Job Description for Reservation Supervisor

POSITION TITLE: Reservation Supervisor

REPORTS TO: Front Desk Manager / Reservation Manger 

POSITION SUMMARY:

He or She primarily supervises the reservation functions for the hotel ensuring all reservations are processed in a pleasant, professional and efficient manner. Manages and coordinates activities of reservation team members providing reservations and customer services skills. 

Achieving customer satisfaction and room revenue goals while taking guests through the booking process. Assist the reservation manager or front office manager with budgeting, forecasting, and hiring, retaining and developing reservations and customer service employees.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Act as a main resource for reservation agents needing assistance technically or with regards to achieving customer satisfaction.
• Ensure reservation department and Front Office staff are constantly aware of availability states open, on request, closed dates, high demand dates etc.
• Responds to all guest reservation requests and executes prompt, courteous and accurate guest service at all times.
• Fully knowledgeable about hotel guest rooms, rates, promotions, amenities, programs, hotel facilities and services.
• Answer guest inquiries pertaining to hotel services, registration of guests, and shopping, dining, entertainment and travel directions etc.
• Manage systems that are set up within the reservations department to ensure accurate handling and monitoring of phone calls.
• Assists and prepare in groups pre-arrival process and also preparing group rooming lists.
• Maintains a clean and organized work area. 
• Attends all scheduled meetings as required with HOD's or Sales team.
• Create and manage rates and packages configured on the Hotel software.
• Track all reservations picked up from all On-line channels like hotel website, OTA, GDS, other third party etc. 
• If there are failed reservations to update the Hotel software then process those reservations manually.
• Co-ordinate with the Channel manager, or software vendors for any availability, rate or booking integration issues.
• Handle external systems like channel Manager, Web booking engines, Rate comparison tools, Online Travel Agents extranets etc.
• Update No-shows and cancellations on all OTA's without fail to avoid and unwanted commissions.
• Responsible for maintaining Rate parity across all booking Channels (Website, OTA, GDS, Travel Agents Etc.)
• Adjust rates according to suggestions from Yield or Revenue management systems.
• Verify all reservations taken on the reservation forms are updated on the PMS without fail.
• Understand and enforce hotel and company credit policies and Ensure proper billing instructions, routing instructions and payment methods are applied to the reservations.
• Verify if each reservation requests are processed as per the hotel standards and without delay.
• Verify if reservation confirmation letters  are send for all processed bookings within the stipulated time.
• Process retentions, no-show and cancellations as per the hotel policy and procedures.
• Handles any request for amenities or transportation promptly and accurately. Details are shared with the concerned department or third party accurately.
• Monitor all Tentative / Provisional / Waitlisted bookings entered on the system and follow up done for deposits / guarantee.
• Records and files all reservation correspondence neatly and accurately on prescribed forms or folders.
• Keep records of room availability, rates, amendments, daily reservation pickup, rooms on book, cancellations, no-show, etc.
• Handles the reservation correspondence accurately and neatly and follow up for any missing correspondence before guest arrival.
• All reservation modifications are updated on the property management system immediately and accurately in case of any changes.
• Maintain department approved quality assurance program to include, but not limited to, rates, deposits property descriptions, activity tables and reservations letters.
• Manage reservation function to maintain the highest possible room occupancy and average daily rate through suggestive selling and recommendations from external yield or revenue management systems Eg. Ideas.
• Ensure acceptable service levels and all statistical reports are sought and maintained.
• Tracks daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly statistics for analytical, budgeting and forecasting purposes.
• Check forecasting reports based on statistics codes ( Market, Source, Rate Code etc.),reservations which are wrongly tagged should be amended.
• Receive contracts detailing room allotments and creates allotments on the hotel management system.
• Train newly recruited reservation staffs in taking reservations, telephone etiquettes , reservation module on hotel software and processing emails.
• Ensure that Guest service agents at front desk are also trained on reservations and checking hotel availability.
• Ensure deposit payment is taken in advance for all pay at hotel reservations eg: Direct reservation, OTA's (Booking.com, Orbitz, Expedia etc.)
• Determine work procedures, prepare work schedules, assign duties and expedite work flow for reservation agents.
• Manage all aspects of reservation department in the absence of reservation manager.

PREREQUISITES:

Excellent communications skills and extremely organized. Service Orientation ie actively look for ways to help people. Ability to work with multiple systems and applications like spreadsheets, databases, work processing, property management software's, Booking engine, OTA Extranets, Yield management systems and computers.

EDUCATION:

3 years  diploma or  4 year Degree in Travel Industry or closely related discipline and/or equivalent combination of education and experience.

EXPERIENCE:

Previous experience in reservations, one to two year experience in front desk operations. The successful candidate is likely to have a passion for customer service, excellent communication skills and good levels of written and spoken English.