Following the ongoing developments in our on-line offering to guests allowing them to use self-service and a centralised hub of expertise we are pleased to offer an opportunity for a Guest Relations Agent in our newly rebranded Guest Relations Team based at The Crown in Woodbridge.
Responsible for answering calls for all six hotels and directing them appropriately, you will also maximise reservations revenue, convert guest enquiries and deliver exceptional customer service to all our guests making reservations within The Hotel Folk.
The successful candidate must have a minimum of grade C GCSE (or equivalent) in Maths and English Language and have a minimum of 2 years’ previous experience both in sales as well as roles where customer service is a key focus, ideally in hotels. You will be IT literate with excellent MS excel and word skills. You will also ideally have previous experience of using Guestline or a similar hotel system.
You must be able to demonstrate highly developed interpersonal and sales skills and have an excellent telephone manner. The ability and knowledge to follow robust business processes as well as excellent organisational skills are key, as is the capacity to remain calm under pressure and use initiative when appropriate.
Finally, you must possess excellent listening skills and the ability to develop good relationships with guests, third parties and other hotel teams.
The role requires working weekends on a rota basis over 24 hours per week with some weekday and holiday cover. Opening hours will be 8.30am – 9pm weekdays and 8.30am – 7pm on weekends.

KEY SKILLS:

• Highly developed interpersonal and sales skills.
• Excellent telephone skills and manner.
• Sound ability and knowledge to work to robust business processes.
• Good analytical and numeric skills.
• Well organised and priority focused.
• Highly computer literate.
• Knowledge of hotel systems preferably to include Guestline would be an advantage.
• Ability to work under own initiative in a highly pressured environment.
• Good listening skills and the ability to anticipate business needs.
• Able to develop relationships with guests, third parties and the hotel teams.
• Capacity to read situations and respond accordingly.

Education:

• GCSE or equivalent (required

Experience:

• Customer service: 2 years (required)
• Sales: 2 years (required

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Service calls and enquiries for room reservations, restaurant reservation and group enquiries.
• Answer incoming calls with the correct greeting and within the time required according to service standards.
• Convert reservations enquiries to sales, meeting agreed sales targets.
• Understand the progress towards budgeted and actual revenues and the strategy for achieving targeted revenues.
• To consistently achieve all revenue targets through whatever process defined by the Guest Relations team leader and Revenue Manager.
• To achieve all upsell and cross sell targets.
• Respond efficiently to all incoming calls and enquiries to agreed standards and quality of call handling.
• Respond to all types of communications from guests, travel agents, corporate clients and reservations arriving by telephone, email, the group web site, or through any other system in use at the CRO.
• Complete the daily check list as advised by the Team Leader/Revenue Manager, ensuring all comments and traces are communicated to the relevant departments.
• Prepare confirmation advice and promptly process any cancellations and modifications.
• Develop an in depth understanding and knowledge of the rooms in each property, their key selling points and the layout in each property.
• Develop an in depth understanding of the food and beverage service offering and experience in each property.
• Understand and be capable of communicating to a potential guest the full terms of business of each hotel, all restaurant services, hotel packages rate plans, rates, and benefits, and the hotel’s policy on guaranteed reservations, cancellations, deposit requirements, advance purchase requirements and no-shows.
• Carry out no-show and late cancellation charging policies.
• To work to the schedule as defined by the team leader and work within the time limits of all breaks and lunch breaks.
• Respond to all guest reviews as directed by the marketing and management teams in a timely fashion across all platforms.

YOU MUST BE ELIGIBLE TO WORK IN THE UK TO APPLY FOR THIS ROLE. WE DO NOT PROVIDE SPONSORSHIP.

Job Type: Part-time
Pay: Up to £12.35 per hour
Expected hours: No less than 24 per week

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Discounted or free food
• Employee discount
• Free parking
• On-site parking
• Store discount

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Woodbridge IP12 1AD: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Education:

• GCSE or equivalent (required)

Experience:

• Customer service: 2 years (required)
• Sales: 2 years (required)

Work authorisation:

• United Kingdom (required)

Work Location: In perso