Executive Assistant and Customer Support Manager

Upani Homes is a hospitality company that runs a bed and breakfast located in Diani, South Coast, Kenya and is expanding to other locations in the next 12 months along with our clients. 

We are looking to add Customer Support Representatives who are outgoing, customer oriented and communicate effectively with a wide range of callers and messages, close the sale, and input detailed information into the appropriate reservation system accurately and efficiently. If you have a passion for helping people then this is the opportunity for you!

We work hard and reward hard work! We offer a competitive commission structure on top of our hourly/monthly stipend pay for employees who meet monthly sales goals.

Schedule Requirements: To best serve the needs of our customers, our Reservation Sales team is available 12 hours a day 6 days a week. You will be working as part of a dynamic 24-hour on-call staff, whether on a part time of full-time basis and will be responsible for answering low to medium volumes of customer calls, emails and messages, and serving all properties and clients under management support.

Responsibilities:

• The candidate must be able to handle incoming calls and messages every day and talk or email with potential customers across multiple countries and time zones
• The successful candidate will ensure that all inbound calls, emails and messages are answered in a professional and courteous manner, that proper selling techniques are utilized to maximize sales. 
• The candidate will be responsible for ensuring all reservations are backed by relevant documents and emails.
• Provide excellent customer service to customers
• Maintain a courteous and pleasant demeanor while speaking with external and internal customers
• Strive to exceed sales targets – take appropriate steps to meet monthly personal and department sales goals (based on bookings, revenue, etc.)
• Provide timely and accurate information reflecting a customer-oriented image for the company
• Seek to improve job performance through self-assessment, skill development, training and goal setting
• Proactively contact potential corporate and institutional clients to make proposals.
• Follow sales techniques to maximize revenue
• Handle multiple tasks (i.e., talking with customers while accessing information in a computer)
• Maintain, at a minimum, target levels of productivity and performance
• Locate and interpret complex information from a number of databases
• Adapt to the needs of individual callers
• Accept repetitive work tasks performed in a confined work area
• Maintain a regular and reliable level of attendance and punctuality
• Perform miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned
• Providing administrative assistance, such as writing and editing emails, drafting memos and preparing communications on the executive's behalf
• Maintaining comprehensive and accurate corporate records, documents and reports
• Performing minor accounting and bookkeeping duties
• Organizing meetings, including scheduling, sending reminders and organizing catering when necessary
• Answering incoming phone calls in a polite and professional manner and accurately taking messages
• Welcoming visitors and identifying the purpose of their visit before directing them to the appropriate department
• Managing the executive's day-to-day calendar, including making appointments and prioritizing the most sensitive matters
• Coordinating travel arrangements (both domestic and international) and create trip itineraries
• Using various software, including word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation software to prepare reports and/or special projects

Qualifications:

• The successful candidate must be able type well and must be experienced with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.). 
• Prior experience in a similar role and knowledge of online reservations systems (booking engines such as booking.com, Airbnb and channel managers) will be a distinct advantage. 
• The candidate should be able to multi-task, have exceptional attention to detail. A written assessment to test command of the English language will be administered. The role will involve shift work.
• One year sales experience in a performance/commission-based or metric-driven environment will be an advantage
• Minimum of six months customer service experience, Call or support center experience preferred
• Work-related experience working on a personal computer (PC), navigating through multiple computer systems and screens
• A defined working space that is clean, ventilated, quiet, and free of distractions
• Ability to participate and complete mandatory training for 1 week.
• Must be willing to work a part or full time schedule with regular times including weekends if on a shift schedule (Saturday & Sunday)
• Must be willing to accept a commission-based pay in addition to a stipend.
• Must be authorized to work in the country of work location and not require work authorization sponsorship by our company for this position now or in the future
• Must be at least 18 years old

Qualified candidates must also possess the following:

• Exceptional communication both verbal and written; a good telephone voice, proper English usage, and the ability to “project” oneself over the phone are necessary
• Knowledge and understanding of company’s principles, policies, procedures and standards
• Strong sense of initiative, requiring little direct supervision
• Ability to maintain confidential information
• Strong time management and organizational skills
• Comfortable working independently or in a team
• Ability to exercise sound judgment to make decisions toward the objective of satisfying all brands
• Ability to work with difficult customers in difficult situations
• Strong technical aptitude with the ability to self-troubleshoot

Only candidates that make it to the next stage of recruitment will be contacted.

The advertisement will remain open until the position is filled.