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 tight deadlines.
• 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 Sale

• Manage the new request from the Sales agent, from quote to prov on the WW align the booking to client ready to confirm in the fastest possible time whilst maintaining the booking integrity on itrvl.
• Quote accurately and timorously keeping in mind our strategic and preferred AP and up sell 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 also reducing dead beds, wait list chasing and maximising camp yield during the provisional stage of the booking process, where possible up sell 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 before calling 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 specials 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 updates on 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:              

• Matric certificate – with maths (minimum standard grade or above). 
• Tertiary certificate in Travel & Tourism/hospitality is advantageous.

Experience:                

• 4-5 years’ with Senior experience in handling customer relationships and 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 TourPlan and WETU or similar booking/operating system.  
• Excellent attention to detail.

Skills & Abilities:         

• Dynamic, creative, organised and excellent communication skills.
• Thrives under pressure in the fast-paced environment with tight deadlines without compromising accuracy and prioritise demands.
• Ability to problem solve and maintaining high quality output.
• Highly detailed product knowledge – vital for speed in presenting alternatives.
• Strong financial skills, self-starter with high integrity level and ethical conduct.

go to method of application »

Responsibilities

• Responsible for planning and executing educational itineraries to the regions in which Wilderness operates in order to enhance Wilderness product knowledge for Travel Designers and Owned Agencies.
• Liaise with the Associated Product Department to include 3rd party suppliers in order to build itineraries and enhance experience.
• Share feedback from educational trips with Associated Product, for onward distribution to regions..
• Work on ad hoc projects such as planning and executing of travel arrangements for Workshops – for both local and regional staff.
• Load bookings as necessary into Wilderness Window.
• Update spread sheets for record purposes such as Thompsons flights.
• Book standalone car rentals and/or flights.
• Raise invoices and share correct allocation codes if necessary
• Save relevant documentation in the Window. (Guest Info Forms, Confirmations, Invoices)
• Handover bookings to the Opetartions Specialist Team - for the process of documents and hanfdling payments to suppliers.
• Working closely with Management and EXCO
• Liaise with regions for authorization on applicable rates and/or permission to book specific camps or other services, taking into account yield rules.

 General

• Keep all booking information updated in the system.
• Keep updated with all Wilderness and AP product updates, as well as technology updates
• Attend all training on a weekly basis, this knowledge facilitates exceeding expectations and accuracy in the booking process
• Keep abreast with company policies, procedures and system updates

  Booking Operations

• Contact suppliers in writing to confirm or cancel relevant services giving them all special requirements as mentioned above, ensuring that cancelled space has indeed been cancelled
• Ensure all service lines are loaded correctly in the WW
• Quote accurately and timeously keeping in mind our strategic and preferred AP
• Understand the guests needs in each quote.
• Design itineraries around company guidelines and product knowledge e.g. area, variety, product status and service consistency in accommodation standard, distances travelled and time saving aspects.
• Follow up on all outstanding quotes
• Update and review all information in WW, ensure services match the supplier documents
• Ensure all AP invoices are given to OPS /creditors timeously for deposit payments and that the applicable due dates are met.
• Maintain electronic booking file (i.e. Guest Information, AP confirmations , invoices all are uploaded in the WW)
• Handover bookings to the Operations team timeously.
• Assist with Financial queries as a matter of urgency
• Discuss any discrepancies with the Manager.
• Pre-tour information needs to be send with confirmation of bookings
• Reconfirmation of services to the regions. (i.e Guest Ops) to highlight travel arrangemnets for certain bookings.
• Ensure to flag all VIP guests to the relevant teams / Guest Ops.

  Candidate profile

 Qualification: 

• Matric certificate – with maths (minimum standard grade or above) 
• Tertiary certificate in Travel & Tourism/hospitality. 
• Experience: 4-5 years’ experience at a Senior level.
• Experience in handling customer relationships and developing & promoting product and services in the inbound travel industry.
• Computer Literate (Microsoft Office, email, Internet)
• Proven English literacy.
• Working knowledge of TourPlan and WISH or similar booking/operating system.  General product knowledge on Southern & East Africa.
• Personal or educational travel experience advantageous.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Skills: Excellent communication skills both written and oral, in English.
• Foreign language skills advantageous