Job Introduction
Cruise Guest Advisor
Salary £23,400 per annum
Permanent
FT – 37.5 hours per week
Hybrid – 2 days a week in Ashford, Kent
You may have seen our TV advert?
Here at Saga Cruise, we have just launched our 2025 cruise programme and are now looking to expand our team of skilled Guest Advisors who are key to assisting our customers when planning and booking luxury travel packages with Saga Cruise.
If you have a passion for customer service and love talking about travel while advising our guests on best options and new experiences, then this role is for you.
For this recruitment in- take, we are looking to appoint up to 8 new Guest Advisors. Who will all need to be ready to join us on 10/06/2024.
Your first couple of weeks in your new job, will be all about learning our booking systems, getting to know and understand our customers and ultimately becoming an expert on all our cruise packages we offer, plus so much more!
From day one as a Cruise Guest Advisor, you can work on a Hybrid basis. With each week attending the office on a Monday and Friday.
If you are ready to get onboard and venture into the exciting cruise world, then read more about what a typical day will feel and look like in this role.
*The hours for this role cover the opening hours of 9am-6pm Monday to Friday and the requirement to work 1 Saturday in 3 with the hours of 9am-5pm. The hours for this role are 37.5 per week.
**This is a hybrid role and requires 2 days in Ashford, TN23 1FB. The days required in office are ideally Monday and Friday to promote a collaborative and team building environment**
Role Responsibility
The Ocean Cruise business is at the heart of the Saga Brand, we take our guests all over the world ensuring they have exceptional experiences. The starting point of their journey begins with you and our team of Guest Advisors.
In this team you will be taking mostly in-bound calls; bookings, promotions, general enquiries that could lead to future bookings, amendments, and service calls relating to all things Cruise!
Your main responsibilities will be:
1. Managing the calls into the contact centre from our guests in a timely and professional manner
2. Ensuring a tailored and personable approach for every call. Offering assistance, advice, guidance and always working with patience
3. Fully managing the nature of the call, ensuring all actions are made such as general guest service or advice, sales calls, handling complaints and providing timely updates to the guests such as itinerary changes
4. Providing recommendations and engaging in upselling opportunities where possible
5. Fully prioritising a guest-first approach with the tenacity to keep learning on the job
6. Handling both sales and service calls and adhering to guest service best practice
7. Responsible for sending out follow-up emails, observing a high attention to detail with focus on spelling and grammar
8. To have a driven mentality to exceed the expectations of the guest
9. To always have patience when dealing with guest requests in a calm and helpful manner
The Ideal Candidate
We are keen to interview applicants who have already worked in a customer focussed role where they have guided and advised customers with booking travel or recommending products. We are open to consider applications from candidates with no travel background, but it is essential to demonstrate your passion for overseas travel or Cruise.
You will also need to demonstrate the following skills and experience;
10. Have previously worked in a call centre / contact centre environment and be comfortable talking to customers over the phone, demonstrating excellent communication skills
11. Keen and able to learn all about our products and relay this to our customers so they are fully aware of our full programme itinerary offering
12. Can spot buying signals and the opportunity to upsell
13. Enjoys working in a fast-paced environment
14. Can demonstrate a can-do approach and be flexible when required
15. (Occasionally you could be needed to make urgent contact to our guests outside of normal working hours to discuss changes to their bookings from circumstances outside of Saga’s control.)
16. Shows a passion for guest service and a natural enthusiasm for progression opportunities
17. Has excellent attention to detail and can demonstrate strong written and verbal skills
18. Comfortable with working from home Tuesday to Thursday
Interviews will take place on TEAMS over 2 weeks, starting on 29th April.
There will only be a 1 stage interview.
*Candidates applying will need to be able to start a new job on 10th June 2024.
(Allowing anyone with a months’ notice enough time to join us.)
Package Description
Everyday our colleagues deliver exceptional experiences to our customers. We believe exceptional work deserves even more exceptional rewards, that's why we have put together an amazing benefits package for all colleagues.
19. Our working week is 37.5 hours per week - Hybrid working, Monday to Friday with Saturday rota working, typically once a month.
20. Your Mondays and Fridays will be office based, in Ashford.
21. 25 days holiday + bank holidays
22. Option to purchase additional leave up to 5 extra days
23. Pension scheme matched up to 10%
24. Life assurance policy on joining us
25. Wellbeing programme
26. Colleague discounts including family discounts on cruises and holidays!
27. Range of reductions and offers from leading retailers, travel groups and entertainment companies
28. Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
29. Grandparents leave
30. Company performance related annual bonus - Up to 5%
31. Income protection
32. Access to Saga Academy, our bespoke learning platform