Travel Agents

Sales & Account Management

Level 3344 of 1200 points

Job description

Travel Agents

Job purpose

To establish customers' travel requirements and to plan, book, ticket and sell transportation, accommodation and tour packages, collecting payment and assisting with clients' travel problems, so that clients travel on arrangements that suit their needs and are correctly costed and documented.

Skills

Working knowledge of travel retailing — carrier tariffs and hotel rate structures, package tour and promotional incentive terms, modes of transportation and their relative costs, and the geography of destinations — with customer service principles, sales technique, command of reservation, ticketing and telecommunications systems. An associate's or other two-year degree is the most common qualification, with a substantial proportion holding a school diploma only, together with one or two years of on-the-job experience and informal training alongside experienced workers.
Converses with customers in person and by telephone to establish destination, dates, mode of transportation, budget and accommodation required, then describes and sells itineraries and tour packages. Requires persuasion, the explanation of fares and terms to people unfamiliar with them, and the handling of complaints and negotiation with carriers and hotels when arrangements go wrong.
Matches stated requirements to the options available within the customer's budget, computing costs from tariff and rate books or quoting package prices, and judging the suitability of what is on offer. Precedent is available in published tariffs, rates and package conditions, so problems are largely procedural, with judgement exercised on suitability and cost.
Builds itineraries around carrier and accommodation availability and departure dates, sequencing bookings, ticketing and payment to those fixed points. The postholder largely determines own tasks, priorities and goals, working against a high volume of telephone, e-mail and written enquiry and under the time pressure created by held fares and limited availability.
Seated work at a screen and keyboard, using reservation systems, telephone equipment and ticketing printers, with sustained hand use and a degree of repetitive motion. No manual handling demands.

Responsibilities

No line management. Contributes to a work group and undertakes some coordination of others, and the accuracy of the bookings made bears on colleagues handling the same clients.
Collects payment from customers for transportation and accommodation, computes the cost of travel, and commits clients to the price of tickets, reservations and packages. Handles customer money at the point of sale. Holds no budget and does not set fares, published rates or package terms, which are fixed by carriers and tour operators; discretion lies in which priced combination is offered.
Ordinary care of a workstation, reservation terminal, ticketing equipment, tariff and rate books, and the stock of brochures and travel publications supplied to clients.
Records and maintains information on clients, vendors and travel packages. Exactness matters throughout — names, dates, itineraries and payment details must be right first time — and the structure of the records is set largely by the reservation systems.

Effort required

Close attention to detail across bookings, fares, dates and passenger particulars, sustained through a high volume of telephone, e-mail and face-to-face contact. Decisions are frequent and taken under time pressure while the customer waits, and their consequences for the client's journey and for company results give the demand its weight.
Client-facing for most of the working day, requiring courtesy and composure across a high volume of enquiries. Conflict situations arise where arrangements fail or expectations are not met, and must be handled without loss of the relationship. The sale is contested by other agents and providers.
Seated for almost the whole working day, using the hands to operate keyboard, telephone and ticketing equipment, with some repetitive motion. No lifting or exertion.

Working conditions

Indoor, environmentally controlled office or agency premises with no hazardous exposure, in close physical proximity to customers and colleagues. The emotional demand comes from frequent dealings with the public and from occasional conflict over travel arrangements.
Most incumbents work a regular established schedule, with a minority on irregular patterns; around half work more than forty hours a week. Considerable freedom is exercised in determining tasks, priorities and goals within carrier and supplier rules, and frequent decisions are taken that affect colleagues and company results in a competitive retail market.

Skills

40% · 193 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 3 of 8
54 of 144 points
Knowledge of facts, principles and general ideas in a job area. The job requires a range of thinking and practical knowledge to do tasks and solve problems by choosing and using basic methods, tools, materials and information.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Effective communication and interpersonal relationships. The job holder is required to adapt communication to different audiences and foster trust, cooperation and positive working relationships.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 2 of 5
38 of 96 points
Standard problems. The job involves solving problems with defined alternatives. Some judgement is needed, but help is usually available.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate organisational skills required. The job requires the organising and prioritising of multiple tasks, with some level of adjustment to plans on the basis of changing circumstances or deadlines.
Physical skillsLevel 0 of 5
0 of 72 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any particular physical skills (although there is likely to be some physical activity).

Responsibility

35% · 57 points▾

PeopleLevel 0 of 5
0 of 144 points
Does not apply. The job does not require any responsibility for people.
Goods and equipmentLevel 0 of 5
0 of 84 points
Not applicable. The job does not involve any responsibility for goods or equipment.
InformationLevel 2 of 5
38 of 96 points
Limited responsibility for information. The job requires the individual to gather, process or share information in a controlled way, following guidelines or predefined procedures.
Financial resourcesLevel 1 of 5
19 of 96 points
Very limited responsibility for financial resources. The job involves handling small amounts of cash or processing simple transactions, such as recording expenses or maintaining basic financial records.

Effort

15% · 53 points▾

Mental effortLevel 2 of 5
24 of 60 points
Moderate mental effort. The job involves tasks that require focus, such as analysing straightforward information or performing repetitive tasks that require attention to detail.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 2 of 5
29 of 72 points
Occasional psychosocial and emotional effort. The job requires occasional involvement in emotionally demanding situations, such as handling minor conflicts or dealing with upset individuals.
Physical effortLevel 0 of 5
0 of 48 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any physical effort.

Working Conditions

10% · 41 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 2 of 5
34 of 84 points
Occasional exposure to hazards or stress. The job involves occasional exposure to mild physical risks (e.g. working with light machinery, occasional noise) or psychosocial risks (e.g. occasional interpersonal conflict or minor repetitive tasks). Exposure occurs two to three times a year.
Organisational environmentLevel 1 of 5
7 of 36 points
Minimal organisational demands. The job requires standard working hours with no night shifts or irregular schedules. There is little or no need for travel or digital connectivity beyond typical working hours.