POSITION: BUSINESS TRAVEL CONSULTANT
REPORTING TO: TEAM LEADER
JOB PURPOSE:
Reed & Mackay, a Strategic Travel Management and Services Company leads its field by attracting, developing and retaining the most talented people within the industry.
Reed & Mackay has an enviable reputation for exceptional service which is delivered through placing innovative technology (exclusively available to Reed & Mackay) in the hands of outstanding people.
The main role of a Business Travel Consultant is to build relationships and understand the needs of our clients whilst delivering a ‘high-touch’ service that saves clients time and drives down their total cost of travel.
PRINCIPLE RESPONSIBILITIES:
Service expectation
- Provide a dedicated, consistently high level of service to all clients tailored to their individual requirements with a desire to exceed client expectation at all times
- Effectively manage your workload to meet all deadlines as required, either set by the client or within R&M
- Ability and willingness to service different client industry sectors across the wider business
- Demonstrate innovative thinking and provide a consultative approach
- Advise proactively on all relevant immigration, passport and visa requirements along with any applicable travel restrictions
- To be proficient in all R&M Technology, sharing knowledge with the client to ensure an all-encompassing service
- To be responsible for the delivery of all rail reservations and to advise clients on best practice utilising R&M technology
- Recommend and procure ancillary products as required i.e. car rental, ferry, etc.
Operational expectation
- Manage your own full client portfolio to the highest R&M standard, demonstrating extraordinary customer service to your wider team
- Pro-actively build meaningful and long lasting relationships both internally and externally
- Exceed client’s expectation at all times
- Identify and implement opportunity to add value to each booking
- Utilise detailed understanding of the client policy to drive compliance whilst maximising opportunity to enhance the traveller experience
- Ability to apply a variety of fare types and ticketing methods, whilst maintaining an up to date knowledge of industry innovations (e.g. airline direct connect)
- Working with IFD to proactively identify cross market and local inventory differences
- Procure the best hotel rates for clients utilising GDS and non GDS channels
- Monitor all bookings for further saving opportunities up until completion of the trip
- To be proficient in all R&M Technology and to ensure knowledge is shared and maintained amongst the team
- To be responsible for the delivery of UK rail reservations and to advise clients on best practice utilising R&M technology.
- To oversee the client experience by utilising mixed mode booking tools and to provide 1st line product support for both offline/online bookings
- Demonstrate proactive thinking when providing travel solutions
- Able to provide cost effective solutions across all aspects of travel
- To comply with the client policies and guidelines at all times
- Achieve SLA’s for all accounts
- Assist with iQ demos as appropriate
- Assist sales team attending prospect client meetings
- Regular interaction with overseas colleagues
- Apply Quality Control procedures and processes in line with company and GREC requirements
REQUIREMENTS:
- Manage your own ticket issuance
- Calculate your own reissues and changes in line with ticketing time limits
- Exceptional telephone manner and written skills
- Demonstrate ability to make effective use of resources available to complete tasks to agreed deadlines
- Has a proven record of experience in a core business travel environment
- Minimum qualification level to Fares & Ticketing VAII (formally BA2)
- Fully conversant with one or all GDS systems; Sabre, Galileo, Amadeus
- Experience of mixed mode booking tools, and 1st line product support for both offline/online bookings
- Comprehensive knowledge of the travel industry and products in the market including different aircraft types and cabins
- Knowledge of Low Cost Carriers in the market and their different products available.
- Fully conversant with various rail booking systems
- Have a ‘team player’ approach to an office environment
- Experience in using MS software packages
- Ability to build an exceptional rapport with all clients
- Excellent attention to detail
- Flexible approach to working environment and willingness to work from different office locations, including ‘mobile travel manager’ visits
- Have an enthusiastic approach and willingness to learn attitude
- Independently commit to attend and complete all relevant training
- Achieve individual and team based business objectives
