What does a reservations agent do?
Reservation agents, also known as travel clerks, are responsible for helping clients plan and book their reservations. They are often employed by hotels, resorts, airlines, car rentals, and travel agencies. A reservation agent may help clients online, over the phone, or in person. The agent's duties include making reservations, answering customers' questions, and selling additional products and services. Also, the agent processes payments and sends receipts and confirmation of the booking to clients. Individuals who aspire to this job must have excellent customer service and communication skills.
Reservations agent responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real reservations agent resumes:
- 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.
- Provide exceptional customer service in processing reservations, including resolving escalate customer problems; book VIP groups.
- Demonstrate professionalism and efficiency assisting customers with hotel reservations and complaints worldwide or redirecting them to the correct department.
- Used RV park specific software.
- Complete reservations using LMS for casino members and non members.
- Process campground check in/check out payments and provide office and retail store support.
- Maintain organization and cleanliness of customer lounge, lobby and office work space.
- Provide superior customer service to IHG guests, with quick and courteous telephone interactions.
- Schedule dining reservations using the OpenTable program and arrange parties or special services for diners.
- Cross train in PBX switch board, transfer calls to administration, casino and hotel guests.
Reservations agent skills and personality traits
We calculated that 51% of Reservations Agents are proficient in Reservations, Customer Service, and Booking. They’re also known for soft skills such as Integrity, Organizational skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Reservations Agents that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Reservations, 51%
Demonstrated professionalism and efficiency assisting customers with hotel reservations and complaints worldwide or redirecting them to the correct department.
- Customer Service, 7%
Provided accurate information regarding customer service concerns, itinerary changes, domestic flight availability, and arrival and departure times,.
- Booking, 6%
Generated a weekly call tracking comparison report and a detailed Presidential and Executive booking report for the General Manager.
- Data Entry, 3%
Utilized spreadsheet software for accounting, data entry and retrieval and PowerPoint graphic illustration of statistical data.
- Front Desk, 3%
Handled front desk responsibilities including transferring incoming calls and helping each guest with their accommodations and reservation.
- Telephone Calls, 3%
Answered inbound telephone calls from members, effectively answered inquiries and educated members regarding all program options and benefits.
Most reservations agents use their skills in "reservations," "customer service," and "booking" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential reservations agent responsibilities here:
Integrity. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a reservations agent to have is integrity. Their role and responsibilities require that "information clerks, particularly human resources assistants, have access to confidential information." Reservations agents often use integrity in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "inputted guest information into unified desktop (gui) computer systems, ensuring maximum data integrity and accuracy. "
Organizational skills. Another essential skill to perform reservations agent duties is organizational skills. Reservations agents responsibilities require that "information clerks must be able to retrieve files and other important information quickly and efficiently." Reservations agents also use organizational skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "interacted extensively with clients; made reservations, ensuring maximum guest satisfaction while adhering to organizational capabilities and schedules. "
Interpersonal skills. reservations agents are also known for interpersonal skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to reservations agent responsibilities, because "information clerks who work with the public and customers must understand and communicate information effectively to establish positive relationships." A reservations agent resume example shows how interpersonal skills is used in the workplace: "provided a high level of customer service and client relations based on outstanding communication and interpersonal skills over the phone. "
Communication skills. reservations agent responsibilities often require "communication skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "information clerks must be able to explain policies and procedures clearly to customers and the public." This resume example shows what reservations agents do with communication skills on a typical day: "developed successful client relationships with obtaining hotel reservations through various forms of communications including data entry. "
The three companies that hire the most reservations agents are:
- U-Haul86 reservations agents jobs
- Aimbridge Hospitality17 reservations agents jobs
- MV Transportation15 reservations agents jobs
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Compare different reservations agents
Reservations agent vs. Train clerk
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. They meet people who are interested in dealing with their clients. They listen to the plans and vision for the project and assess if the project fits their clients' interests or public image. In the case of agents whose clients are actors, they send their clients to auditions upon review of the project details. Agents are also responsible for negotiating terms on behalf of their clients, such as salary, royalties, and set benefits, among others. They also inform the project leaders of their clients' demands on set. Agents are expected to be business-savvy and good negotiators.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between reservations agents and train clerk. For instance, reservations agent responsibilities require skills such as "reservations," "booking," "data entry," and "front desk." Whereas a train clerk is skilled in "learning management system," "safety issues," "access database," and "spreadsheets." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Train clerks tend to reach similar levels of education than reservations agents. In fact, train clerks are 4.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.7% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Reservations agent vs. Travel clerk
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. Primarily, they assist individuals, groups, and business travelers in booking their flights and hotel accommodations, buying tickets to events, and arranging their transport from one place to the other. They also provide recommendations for itineraries and offer travel packages from different airlines, hotels, or cruise lines. Travel agents can work as freelancers or mostly be employed by travel agencies.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real reservations agent resumes. While reservations agent responsibilities can utilize skills like "booking," "data entry," "room reservations," and "computer system," travel clerks use skills like "defense travel system," "dod," "travel orders," and "dts."
In general, travel clerks achieve similar levels of education than reservations agents. They're 2.3% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Reservations agent vs. Agent
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a reservations agent is likely to be skilled in "reservations," "booking," "data entry," and "front desk," while a typical agent is skilled in "insurance products," "life insurance," "hr," and "inbound calls."
Agents typically earn similar educational levels compared to reservations agents. Specifically, they're 2.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Reservations agent vs. Travel agent
Types of reservations agent
Updated January 8, 2025
