How to hire a reservations agent

How to hire a reservations agent, step by step

Here's a step-by-step reservations agent hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a reservations agent job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new reservations agent
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a reservations agent do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The reservations agent hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a reservations agent to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a reservations agent that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of reservations agent salaries for various roles:

   Type of Reservations Agent	Description	Hourly rate
   Reservations Agent	Information clerks perform routine clerical duties such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.	$12-18
   Agent	Agents are individuals who are employed by their clients to represent them in various dealings. Agents are usually employed by people in the show business industry, such as actors, writers, or directors... Show more	$9-34
   Travel Agent	Travel agents help plan, choose, and organize travel schedules. Generally, they ensure that clients can efficiently process their travel plans and get the best travel experience possible... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Reservations
   • Customer Service
   • Booking
   • Data Entry
   • Front Desk
   • Telephone Calls
   • Room Reservations
   • Computer System
   • Reservation System
   • Credit Card Payments
   • Inbound Phone Calls
   • Customer Inquiries
   • Hotel Reservations
   • Hotel Services

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Utilize OpenTable to take and manage reservations both from incoming calls and ones request online.
   • Manage computerized bookings and reservations, corporate and private account management, credit card authorizations, billing, and discrepancy resolutions.
   • Provide exceptional level of customer service to incoming callers while focusing on sales by booking reservations consistently and correctly.
   • Used signature sales techniques to determine needs of guests, rates, and upsell.
   • Book reservations for hotel rooms, cabins, RV areas, tent sites, and bunk house rooms.
   • Discuss financial data and clarify information to ensure correct data entry relative to the individual booking.

   More reservations agent duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your reservations agent job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A reservations agent salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, reservations agents' average salary in indiana is 47% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level reservations agents earn 34% less than senior-level reservations agents.
   • Certifications. A reservations agent with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a reservations agent's salary.

   Average reservations agent salary

   $15.19hourly

   $31,591 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level reservations agent salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 21, 2025

   Average reservations agent salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Hawaii	$43,249	$21
   2	Illinois	$42,757	$21
   3	Maryland	$34,298	$16
   4	New York	$34,133	$16
   5	Washington	$33,864	$16
   6	California	$33,117	$16
   7	Oregon	$31,459	$15
   8	Colorado	$30,752	$15
   9	Arizona	$30,606	$15
   10	West Virginia	$30,148	$14
   11	District of Columbia	$29,957	$14
   12	Connecticut	$29,851	$14
   13	Massachusetts	$29,255	$14
   14	South Carolina	$28,814	$14
   15	Texas	$28,508	$14
   16	Florida	$28,464	$14
   17	Nevada	$28,238	$14
   18	Pennsylvania	$27,697	$13
   19	Georgia	$25,686	$12
   20	Alaska	$25,548	$12

   Average reservations agent salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	HEI Hotels & Resorts	$36,954	$17.77	53
   2	Costco Wholesale	$36,746	$17.67	3
   3	Wyndham Hotels & Resorts	$36,601	$17.60	10
   4	Hilton Grand Vacations	$36,571	$17.58	38
   5	Mandarin Oriental	$36,522	$17.56	2
   6	Hyatt Hotels	$36,412	$17.51	35
   7	Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts	$36,395	$17.50	9
   8	Rosewood Hotels & Resorts	$35,961	$17.29	2
   9	JEAN-GEORGES MANAGEMENT	$35,669	$17.15
   10	Montage Hotels & Resorts	$35,654	$17.14	24
   11	ACE Adventure Resort	$35,199	$16.92
   12	POWDR	$35,114	$16.88
   13	Palace Entertainment	$34,759	$16.71
   14	U-Haul	$34,670	$16.67	1,055
   15	Saint Anselm College	$34,642	$16.65
   16	Sundance Mountain Resort	$34,011	$16.35
   17	Marriott International	$33,970	$16.33	224
   18	Troon	$33,970	$16.33	4
   19	Legal Sea Foods	$33,762	$16.23
   20	Devil's Thumb Ranch	$33,526	$16.12

4. Writing a reservations agent job description

   A job description for a reservations agent role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a reservations agent job description:

   Reservations agent job description example

   Become A Reservationist for First Transit! *$3,000 Sign-on Bonus* Become a part of our First Transit team as a Reservationist. We hire individuals who
   make safety and customer service their top priorities. If you have the drive, confidence,
   and determination to succeed, we are looking for you!
   At First Transit, we are proud to offer: $16.00/ HR Tremendous career advancement opportunities due to a strong presence across North America. Comprehensive benefits packages. A great work environment. Reservationist responsibilities include:
   • Answers all incoming phone calls promptly and courteously.
   • Efficiently receives all ride request information from callers and repeats all information received to confirm accuracy.
   • Records type of service/related information accurately on each ride request.
   • Establishes rapport and professional confidence level with passengers and is sensitive to passengers needs.
   • Has proficient knowledge of Scheduling System.
   • Possesses knowledge of First Transit and “agency” policies and Procedures.
   • Efficiency is demonstrated by average telephone talk time.
   • Has excellent knowledge of service area and is proficient in use of street directory and reverse directory.
   • Creates manual trip ticket when system is at capacity and forwards to scheduler/dispatcher
   • Suggests alternatives to passengers if system is at capacity at a particular time.
   • Maintains organized work environment.
   • Maintains the highest standard of excellence for subordinates, company
   personnel, and all people contacted through personal appearance and attitude.
   Reservationist requirements:
   • Knowledge of computers
   • Customer service experience
   • Phone/Call center experience
   • Experience with filing, data processing
   • Familiar with service area
   • Able to make sound judgment decisions
   • Team-player attitude We aspire to have a culture where all people are First. We strive to attract and retain a diverse workforce therefore all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. First is also committed to providing a drug-free workplace. For candidates applying to positions in San Francisco or Los Angeles California, First will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance or Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance. First is an equal opportunity employer and by doing so we will sustain and promote an inclusive culture that supports future growth for all.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find reservations agents for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your reservations agent job on Zippia to find and recruit reservations agent candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit reservations agents, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new reservations agent

   Once you've found the reservations agent candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new reservations agent. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a reservations agent?