Leisha Carbis

• Sharing and scheduling of Travel Partners Social Media Posts on all of African Safari Collective's social media platforms via HubSpot.
• Liaising between Trade and Travel Partners when receiving requests for Site Inspections. This included analysing previous business received from Trade Partner and sharing this information with Travel Partner.
• Assisting marketing team in creating promotional materials that resonated with target audience segments effectively.
• Creating and maintaining itineraries and packages on WETU for Trade Partners to upsell Travel Partners lodges.
• Trade engagement:

- Regularly share updated rate sheets with trade partners as requested.

- Address inquiries and provide clarification on rate structures.

- Maintaining the database with accurate records of STO rates, contracts and contact details

• Representation of our Travel Partners at local Trade Shows.
• Product training sessions conducted both onsite at Trade Partners offices as well as virtually via webinars. These sessions could be one on one or group sessions.
• Prepare and deliver accurate monthly income reports to accounts department for invoicing of African Safari Collective's monthly management fee.
• Generate monthly reports from PMS to update marketing statistics for each Travel Partner.
• Integrating/mapping each Travel Partners rates via Semper (PMS) to OTA's as well as Channel Managers.
• Management of Property Portfolio Systems as well as providing system support to our Travel Partners
• Maintained strong relationships with lodge owners, ensuring effective communication and collaboration and promote long term business growth.

• Established best practices for systems management by creating detailed documentation and training materials for team of reservation consultants.
• Lead and organised product training sessions three times weekly. Training sessions would cover updating the Reservations Team's knowledge base on our Travel Partners, enabling them to effectively upsell and cross-sell. Topics included Reservation SOPs, Hubspot workflow, telephone etiquette, and ensuring bookings were accurately captured on the PMS.
• Developed policies and procedures for the reservations department, ensuring consistency and adherence to brand standards.
• Managed team of reservation consultants, ensuring high-quality service and accurate bookings.
• Acted as a liaison between reservations and other hotel departments, ensuring seamless communication and efficient problem resolution.
• Overseeing and co-ordination after hour's roster for evenings, weekends and public holidays as well as leave day requests.
• Created rate plans and worked with revenue manager to boost occupancy and average achieved room rate.
• Generate monthly reports to calculate each Reservationists' monthly sales commission which was then sent to Accounts for payment.
• Effectively resolved guest issues related to reservations, resulting in satisfied customers and positive reviews.
• Maintained strong relationships with key Trade Partners, resulting in repeat business and increased bookings.
• Monitored customer reviews and feedback to maintain satisfaction and provide superior customer service.
• Analyzed booking trends to forecast occupancy rates accurately, informing revenue management decisions.
• Prepare and deliver accurate monthly income reports to accounts department for invoicing of African Safari Collective's monthly management fee.
• Monthly sales report back to Travel Partners.
• Generate and capture monthly reports from PMS to update marketing statistics for each Travel Partner.
• Responsible for monitoring and ensuring that reservations, tasks, deals and emails were being handled in a timely manner according to the designated timeframes within HubSpot.
• Responsible for monitoring and ensuring that payments received into each Travel Partner's bank account are allocated correctly and promptly with confirmations sent to guests.
• Processing of credit card transactions for each lodge's reservation/booking.
• Ensuring that refund requests were approved by Travel Partners and processed promptly either by myself or via our Accounts Department to ensure guest satisfaction.
• Recruited, interviewed and hired employees and facilitated their integration into our systems and team to promote positive feedback and engagement.
• Providing support and problem solving skills to Reservations Team.

• Maintained strong relationships with key clients, resulting in repeat business and increased bookings.
• Assisted front office staff in managing walk-ins or last-minute changes during peak periods, maintaining smooth operations and guest satisfaction levels.
• Handled special requests from guests with utmost professionalism, personalizing their stay experience whenever possible.
• Monitored inventory levels across multiple booking channels, preventing overbooking incidents and maximizing room revenue opportunities.
• Managed online booking inquiries and assisted guests and travel partners with questions throughout entire booking cycle.
• Maintained accurate records of bookings on hotel reservation system and forecasted probable revenue streams.
• Enhanced customer satisfaction by efficiently managing reservations and providing exceptional service.
• Streamlined reservation processes for increased efficiency and improved guest experience.
• Acted as liaison between reservations and other hotel departments, ensuring seamless communication and efficient problem resolution.
• Implemented training programs for reservation agents, improving their skills and enhancing overall performance.
• Contributed innovative ideas to improve reservation management software functionality based on user experiences.
• Coordinated group bookings for events or conferences, ensuring a seamless process from inquiry to checkout.
• Provided guests with information about availability and pricing.
• Answered incoming phone calls and developed friendly rapport with callers while answering questions, making recommendations, and leading conversations to bookings.
• Provided high level of customer service to each person by engaging customer and using active listening and effective interpersonal skills.
• Managed and closed reservation calls to increase bookings by maintaining strong knowledge of lodge's activities, services, and facilities.
• Updated guests regarding essential travel information, such as travel times, transportation connections when there were local disturbances in South Africa, including instances of flooding and civil unrest.
• Established team priorities, maintained schedules and monitored performance.
• Maintained professional demeanor by staying calm when addressing unhappy or angry guests and travel agents/tour operators.
• Maintained positive customer relations by addressing problems head-on and implementing successful corrective actions.

• Responded to all communications from guests, international and local travel agents/tour operators, and referral networks concerning reservations arriving by mail, telephone, or through a central reservation system timeously.
• Created and maintained reservation records - prepared confirmation letters and promptly processed any cancellations and modifications.
• · Assisted in booking of any extra activities such as bush walks, spa treatments, conservation activities.
• Sales of lodge packages (i.e. Beach and Bush or Bush and Wetlands packages) with other nearby lodges.
• Ensured all incoming calls were answered with courtesy and ensured efficient resolution of all guest inquiries for various lodge services and operations.
• Assisted marketing department with all marketing related issues. Ie. Updating of websites, rate sheets, brain storming for E-Flyers and Brochures as well as generating reports from PMS to provide marketing statistics.
• Updated online booking platforms with rates and specials we well as keeping lodge information correct and up to date on all booking platforms.
• Collaborated with marketing team to optimize revenue through strategic pricing strategies.
• Enhanced customer satisfaction by efficiently managing reservations and providing exceptional service.
• Managing and allocating of payments/deposits timeously.
• Spoke with local travel agents to arrange discounted hotel offers to improve booking levels.
• Worked closely with front desk to achieve full occupancy of property.
• Processing and allocating of cancellations/refunds.
• Maintained positive customer relations by addressing problems head-on and implementing successful corrective actions.
• Assisted and worked closely with Lodge Manager with any information/reports he/she may need
• Negotiating with guests to achieve best potential revenue while ensuring guests are happy and positive
• Be aware of and maintain relationships with regular guests and tour operators to encourage repeat business
• Cross selling of other properties within the group (African Safari Collective)