Consultant, AMER Operations Support

Role Purpose

Provide consultation and customer service support to hotel operators, IHG corporate employees and non-IHG partners globally. Field incoming e-mails and liaise to obtain information regarding general inquiries including but not limited to brand initiatives, channel distribution, hotel standards and operations, hotel emergency and customer service support to hotel operators. When needed, provide outbound calls and e-mails to hotel operators to communicate important IHG information, such as operating requirements and important deadlines. Support AMER Quality with various compliance tasks and campaigns. Implement tailored onboarding programs for new department heads or managers at IHG hotels in the Americas region.

Key Accountabilities

• Receive inbound e-mails from IHG hotels, internal colleagues and non-IHG contacts across all brands and regions. Liaise Americas inquiries with the Hotel Operations Support Team in the said region. Answer questions and resolve issues globally requiring a wide range of knowledge of performance reports (STR Reports, IHG Fundamentals and other dashboards), IHG programs, promotions, revenue management systems (IHG Concerto and Property Management Systems), IHG and third-party distribution channels (direct channels, OTAs, meta search), rate and inventory management and general hotel operations.
• Route incoming e-mails from internal IHG stakeholders, field-based employees and liaise to resolve issues requiring a wide range of knowledge of IHG programs, promotions, revenue management systems (IHG Concerto and property management system), rate and inventory management, distribution, content and general hotel operations.
• Investigate booking and content distribution issues and other barriers to revenue generation when reported by hotels, IHG personnel, or travel industry customers. Capture trends and report issues impacting normal hotel operations based on daily contacts. Provide this data to the Operations Manager, Regional VP of Operations Support & Services, and stakeholders. Ensure all channels are fully functioning.
• Perform electronic data management work. Update hotel profile in IHG and partner databases. Manage IHG onboarding processes for qualified hotel-based key players.
• Collaborate with other members of the Hotel Operations Support organization to routinely review consulting efforts to ensure that all resources are up-to-date, and that each customer interaction is positively perceived and of high value to the customer.
• Handle hotel incidents as they are reported to IHG; escalate issues to the appropriate HOS Operations Manager when necessary and ensure internal functions are aware of the issues reported.
• Prepare Quality reports covering Guest Love, Standards, and hotel compliance tracking.
• Monitor progress of Mandatory Improvement Plans (Quality Evaluations, Action Plans, capital improvement, and other IHG programs) covering all AMER hotels.
• Monitor submission of various compliance certificates from AMER hotels and report trends as appropriate.
• Distribute Compliance Letters to Owners signed on behalf of various IHG Senior Leaders.
• Support AMER Quality team on various compliance initiatives campaigns with report building, tracking, and email distribution tasks.
• Develop rapport with hotel operators and serve as a valuable and trusted partner, providing our hotels and partners with information and quick resolution of issues with a goal of one contact resolution.
• Contact key hotel personnel via outbound call or e-mail campaigns to communicate important and time sensitive information from the IHG corporate office when needed.
• Stay informed of IHG standards and initiatives through various IHG learning platforms, applying knowledge to hotel education through audits recommendations.
• At the direction of the Operations Manager, independently complete ad hoc projects that impact performance on revenue and support our partner teams.
  
  

Key Metrics

• Review email contacts from IHG colleagues, hotels, and external contacts; refer issues to appropriate specialist or team and handle escalations as appropriate.
• Review and resolve content and distribution issues across IHG and third party booking engines and meta search platforms; escalate to internal and external contacts as appropriate. Ensure cases are updated and monitored up to resolution.
• Perform electronic data management work. Update hotel key players in IHG and partner databases; modify or upload local hotel information and other hotel content fields affecting placement in third party search engines and maps.
• Monitor and ensure timely follow-up of completion of onboarding processes for qualified hotel key players.
• Ensure prompt assignment of time-sensitive hotel cases impacting revenue, operations, and other highly sensitive incidents to appropriate specialists as they are reported to IHG.
• Ensure accuracy and timely preparation of reports including, but not limited to IHG Connect status, Guest Love compliance, Quality Ageing, Billing, change of Ownership, System Size updates among others.
• Ensure accuracy and timely delivery of Guest Love compliance letters to IHG owners and/or their representatives.
• Ensure accurate tracking of various Certificates of Compliance in the AMER region.
• Ensure timely creation and distribution of Salesperson compliance reporting and trend reports for relevant onboarding programs.
  
  

Qualifications –

Minimum Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management, Business, Education, or a relevant field of work or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience.

Experience –

At least 3+ year’s progressive work-related experience with demonstrated proficiency in customer service in the Service/Hospitality industry involving hotel operations.

Required Skills –

• Ability to interpret available information, visualize and articulate recommendations or solutions for both basic and complex problems.
• Self-starter with high drive for results, demonstrated excellent foresight, problem solving and time management skills
• Ability to create and sustain high impact trusted relationships with peers, local support groups, internal and external partners.
• Experience and knowledge of hotel operations and content standards and guidelines enabling operational excellence in driving revenue.
• Demonstrated clear, concise, and succinct communication skills, including adapting both verbal and written communications to the needs and level of user. Must be able to provide clear instructions and remain composed and professional when handling emergency situations
• Demonstrated attention to detail and ability to manage multiple tasks/clients required.
• Demonstrated knowledge of hotel systems and procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to keep current with industry trends/changes.
• Ability to see the bigger picture; demonstrated aptitude to learn and adapt to fast changing environment and provide insights to help drive the business.
• Utilization of a contact management system with an ability to clearly document call details and any timely follow-up notes and actions as required.
• Strong technical skills in utilizing Microsoft O365 applications including but not limited to, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams. Experience in Salesforce and other cloud-based platforms is highly preferred but not required.
• Strong technical skills in utilizing mail merge, and EmailOpen is highly preferred but not required.
• Proficiency in Excel covering complex formulas and automation (MACROS, VBasic preferred), create and manipulate charts and pivot tables for data analysis and trend reporting.
  
  

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