Reservations Sales Specialist

ROLE PURPOSE:
As a reservation sales specialist for IHG hotels, your primary role is to manage guest reservations and inquiries, ensuring exceptional service and accuracy. You utilize strong communication skills and attention to detail to assist guests in planning their stays with personalized recommendations, creating seamless booking experiences. As a key customer touchpoint, you embody the IHG brand experience, educating guests about our brands and products. You are empowered to make creative decisions based on tools and market insights to meet guests' unique travel needs, driving revenue and customer loyalty, while continuously seeking personal and professional development in this dynamic role.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Manage incoming reservation requests through phone, email, or online platforms by offering details on room availability, pricing, packages, and amenities. Assist guests in securing reservations tailored to their preferences and needs. Reservations are coming from worldwide, including the Americas, Middle East, Asia, and Europe.
• Answer phone or non-phone guest interactions and sell hotel rooms for all IHG properties across various regions.
• Provide an industry-leading reservation solution in English and one or more language for all contacts.
• Consistently meet or exceed defined performance expectations (revenue, conversion, quality, partner offers, guest satisfaction, etc.) as set by management despite difficulties or obstacles.
• Establish and maintain positive and meaningful relationships with IHG members and guests in a way that will build loyalty.
• Adheres to all departmental procedures, including the privacy and confidentiality of guest information, reservation processes, and compliance with service quality standards.
• Must demonstrate schedule flexibility to accommodate the demands of a 24/7 operation. This includes the ability to work in a rotating shift environment, covering both night and day shifts as assigned within a designated duration.
• Describe room features and hotel amenities to guests. Verify availability of room types, rates, and capacity before confirming a reservation. Explain guarantee and cancellation policies to callers.
• Inform guests about room features and hotel amenities. Check the availability of room types, rates, and clarify cancellation policies prior to confirming a reservation.
• Use our IHG sales approach during the reservation process, such as making a personalized call to gather comprehensive guest information and proposing alternative dates or other IHG hotels if the desired room is unavailable.
• Issue a confirmation or cancellation number and communicate this information clearly to guests.
• Determine guest reservation requirements by asking open-ended questions to gather all essential information, including their enrollment in the IHG One Rewards loyalty program.
• Conduct self with a high level of integrity.
• Strong collaboration skills for working closely with internal teams.

KEY REQUIREMENTS:
Education:
Some secondary school, high school diploma preferred but not required

Experience:
Previous call center experience in a sales capacity (non-scripted environment) or other call handling experience preferred. Hotel/travel experience desired.

Physical Requirements:

• Majority of work is performed remotely. When needed and based on business needs, onsite work can be required occasionally.
• To be considered for this role, applicants must be at least 18 years old and open to working flexibly whether graveyard shifts, including weekends and holidays, as part of our 24/7 support team.
• Office Location: 6th and 7th 1900 Session Road Building, Session-Gov. Pack Road, Baguio City, Benguet 2600

Technical Skills:

• Strong customer service and sales skills, with the ability to balance sales with positive quest experience
• Strong understanding of sales processes, strategies and techniques
• Excellent bilingual communication skills – listening, written, verbal
• Social intelligence – empathy, self-awareness, cultural sensitivity
• Ability to customize generic information
• Strong web-based navigation skills
• Ability to embrace technological and organizational changes
• Embrace evolving call and contact types, adopt new tools and processes;
• Efficient and accurate data capture
• Ability to use tools and resources to represent the geographical needs of the caller.
• Basic software and hardware trouble shooting
• Effective and efficient use of online communication tools and other systems application.

At IHG Hotels & Resorts, we work together to deliver True Hospitality for Good on a global scale. With corporate offices and over 6,000 hotel destinations worldwide, a career at IHG is the perfect way to broaden your horizons. You'll experience our unique culture and brilliant colleagues who will support and inspire you. With a host of corporate opportunities to choose from, wherever you are on your career journey, and whatever you want to achieve there's Room for You at IHG.

Over recent years, we've transformed our company. We have bold ambitions to drive performance and maintain our relentless focus on growth in order to be the hotel company of choice that guests & owners love.

We are a hospitality business at our core and value connections and being together helps us foster a unique sense of belonging that also supports productivity. That's why here at IHG, we give our colleagues flexibility and balance – working in a hybrid way, blending office and remote working collectively. We recognise that every role is different, that's why leaders work with teams to determine how and when they collaborate.

We provide a wide range of benefits designed to help you live your best work life. These include impressive room discounts across our many properties, recharge days and volunteering days throughout the year. Through our myWellbeing framework, we are committed to supporting wellbeing in your health, lifestyle, and workplace. We offer a unique and inclusive culture, where there is always Room for You to belong, grow and make a difference.

Our mission is to welcome everyone and create inclusive teams where we celebrate difference and encourage colleagues to bring their whole selves to work. IHG Hotels & Resorts provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other category protected by applicable laws. We promote a culture of trust, support, and acceptance. Always welcoming different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

Don't quite meet every single requirement, but still believe you'd be a great fit for the job? We'll never know unless you hit the 'Apply' button. Start your journey with us today.