The History Of Holiday Representatives
They are responsible for people between the ages of eighteen to thirty during activities and night life entertainment which is normally held in the clubs around. They have to meet and greet people at the airport so it’s their job to make sure they know the amount of people they have to pick up at the airport. They are responsible to have great communication skills and to be able to meet new people everyday who they will then have to look after for a couple of days.
To the organisation
As they will be clubbing away most of the nights including the representative they have to make sure that the surrounding areas are safe for their customers. Health and safety checks are important this is in case of an incident which could occur especially if customers get too drunk so therefore the most important thing is to keep the place clean as possible and keep things where you found them.
To suppliers
There job is also to sell excursion like club and pub crawls, events outside the hotel and pool parties so therefore there responsibility is to make sure they are buying tickets from appropriate suppliers at a reasonable price especially because the representative look after a lot of people every week.
Roles and Duties
Meet and greet (Roles)
18-30 representatives have to take thousands of passengers all over the Mediterranean every summer and so therefore they have to meet and greet many people. In order to be keep the passengers entertained they need to have a great knowledge in communicating with them and have loads of confidence and enthusiasm.
Transfers
They transfer guests to and from the airport and hotels every day, they control airport transfers which means it’s an early start to take the departures to the airport and meet all the new arrivals. They are there to make sure that there are no problems with lost luggage or coaches.
Welcome meetings
They have to conduct welcome meetings which could be every day depending on the amount of clients or customers coming into the resort that you are currently working at. Welcome meetings consist of all the information that the guests need to know regarding excursions and activities within the hotel itself.
Information booklets
They are busy every day looking after their customer’s and participating in many activities and going on different excursions but they may have a bit of free time to get together an information booklet. This will give customers an idea of what they will be doing during their stay.
Health and safety checks
They complete risk assessments and health and safety checks which is very important and they will also have to make sure everything is up to standard. When they conduct these checks they will need to report any concerns they may have to someone who is higher than them in their career, they report incidents which they think is serious and they are not able to resolve on their own.
Selling (e.g. excursions, car hire)
They organise the entertainment for pool parties, club and pub crawls and party nights and they print off all the tickets needed for the events during the week. They also get involved in the activities; they make sure all clubs are safe and that the activities are located in appropriate areas.
Calculating payments (e.g. currency, commissions, liquidation)
They have to collect and balance foreign money and have a great knowledge to how to give discounts; this may be used if a customer is not happy with their hotel room for example the flush handle on the toilet is broken. Calculating foreign money can be quite difficult so they have to make sure they are giving the right amount to the customers because all pounds and notes are different world wide.
Administration and paperwork
They sort out all the reports and make sure that everyone has all the paperwork which they will need for the airport and the resorts in general. They also check that no last minute bookings have been made and report all the tickets that have been sold and expenses and suppliers that have been paid out that week.
Problem solving (e.g. overbooking’s, complaints)
They answer customers’ queries and problems, for example a passenger may have an accident in one of the night clubs and have to been taken to hospital in an emergency so it’s their job to go on that hospital trip with that passenger. This is because you will have to explain everything that happened and also because you are their representative during their stay.
Non routine incidents (e.g. accidents, illness, emergency situations)
Accidents and illness’ are a major situation and if for example a customer has jumped into the pool completely drunk, 18-30 representatives’ job is to make sure that there is a life guard around to jump in and get the passenger out as soon as possible.
Transfer Representatives
Responsibilities
To the customer
They are responsible to meet and greet passengers at the airport and take them to their hotel resort along with a talk on their journey to their accommodation keeping them entertained with commentary talk. They also have to keep an eye of each customer’s luggage so they get given the right one and their main job is to collect money from their customer’s followed by a receipt to show proof that they have paid.
To the organisation
Their responsibility is to let the receptionist at the hotel know how many passengers they will be bringing in and taking out each day so they know what rooms to clean. Health and safety checks regularly are important so all passengers can feel safe around the area these include checking hotel facilities and if they meet the customer’s requirements.
To suppliers
Transfer representatives are required to transfer passengers to and from the airport so therefore they have to keep in touch daily with coach companies. The reason for this is because the drivers of the coaches will need to know what hotel and airport to travel to and also the number of passengers they will be carrying as there will need to be luggage space at the bottom of the coach.
Roles and Duties
Meet and greet (Roles)
They meet passengers as soon as they get off the plane and arrive at the airport with a welcoming smile and the company placard which is always needed as you don’t know what your customers look like. This is followed by showing them their way to the coach with their bags and luggage.
Transfers
They accompany holiday makers to and from the airport and hotels by coach and they are the first to be seen by the passengers so therefore they always need to be approachable and carry a smile with them everywhere they travel.
Coach commentaries
During the coach trips down to the resorts they will have to keep their passengers welcomed and entertained and are also responsible for conducting a welcome talk that includes basic information about the resort which they will be staying in.
Welcome meetings
They are normally held in the hotel itself which explains the drop offs which they will have to do regularly either at hotels or the airport, how long the trip will last altogether and when their welcome meetings will be conducted.
Notice boards
They have to read the transport department notice board on a daily basis to remind themselves what coach they will be picking their passengers up with, the time and date, name of airport, name of hotel and also the number of passengers they will be collecting.
Health and safety checks
They have to ensure all health and safety requirements are met in relation to transfers and carry them out on all hotels. This is important because you do not want passengers to carry a complaint about the rooms especially if it’s their first time staying in that hotel.
Calculating payments (e.g. currency, commissions, liquidation)
They will have to collect money from clients followed by a receipt to show evidence that the passenger have paid and also keep in mind the number of passengers they are taking making sure they identify their baggage. To help speed up the routine they could count the number of baggage personally.
Administration and paperwork
They have to accurately complete paperwork relating to transfers in relation with company guidelines and resort timeframes, complete basic records and write reports.
Problem solving (e.g. overbooking’s, complaints)
They have to deal with lost luggage and any injuries and thefts which may occur either at the resort or at the airport before getting picked up.
Non routine incidents (e.g. accidents, illness, emergency situations)
If any serious accidents occur or someone is seriously ill then they call for help as their role is to only complete the paperwork where they record the accidents for example; time, date, place, name of person and the accident that has happened.
Children’s Representatives
Responsibilities
To the customer
They are responsible to look after young children and keep them entertained by involving in a variety of activities in the hotel itself as well as outside and also to organise events and day trips out. Their main job is to tidy up after every mess they make and this is all due to health and safety, if an accident was to happen involving a child you will have responsibility for that and their parents will not feel safe to leave their child with you.
To the organisation
As they will be busy entertaining young children with board activities, quizzes, painting and drawing they have to make sure every area is clean and suitable for the kids to move around the room. Activities which are held in the resort itself can be quite nosy especially young children as they get excited easily, so therefore it’s the representatives job to make sure they are on their best behaviour and can keep the noise down as there will be people in their rooms and moving around the building.
To suppliers
Children Representatives are mainly required to hire a hall or a room at a hotel for the kids to be kept entertained for a day or two so they will have to rely on staff working in the hotel. This is because they will need to know where everything is to put it back at the end of the day and what equipment they are allowed to use.
Roles and Duties
Meet and greet (Roles)
They have to build a great rapport with the children as well as their parents on arrival and explain how you will be their guide throughout their holiday; they will be responsible for escorting guests to their hotel.
Welcome meetings
They also hold a welcome meeting which consists of promoting holidays to the children and their parent’s advertising the children’s club alongside an overseas consultant.
Notice boards
Notice boards are required as they have to advertise what they will be doing each day, the times of each activity including snack and lunch breaks and also where the activities are going to be placed. The notice board will be up for the children’s parents to keep them informed of details of excursions as this includes travelling outside of the hotel.
Information booklets
Information booklets can be given out to parents and their children either on the coach, at the resort itself on the reception desk or even in their hotel rooms; this includes all the activities, excursions to do, restaurants around, fire exits and contact details of the hotel and the representative.
Health and safety checks
They have to focus on the health and safety of the children within the club environment and during the activities they participate in. This is to ensure no accidents or injuries occur within the resort and to make sure that the hotel is environmentally friendly. They also complete risk assessments for the children’s club and off-site as well as identifying the risks.
Selling (e.g. excursions, car hire)
They organise the activities to do and also the excursions meaning days out and taking the children to visit somewhere, they have to contact wherever they wish to visit and to let them know roughly the times they will enter and leave and also the number of children visiting.
Calculating payments (e.g. currency, commissions, liquidation)
They will have to collect payments from parents if they wish for their child to exit out of the hotel building and visit places with their guide and other children. They also need to have some background knowledge of different currencies because different countries require different types of money.
Administration and paperwork
Children’s representative complete accident forms in case of a serious fall which required an ambulance and they record incidents including; time, date, place and what happened. Their job is also to maintain attendance lists and register this is in case of an emergency where everyone has to leave the building, occasionally count that they have the right number of children with them, collect parent’s contact details and book in and out procedures.
Problem solving (e.g. overbooking’s, complaints)
They answer any questions parents may have and deal with any complaints for example a child was wearing a cardigan outside the hotel on her excursion with her team leader and came back to her parents without the cardigan. The parents will then argue about their daughter’s cardigan and it will be the children’s representative job to try and get it back by phoning wherever they had visited for the day.
Non routine incidents (e.g. accidents, illness, emergency situations)
Children have different needs; some have walking difficulties so therefore uses a wheelchair, some may be either blind or deaf, others may have an allergy to a certain food whereas others may have health needs e.g. eczema, asthma or diabetes. If any child has a serious accident for example a child on a wheelchair falls over then they will have the responsibility to deal with that so before looking after children they have to make sure they know each child’s personal details.
Organising activities (e.g. children’s club)
They organising daytime and evening activities which include singing competitions, quizzes, board games, ball games which is held in the club, around the club and off-site. Excursions include children theme parks, aquariums, water parks, swimming pools, farms and zoos. They read bedtime stories to get them to fall asleep as some kids can be hyper from their day out and therefore cannot fall asleep. They also create safe activities for all ages, including anything from pyjama parties and sports days through to pirate and fairytale themed shows and activities.
Managing groups
Using their communication and observation skills they help all the children they look after to manage behaviour, resolve conflict and help them participate in activities. This will help them boost their confidence and enjoy something they have never done before or anything they thought they would never be able to do.
Cleaning
After each activity they are responsible to tidy up the mess which is left after a full day of different activities, this will help reduce accidents and injuries which could occur during the day if for example someone left a chair in the middle of the room.
