessary information, including enrollment in Marriott Rewards program.
• Identify repeat guests using appropriate codes.
• Follow "up selling" techniques and sales strategies in order to maximize property revenue.

Reservation Processing

• Input and access data in reservation system by entering correct information into proper fields, including Marriott Rewards number, and asking for travel agency IATA and FIT numbers (i.e., flags, comments, guest messages).
• Process all reservation requests, changes, and cancellations received by phone, fax, or mail.
• Verify availability of room type, rate, and occupancy before confirming any reservations.
• Inform guests of rules and regulations regarding qualifying rates (e.g., government and special corporate rates and discounts).
• Indicate special room reservation types (e.g., complimentary rooms, employee discounts, travel agent inspection rates, and wholesale reservations) by inputting the correct code and rate into the reservation system.
• Document information for manual reservations on designated forms and enter information into the reservation system.

Inventory/Rooms Control

• Respond to any challenges found for accommodating rooming requests by communicating with guest or group contact, Sales Department, or Front Desk.
• Oversee accuracy of room blocks and reservations.
• Remove group room blocks from general inventory by entering information into reservation system (MARSHA, Fidelio, OPERA).
• Communicate with Sales Coordinators and property staff to resolve errors related to group market codes not matching in the PMS and MARSHA systems.

Reservation Billing

• Set-up proper billing accounts (i.e., share-with, room/tax/incidentals, tax exempt, direct/special billing, group bookings) according to Accounting policies.

Reservation Training

• Communicate and instill company values and/or culture to new employees.
• Review and implement new Reservations procedures.

Guest Relations

• Troubleshoot and resolve guest issues and concerns or refer to appropriate contacts, based on the type of issue.
• Follow proper escalation procedures when addressing guest concerns.

Analytical Skills

• Computer Skills
• Problem Solving
• Decision-Making
• Learning

Interpersonal Skills

• Customer Service Orientation
• Interpersonal Skills
• Team Work
• Diversity Relations

Communications

• Telephone Etiquette Skills
• English Language Proficiency
• Communication
• Listening
• Applied Reading
• Form, Report, and Log Completion
• Writing

Personal Attributes

• Positive Demeanor
• Integrity
• Dependability
• Adaptability/Flexibility
• Presentation
• Stress Tolerance
• Initiative

Organization

• Detail Orientation
• Time Management
• Multi-Tasking
• Planning and Organizing

Reservations

• Reservation Policy
• Reservation Procedures
• Reservation Software

Sales

• Typing
• Diligence

Education:

• High school diploma/G.E.D. equivalent

Related Work Experience:

• At least 2 years of related work experience

Supervisory Experience:

• At least 1 year of supervisory experience