Cluster Reactive Sales Executive & Revenue Coordinator - Johannesburg Marriott Hotel Melrose Arch at Marriott International

POSITION SUMMARY

• Responsible for supporting the Cluster Revenue Manager with inventory management, rate loading, and maintenance across all revenue management systems. Prepares weekly sales strategy packets and assists with inventory control across properties as required. Conducts tracking and performance analysis when requested and audits all systems to ensure accurate setup, distribution, and data integrity.
• Processes all reservation requests, changes, and cancellations received through phone, email, or other communication channels in a timely and professional manner. Identifies guest or client needs, recommends appropriate room types and rates, and verifies availability to maximize revenue opportunities. Clearly communicates guarantee, special rate, and cancellation policies to callers, while accommodating and accurately recording special requests. Provides information about property facilities, services, and room features, and applies effective sales techniques to optimize conversion. Inputs and maintains all reservation data accurately within the system, ensuring the correct use of rate codes and classifications (e.g., complimentary, employee, travel agent inspection, and wholesale). Follows proper escalation procedures for guest concerns to ensure prompt resolution and service recovery.
• Adheres to all company policies and procedures while maintaining a professional and polished personal appearance. Safeguards proprietary information and company assets and protects the privacy and security of guests and colleagues. Delivers service excellence by anticipating guest needs, offering assistance proactively, and showing genuine appreciation. Communicates clearly and courteously using professional language and telephone etiquette. Fosters positive working relationships, supports team objectives, and contributes to a collaborative environment. Complies with quality assurance and brand standards. Performs job duties efficiently, including moving or lifting items up to 10 pounds without assistance, and completes additional reasonable tasks as assigned by supervisors.

Policies and Procedures

• Protect the privacy and security of guests and coworkers.
• Maintain confidentiality of proprietary materials and information.
• Follow company and department policies and procedures.
• Perform other reasonable job duties as requested by Supervisors.

Guest Relations

• Actively listen and respond positively to guest questions, concerns, and requests using brand or property specific process (e.g., LEARN, PLEASED, Guest Response, LEAP) to resolve issues, delight, and build trust.
• Address guests' service needs in a professional, positive, and timely manner.
• Anticipate guests' service needs, including asking questions of guests to better understand their needs and watching/listening to guest preferences and acting on them whenever possible.
• Welcome and acknowledge each and every guest with a smile, eye contact, and a friendly verbal greeting, using the guest's name when possible.
• Thank guests with genuine appreciation and provide a fond farewell.
• Engage guests in conversation regarding their stay, property services, and area attractions/offerings.

Communication

• Speak to guests and co-workers using clear, appropriate and professional language.
• Answer telephones using appropriate etiquette including answering the phone within 3 rings, answering with a smile in one's voice, using the callers' name, transferring calls to appropriate person/department, requesting permission before placing the caller on hold, taking and relaying messages, and allowing the caller to end the call.
• Talk with and listen to other employees to effectively exchange information.

Working with Others

• Support all co-workers and treat them with dignity and respect.
• Handle sensitive issues with employees and/or guests with tact, respect, diplomacy, and confidentiality.

Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement

• Comply with quality assurance expectations and standards.

Physical Tasks

• Move, lift, carry, push, pull, and place objects weighing less than or equal to 10 pounds without assistance.

Reservation Services

• Verify all reservation information with callers to ensure accuracy.
• Accommodate and document special requests in an accurate and efficient manner.
• Determine the most appropriate room type to meet guest requirements and maximize room rate.
• Explain guarantee and cancellation policies to callers.
• Describe room accommodations and benefit feature sale amenities to guests.
• Use sales techniques when assisting guests in making reservations, including personalizing calls, obtaining complete guest needs, suggesting alternate dates or directing guests to sister properties on sold out days.
• Answer guest questions about property facilities/services (e.g., hours of operation, room availability, restricted dates, rates and room types, packages, promotions, entertainment, restaurants, special events).
• Assign confirmation/cancellation numbers and clearly relay this information to callers, giving them the option of emailing and/or faxing these numbers.
• Identify guest reservation needs by asking open-ended questions to obtain all necessary information, including enrollment in Marriott Rewards program.
• Follow “up selling” techniques and sales strategies in order to maximize property revenue.
• Identify repeat guests using appropriate codes.

Reservation Processing

• Inform guests of rules and regulations regarding qualifying rates (e.g., government and special corporate rates and discounts).
• Input and access data in reservation system by entering correct information into proper fields, including Marriott Rewards number, and asking for travel agency IATA and FIT numbers (i.e., flags, comments, guest messages).
• Verify availability of room type, rate, and occupancy before confirming any reservations.
• Process all reservation requests, changes, and cancellations received by phone, fax, or mail.
• Indicate special room reservation types (e.g., complimentary rooms, employee discounts, travel agent inspection rates, and wholesale reservations) by inputting the correct code and rate into the reservation system.

Revenue Services

• Ensures full revenue management system and revenue management tool adoption to drive revenue and profit opportunities.
• Updates weekly/monthly tracking for promotions, special events and key segments to support deeper analysis of performance
• Accurately implements pricing strategies in HPP in a timely manner and coordinating communication of pricing changes to stakeholders.
• Ensures compliance and participation in company promotions and digital channels, completing set up in HPP, eFast and Opera PMS.
• Checks distribution channels for hotel positioning, placement, rate parity and information accuracy, and documents accordingly. 
• Supports and executes market-wide strategy and promotion implementation. 
• Prepares weekly sales strategy meeting packets for all hotels in a timely manner to Revenue Managers identifying any key highlights/risks from data prepared.
• Attends sales strategy meetings as requested, to present analysis and recommendations.
• Ensures that the Hotel(s) sales strategies are effectively implemented in the reservation system and the inventory systems.
• Implements tracking and analysis tools to support deeper analysis for the Hotels.
• Provides inventory management functional expertise to hotels, when required.
• Supports in analyzing competitive sets, price positioning and future market need periods, when requested.
• Understands the working relationship between Sales, Reservations and property management systems.
• Provides recommendations to improve effectiveness of revenue management processes.
• Promotes and protects brand equity.
• Ensures that technical questions relating to reservations and property management systems are escalated to the correct support desk in a timely manner.