Manager of Customer Contact - The Americas

Belmond•North Charleston, SC

33d

About The Position

Belmond is a collection of iconic hotels, trains, safaris and river cruises worldwide. Culture,community and cuisine take centre stage in curated adventures, from the Mediterranean to MachuPicchu. Inspiring retreats are set on Caribbean beaches, by the edge of Iguassu Falls and overlooking the Amalfi Coast. Awe-inspiring train journeys include the legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and Andean Explorer. Luxurious river cruises allow guests to glide through the heart of France, whileextraordinary safaris show Africa at its most majestic. Belmond celebrates the art of travel, with experiences like riding on horseback through the Okavango Delta. With our vast offerings, the opportunities to craft a unique career here are endless. Join us and achieve the truly exceptional. The Manager of Customer Contact oversees the Customer Contact teams located in or reporting into Charleston, Lima & Rio. They are responsible for managing customer service and experience across Belmond's full range of products, including Hotels, Trains, Cruises, and Safaris. The role focuses on transforming separate, product-specific teams into an optimized centre that efficiently handles customer requests and ensures consistent service delivery. The purpose of the Manager of Customer Contact is to establish the Customer Contact teams as a centralized hub for exceptional customer service and experience. They work closely with the Director of Customer Contact Support to develop a roadmap for team development, defining clear roles and functions covering both sales and service needs. The goal is to enhance the team's efficiency, effectiveness, and customer-centricity, ensuring that customer requests are effectively managed across the entire product portfolio. The Manager of Customer Contact plays a crucial role in driving the evolution and optimization of processes and structures to deliver outstanding service and support Belmond's overall business objectives.

Requirements

Minimum of a Bachelors Degree in business or hospitality.
Proven track record of successfully leading and managing customer service teams.
Proficient in using multiple systems to carry out daily tasks.
Extensive experience with a leading customer service management system such as Salesforce Service Cloud.
Ability to communicate effectively with senior management and internal stakeholders.
Leads by example and fosters a collaborative work environment.
Fluent in both written and spoken English.
Ability to travel to other CCO locations in North and South America.

Responsibilities

Coach sales and service staff to maximize productivity levels and improve performance in line with defined targets (including revenue and conversion) and establish a sales culture.
Ensure all reservations staff are fully trained and comfortable with the Belmond portfolio and measurements, including LQA (Independent quality measure). Provide ongoing training and upskilling where required on Brand DNA and organize familiarization trips to let staff experience the products.
Support delivery of performance and quality KPIs and metrics for the full team to deliver objectives.
Make business decisions (discounts, overrides, and exceptions) in line with guest expectations and Belmond’s policy of generosity.
Encourage and promote a customer-centric culture within the Customer Contact teams. Emphasize the importance of understanding and exceeding customer expectations, delivering personalized experiences, and building long-term relationships.
Establish feedback mechanisms to gather insights from customers and internal stakeholders. This can include customer surveys, feedback forms, and regular meetings with team members to identify areas for improvement and address any issues promptly.
Foster a culture of continuous improvement by regularly reviewing and refining processes and workflows. Encourage team members to take ownership of customer interactions and find creative solutions to exceed customer expectations..
Foster collaboration with other departments, such as Sales, Marketing, and Operations, to ensure a unified approach to customer service. Establish effective communication channels and cross-functional initiatives to align strategies, share insights, and address customer needs holistically.
Stay updated on industry trends and customer preferences to proactively identify and implement innovative service enhancements and offerings.
Ensure all Reservations Staff are competent users of all systems required to deliver an exceptional customer experience.
Collaborate with the Support and Training teams to develop comprehensive and ongoing training programs that ensure the reservations staff has expert knowledge in using systems such as Travel Studio, HMS, Sabre, and Salesforce (Omnichannel and InfoHub), and possesses the necessary skills to provide exceptional customer service.
Plan and execute the implementation of new systems and processes, working closely with the Support and Training teams to ensure a smooth transition and effective training for the reservations staff.
Collaborate with the Support team to ensure that the AI routing system is operating optimally. Continuously identify opportunities for enhancement and improvement to drive efficiency within the customer contact team.
Set clear goals and metrics for data capture within the reservations team. Monitor and measure data-related performance to drive results, and integrate these metrics into the team's incentive plan.
Work closely with the Manager of Clienteling to provide support for their training, technology, and best practice needs.
Ensure that team members with assigned Clienteling duties have dedicated time slots in their schedules for these activities to enhance their skills, including building rapport, active listening, and personalized service delivery.
Support the enhancement of data to improve the guest experience delivered by our travel advisors.
Ensure adherence to the framework for contact opportunities outside of a guest's stay (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) and develop key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the success and impact of these activities.
Help cultivate a Clienteling Culture within the broader organization through storytelling, events, key initiatives, and other means.