Tour Sales Consultant

Overview

COMPANY SUMMARY

At Holiday Vacations, our mission is to enrich lives with valued travel experiences. We offer inclusive guided tours led by professional Tour Directors to more than 70 destinations on six continents. We travel by air, motor coach, trains, and cruises on itineraries that bring the destination alive for our guests. We are headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and are a subsidiary of Xanterra Travel Collection, the largest national park concessionaire in the U.S. Xanterra also owns other tour operator and cruise line brands including VBT Bicycling Vacations, Country Walkers, and Windstar Cruises.

We offer a competitive hourly wage and bonuses, as well as a full benefits package including medical, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, 401k with company match, company contributions to HSA account, PTO, pet insurance, AFLAC, and more.  

POSITION SUMMARY

This position will work under the supervision of the Tour Sales Manager and is responsible for securing tour sales and providing exceptional guest service, from the guest’s first contact with Holiday Vacations until the completion of their tour. A Tour Sales Consultant must be passionate about travel and believe in the products we offer and our brand.

WELCOME TO “THE HV WAY”

• Honesty & Integrity: We act with honesty and accountability, building trust with every guest, partner, and teammate. We keep our promises.
• Create Community: We create community by treating each other and our guests like extended family, fostering belonging, celebrating, and supporting one another.
• Surprise & Delight: We go beyond expectations to create meaningful experiences. We make every effort to exceed expectations.
• Grow Together: We embrace curiosity, feedback, and continuous learning, always striving to be better and do better.
• Innovate Boldly: We seek fresh ideas, adapt to change, and look for ways to stay ahead in a dynamic travel landscape.
• Protect What Matters: We prioritize safety and sustainability for our people, our guests, and the places we explore.
• Celebrate the Team: We succeed together, value each person’s gifts and contributions, and take time to enjoy the journey along the way.

HOLIDAY VACATIONS CORE COMPETENCIES

Every Holiday Vacations employee is expected to demonstrate these core competencies.

• Accountability by taking ownership of their actions and outcomes. They embrace feedback, make improvements when needed, and work diligently to ensure the highest standards in all aspects of their work.
• Attention to Detail by thoroughly reviewing their work, ensuring accuracy and precision in all tasks. They focus on the small but critical aspects of projects, consistently identifying and correcting errors to maintain quality and efficiency.
• Communication Skills by conveying information clearly and effectively across various channels, actively listening to others, and tailoring their messages to ensure mutual understanding and engagement with diverse audiences.
• Guest Service by anticipating and responding to guests’ needs, creating a welcoming environment, and consistently delivering exceptional experiences. Demonstrating empathy, enthusiasm, professionalism, and attentiveness, ensuring every guest feels valued and supported.
• Relationship Building by establishing trust, maintaining open communication, and fostering long-term connections. Actively listening, showing genuine interest in others, and engaging in meaningful interactions that result in loyalty, collaboration, and mutual respect.
• Sales by identifying guests’ needs, showcasing product or service value, and guiding prospects toward informed decisions. Leveraging knowledge, communicating clearly, and adapting an approach to build rapport, close deals, and achieve growth targets.

Responsibilities

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Receive inbound guest calls while remaining customer-focused, consistently providing excellent customer service.
• Reach out to guests who engaged with Holiday Vacations on-line. WE DO NOT DO COLD CALLING!
• Conduct outbound service calls for requested follow up with guests related to pre-tour notifications, departure point changes, reservation confirmations, and to finalize any other questions.
• Stay current and up to date on tour itinerary details, destination knowledge, as well as industry trends.
• Data entry reservations, cancellations, and transfers into the reservation system, maintain accuracy of guest accounts in the reservations system.
• Process payments securely and accurately.
• Support guest’s needs, clarify information, research issues, while providing solutions in a timely and professional manner.
• Stay current and up to date on promotional materials to sell tour packages such as brochures, catalogs, and travel deals.
• Partner with guests to build a long-lasting relationship.
• Collaborate with internal departments to improve workflows and maximize the guest experience.
• Professionally and accurately share the benefits of travel insurance and loyalty programs to guests on every call.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & EXPERIENCE

• Passion for travel that can be shared with others.
• Two or more years of experience in sales or customer service.
• Exceptional ability to handle a high volume and wide variety of calls with enthusiasm, empathy, patience, and professionalism.
• Desire to exceed sales and performance metrics.
• Proficiency with MS Office products (Excel, Outlook, Word, and Teams).
• Experience with contact center phone system (Ring Central).
• Ability to expertly navigate between multiple software programs to provide seamless and excellent guest service.
• Strong typing skills – at least 35 WPM.
• Excellent listening skills, demonstrating a warm, enthusiastic, and caring personality that naturally shines through in phone interactions, helping guests feel valued, heard, and excited about their travel experience.
• Demonstrates genuine compassion and eagerness to provide outstanding service to every guest.
• Strong time management and decision-making skills.
• Ability to adapt quickly to an ever-changing, high-paced contact center environment.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Ability to work both independently and within a team and also collaborate with other departments within the company.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND ARRANGEMENTS

Work Location: The location for work is the Holiday Vacations corporate headquarters in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The office environment may have moderate noise levels from office equipment and verbal interaction.

Schedule: Work hours are generally during the regular business week, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm CST with a one-hour unpaid lunch, but there may be variations due to the time of year, and department demands. This position follows a hybrid work arrangement, involving a rotation of working in office one week followed by working from home (in the State of Wisconsin) the next 2-3 weeks.

PLEASE NOTE: The first 4-6 weeks of training are required to be on-site in Eau Claire, WI. Once you have completed training and are performing at an acceptable level, you will have the option to work remotely from home, assuming you can meet the requirements of working remotely.

Physical Requirements: The job requires the ability to sit for extended periods of time, as well as the ability to frequently walk and lift or carry up to 35 lbs. May require bending, twisting, stooping, grasping, and reaching outward or above shoulders, lift/carry and push or pull up to 50 lbs. Intense mental and visual concentration is required for computer usage.

TECHNICAL AND HOME-OFFICE REQUIREMENTS 

• Must have a distraction-free workspace/environment with space for a desktop computer with two monitors.
• Must have a stable power source and internet connection, including a dedicated high-speed internet and ethernet connection.
• Connection cannot be wireless, Wi-Fi extenders, Wi-Fi repeaters, or hotspots.
• Ability to plug in your equipment to modem/router during work times.

BENEFITS:

For full-time employees, Holiday Vacations offers a comprehensive benefits package including: Medical, Dental & Vision; HSA & FSA; Life & Disability; Accident, Hospital & Critical Illness; Pet Insurance; Paid Time Off and Holiday Paid Time Off; 401(k) with Company Match; Employee Assistance Plan; Education Assistance; and Employee Discounts and Travel Deals.

EEO: 

Holiday Vacations is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace.  We are an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.