Jobs at Wilderness

Detailed Responsibilities

Develop relationships with the Sales Agents

• Generate and grow sales by securing, costing, and presenting journeys to Sales agents in a timely manner
• Foster and build strong relationships with Sales agents to strengthen the bond and partnership, attending relevant familiarization trips with agents (if and when required).
• Deliver a speedy service to Sales agents, ensuring efficient communication and meeting tightdeadlines.
• Demonstrate a strong focus on sales and be equally invested in the success of each booking.
• Liaise with the Reservations Manager on sales potential and any development on the agent relationship for all bookings.
• Continuous communication and excellent service delivery to agents at all times.

The Sales

• Manage the new request from the Sales agent, from quote to prov on the WW. Align the booking to client requirements until ready to confirm in the fastest possible time whilst maintaining the booking integrity on itrvl.
• Quote accurately and timeously keeping in mind our strategic and preferred AP and upsell where possible to benefit both teams.
• Build strong connections with all supplier reservations teams, nurture these relationships in order to help get more benefits when engaging regularly with them.
• Maximize the mutually beneficial relationship with AP partners, their lodges/camps, and areas they are located.
• Stipulate and utilize applicable specials in the WW and make appropriate notes as required as per AP’s systems and procedures.
• For special needs/high risk guests, flag concerns with the WS24 incident management teams and follow protocol to ensure the guests are safe to travel in the planned journey.
• Streamline the sales negotiations by reducing dead beds, waitlist chasing and maximizing camp yield during the provisional stage of the booking process, where possible upsell to Wilderness camps thus increasing GP per booking.
• Liaise with RARA if rates, accommodation, transit points and activities are not loaded or correctly linked on the WW.
• Where issues are with itrvl, raise concerns with the Wilderness itrvl integration specialist.
• Understand the sales agents' needs in each booking – including urgency of replies, if email does not help clarify first call the sales agent.
• Have an excellent understanding of the sales agencies preferred supplier list and great product knowledge to apply speedy turnaround for alternatives at play to help secure the deal effectively.
• Follow up on all outstanding provisional bookings with the sales agents, consistently understanding the yield implication of provisional space held.
• Follow up on daily WISH/WW expiry reports on the WW dashboard with the sales agents ensuring no bookings are auto released and bookings are managed effectively.
• Maintain the booking prov in the WW with all relevant documents uploaded in the booking file together with all information passed on about the guest at this stage of the booking process.
• For all provisional, correspond with relevant suppliers to effectively hold space, room types, flights and where possible use online facilities to maximize the response times.
• Escalate all suppliers with Res managers or product managers should there be any issue in the supplier service delivery.
• Handle all prov changes efficiently and constantly communicating with the sales agents on the status of all the open bookings.
• Once clients have paid the deposit in itrvl for the trip held, ensure the prov booking matches the excel with all the special offers applied, correct room types, correct flights held to connect a seamless journey before handing over to the Journey Specialist for confirmation.

Product Knowledge

• Possess excellent knowledge and intimate geographical understanding of all Southern and East African destinations.
• Stay up to date with day-to-day regional logistics and industry trends.
• Maintain in-depth supplier knowledge to provide accurate and valuable information to Sales agents and clients.
• Keep updated with all Wilderness and 3rd party product (AP), as well as technology update son how it’s booked on the WW.
• Have a detailed understanding of the strategic and preferred suppliers, have intimate knowledge of their deals, specials and packages – know how to negotiate and incorporate these benefits into rate reductions for the client but not compromising the elevated guest experience.
• Continuously update and enhance product knowledge through training and research.

General

• Participate in industry events, trade shows, and familiarization trips as required.
• Keep apprised of company policies, procedures and system updates.
• Embrace a culture of continuous learning and improvement, actively seeking feedback and implementing suggestions for personal and professional growth.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Qualification:

• At least a Tertiary certificate in Travel & Tourism/hospitality or related course.

Experience:                    

• 4-5 years with Senior experience in handling customer relationships developing & promoting product and building journeys in the inbound travel industry.
• In depth knowledge of Southern and East Africa.
• Personal or educational travel experience is advantageous.
• Knowledge of Mozambique, Mauritius and Seychelles, an added advantage.
• Computer Literate (Microsoft Office: Outlook, Teams, Excel and Word).
• Working knowledge of Tour Plan and WETU or similar booking/operating system.
• Excellent attention to detail.

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Responsibilities 

Team Management

• Offer first line assistance to the team, develop and mentor staff’s talent to their full potential through performance development programs and be aware of capacity and general level of activity within the team as a whole. 
• Identify training needs and address product knowledge and training requirements to help the team improve sales performance.  
• Manage teams leave, educational approvals, job performance as well as onboarding new staff members thus aligning the business admin duties required by line managers.
• Optimize and consolidate collaboration with various stakeholders within the business, linking with the entire booking channel from reservations to camp operations, from across all regions and departments to ensure the ultimate guest experience is tailor-made and functions like a well-oiled machine.
• Mentor and support the team according to their individual needs focusing mainly on excellent communication skills as well as proactive problem-solving skills.

General:

• Attend regular management meetings to discuss day-to-day issues, assisting in finding solutions and possible areas of strategic importance, constructive feedback and best practices across the Wilderness group. 
• TD/JS: Monitor, review and measure the teams' margins, sales targets and Wilderness bed nights sold, and promote up-selling without creating a negative experience for the Owned Brands team. 
• TD/JS: Review and manage yield on owned product and AP (aligning with associated product strategies on improving business to strategic and preferred suppliers where overrides are in place). 
• Assist GEM to continue to grow, define and shape the guests experience across all products, destinations, platforms and systems to ensure the highest service levels are implemented and personalized in both the B2B and B2C channels.
• GEL: Develop and implement new Guest Experience Liaison offering/relationships in new and developing markets.
• GEL: Enhance and grow the current VIP personal GEL offering by sharing in-depth knowledge and additional experiences that add value to our guests, agents and Owned Brands.
• GEL: Feedback to reservations where services do not meet our minimum standards and ensure the reservations teams are kept informed of supplier trends and all elevated expectations are implemented at reservations level.
• Based on guest feedback, use both positive and negative feedback to aid conversations with supplier’s and internal stakeholders for improvements and recognition, ensure all feedback is logged in the WW, including the trends dashboard.
• GEL: Pulling monthly arrival booking reports weekly, to share with the team and making sure all Guest Experience Liaisons monthly calendars are loaded and updated with new bookings.
• Working closely and assisting the Emergency After hours and Wilderness 24 teams with help, support and guidance with Owned Brands teams, guests and suppliers during travel.
• GEL: Support, measure and improve the Guest/agents communication process, effectively recording the journey outcomes with the aim to resolve all issues on the ground while the guest is still travelling.

Reservations Booking Performance: TD&JS

• Provide team guidance on detailed itinerary planning and inspire positive action. 
• Close off bookings on a monthly basis; monitor and authorize any adjustments noting the reasons for these adjustments. Taking corrective/preventative measures to avoid or minimize these which have a financial impact on the business. 
• Double check high risk itineraries – high risk due to volume, value or importance and work closely with the guest relations team. 
• Assist the team with extensions, waivers, cancellations, ad hoc discounting required and approved by the Head of Yield & Revenue Management based on yield allowances. 
• Proactively manage all guest complaints with care and efficiency to resolve and ensure our relationship and our brand come out stronger.  

Technology & Reporting

• Optimize business processes – continuously striving to improve business effectiveness and efficiency with innovation, flexibility, and integration within the business’s technology. 
• TD/JS: Ensure the use the Wilderness Window efficiently and correctly adhering to the functionality to perform accurately and with fast turnaround times, whilst being an expert on the systems as well. 
• Use reports to analyze booking conversion ratios and agent trends. Feedback findings to the Head of Operations & Global Integration and Regional Travelshop Manager.  Identify training and/or upskilling where required for the entire team.  

Candidate profile

Qualification:                

• Minimum Tertiary certificate (Higher Diploma or Degree in Travel & Tourism/hospitality)

Experience:                       

• 8-10 years in the travel & Tourism industry in either a Sales or Direct client engagement position.   
• Computer Literate (Microsoft Office, email, Internet) 
• Proven English literacy 
• Excellent product knowledge on East Africa and knowledge of Southern Africa an added advantage 
• Personal or educational travel experience advantageous within Africa in the luxury travel circuits.  
• Excellent attention to detail