Senior Account Manager - Sandton, South Africa - Wilderness

Wilderness

Verified Company

Sandton, South Africa

1 week ago

Posted by:

Thabo Mthembu

beBee Recruiter

Description

PRIMARY PURPOSE

To generate and grow sales whilst maintaining required GP%, great agent relationships and high-level customer service by offering excellent itineraries to exceed agent & guests' expectations.

To secure, cost and present product to the corporate/agent/guest accurately, efficiently, timeously by creating inspirational luxury travel.

Have an excellent knowledge and good geographical understanding of all Southern and East African destinations as well as day-to-day regional logistics.

This position can be based in either Johannesburg or Cape Town.

Detailed Responsibilities:

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.
Build relationships with agents based on trust and support, knowing their business trends and guests needs, ad hoc attending relevant familiarization trips with agents (if and when required).

Develop relationships with Agents

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.
Build relationships with agents based on trust and support, knowing their business trends and guests needs, ad hoc attending relevant familiarization trips with agents (if and when required).

General

Keep Agents' booking information updated in the ARM (likes/dislikes booking habits etc.) Agent Contact information will be updated by Sales/Reservations Operations Managers.
Keep updated with all Wilderness and Associated Product suppliers, as well as technology updates.
Streamline operational negotiations by also reducing dead beds, waitlist chasing and maximizing camp operations role to create those lifechanging journeys for groups.
Liaise with RARA if rates, accommodation, transit points and activities are not loaded or correctly linked on the WW.
Attend all Product training on a weekly basis; this knowledge facilitates exceeding expectations and accuracy in the booking process.
Keep apprised of company policies, procedures and system updates.

Quoting bookings - Design, develop and plan incentive group journeys

Quote accurately and timeously keeping in mind our strategic and preferred AP and upsell where possible to benefit both Wilderness and the agent ensuring relevant information is obtained from the ARM prior to quoting.
Stipulate and utilize applicable group specials in the WW and make appropriate notes as required as per AP's systems and procedures.
For special needs/high risk guests, follow the customer care protocol to ensure the guests are safe to travel in the planned journey.
Work with the Yield team on maximizing bed nights and margins per booking.
Strategic planning for group programs constantly adding value and ensuring all quotations, terms and conditions, costs have been doublechecked prior to submitting.
Working on MICE groups and high net worth requests.
Compiling creative, detailed, well written and eyecatching proposals to promote sales
Product knowledge of what works for groups and being able to offer the unique offering in each destination
Follow up on all outstanding provisional bookings with the end client, consistently understanding the yield implication of provisional space held on Wilderness Camps (where applicable).
Follow up on daily WISH/WW expiry reports with Agents ensuring no bookings are auto released and that bookings are processed efficiently.
Maintain booking file (electronically) incl. Agent correspondence, AP correspondence, costings, invoices & credit notes and updated booking file cover/summary and ensure all documents can by uploaded to the WW by the Operations Specialist.
Measure sales and GP% per agent in conjunction with Sales, identifying variations and maintaining good GP's per booking.
Maintaining excellent relationships with clients and suppliers at all times.

Confirmed Bookings in accordance with company procedures

Once an agent confirms a booking in writing, a deposit invoice is to be sent, an Operations specialist needs to be allocated to work hand in hand with the Account Manager or all operations requirements
Once payment is receipted, confirm all services required and to cancel those services not needed in the system and relevant AP provider.
Create the automated deposit invoice including all services that are confirmed and need to be delivered in accordance with the agents agreed T&Cs, ensure bookings are not exposed on the TFS reports.
Ensure that the deposit requirements in Tourplan/WW match what the AP advises on the quote to mitigate exposure risk in each booking.
Process any additional changes/updates after confirmation to the itinerary.
All bookings need to be recalculated prior to final invoice to ensure the VAT calculations are correct
Confirm