BNC/D Travel & Tourism

Unit 14: Roles & Responsibilities of Holiday Representatives

Produced by Claudia Maris

Assignment Timetable:

Assignment 1 & 2:Handout: TBCHand in: TBC

Assignment 2Handout: TBCHand in: TBC

All the above dates to be confirmedGrading CriteriaIn order to pass this unit, the evidence that the learner presents for assessment needs to demonstrate that they can meet all of the learning outcomes for the unit. The criteria for a pass grade describe the level of achievement required to pass this unit.

To achieve a pass grade the evidence must showthat the learner is able to:

To achieve a merit grade the evidence must showthat, in addition to the pass criteria, the learner is able to:

To achieve a distinction grade the evidence mustshow that, in addition to the pass and merit criteria, the learner is able to:

P1 describe the roles and responsibilities for three different categories of holiday representatives

M1 compare the roles and responsibilities for two categories of holidayrepresentatives

D1 analyse how the roles and responsibilities of the holiday representative can contribute to the overall holiday experience

P2 identify and explain the legal responsibilities of holiday representatives in four different holidaysituations

M2 demonstrate effective social, customer service and selling skills when delivering a transfer speech and welcome meeting

D2 consistently project a confident, professional image when dealing with customers in different situations.

P3 describe the role played by holiday representatives in creating a safe and healthy holiday environment

M3 deal effectively with customers in different situations and accurately complete all relevant documentation.

P4 use social, customer service and selling skills to deliver an arrival transfer speech and plan and deliver a welcome meeting, completing appropriate documentation

P5 use social and customer service skills to deal with customers in different situations, completing appropriate documentation.

Assignment One

Scenario Overseas recruitment and training is underway for Soleil Holidays and a series of recruitment days has been planned in different locations around the country. These will be followed by training programmes for successful candidates.

You are employed by Soleil Holidays as a holiday representative during the summer season and this year, for the first time, you are working with the overseas recruitment team for the winter months. You are keen to make a positive impression.

Task 1 (will provide evidence for P1)

The recruitment packs will include information sheets with descriptions of the roles and responsibilities of the different categories of holiday representative. You have been asked to provide information sheets for three different types of representative including one type of resort representative, for example property, over-50s or 18-30s, plus two others selected from ski, transfer, children’s and campsite representative.

Each information sheet must include a concise and clear written description of that type of representative’s roles and responsibilities to the customer, to the organisation and to suppliers, including (as appropriate) a description of roles and responsibilities in respect of:

• meet and greet

• transfers and coach commentaries

• welcome meetings

• noticeboards and information booklets

• health and safety checks

• property visits

• selling, calculating payments and liquidations, including commission

• administration and paperwork

• problem solving

• non-routine incidents

• organising activities

• managing groups

• other category specific responsibilities. If you wish you could write these as ‘A week in the life of’ descriptions, making sure that these include all relevant roles and responsibilities for that

particular category of representative. All descriptions must be in your own words; it is not sufficient to produce bulleted lists or tour operators’ job descriptions.

Task 2 (completion of each scenario in Task 2 will provide evidence for P2)As part of the recruitment process, applicants will be given scenarios to test their awareness of the legal responsibilities of representatives and you have been asked to prepare exemplar responses to the four scenarios that are going to form part of the assessment.For each scenario identify and explain:• The legal responsibilities of the representative, indicating which laws or regulations would be relevant to that particular situation (at least four different laws or regulations should be included across the four scenarios)• The contractual relationship between the tour operator and the supplier• The contractual relationship between the tour operator and the customer, including booking conditions where applicable• The action that needs to be taken by the representative including liaison with the resort office and the UK• The reporting and recording process including the documentation that needs to be completed.

Scenario 1You are on duty at the Hotel Olympiad and receive a complaint from a customer that the advertised sauna and gym in the hotel do not exist.

Scenario 2You are on duty at the airport and have checked your transfer coach. You notice that some of the seatbelts are not fastening correctly, including your own, and you are also concerned that the coach driver has been on duty through the night due to flight delays. It’s a five-hour transfer to the resort.

Scenario 3One of your guests tells you that there are bottles and other rubbish littering the children’s play area. You make a note to do something about it but are so busy that you forget. Next day a lady comes to see you to complain that her son has fallen in the children’s play area and that he has cut himself so badly on broken glass that he has had to have stitches. The parent is furious that this could have happened and is threatening to sue the company.

Scenario 4

One of your customers is a wheelchair user and says she was promised a ground floor room. There are no ground floor rooms in the hotel but all floors are accessible by lift so the customer is allocated a nice room with a balcony and sea view on the sixth floor. On the third day the lift breaks down and will not be repaired for at least 72 hours.

Task 3 (will provide evidence for P3)

Produce and give a PowerPoint presentation in which you describe the role played by holiday representatives in creating a safe and healthy holiday environment. Begin by identifying and describing health and safety risks and hazards in respect of:•Different types of accommodation• Using specific facilities, for example swimming pool, children’s playgrounds, lifts•Fire safety•Hygiene• Resort safety• Transfers and coach safety• Excursions and organised activities.

Describe the steps a representative needs to take to minimise these risks including:

• Providing information• Routine procedures• Reporting incidents• Following Federation of Tour Operators (FTO) guidelines.

Task 4 (will provide evidence for M1)

You know that some applicants will find it difficult to decide which type of position to apply for, so you produce a written comparison of the roles and responsibilities (including legal and health and safety) of two different categories of representative (for example a property representative and a campsite representative), stating why any differences or similarities may exist.

Task 5 (will provide evidence for D1)

The recruitment team leader has been pleased with your contribution to the recruitment days and has asked you to prepare a written conclusion for the recruitment sessions in which you draw on your findings from previous tasks to analyse the roles and responsibilities of the holiday representative in terms of their contribution to the overall holiday experience. Make sure you consider their role in relation to their responsibilities to the customer, suppliers and the organisation.

Scenario

It’s the summer season and you have returned overseas, working as a holiday representative with Soleil Holidays.

Task 1 (provides evidence for P4)

Essential criteria for Tasks 1a and 1b:• provide a welcome• deliver in a friendly way• use appropriate language• meet the needs of a specific type of customer• create rapport• provide all information required for the situation• demonstrate customer service skills throughout in terms of good product knowledge and awareness of customer needs• use informal and formal communications• dress appropriately• use appropriate pace and tone for listeners to absorb the information being given• use appropriate body language.

a) You have been on duty at the airport and are now transferring a group of holidaymakers to their accommodations in resort.

Deliver a well-structured arrival transfer speech to a group of passengers, demonstrating effective use of a microphone. The content must be suitable for the customer and you must include:

• Welcome and introductions• Safety and comfort on the coach• Transfer details• Country information, eg time, weather• Resort information• Promotion of excursions and company services• Accommodation check-in procedures

b) Plan a welcome meeting by:

• arranging invitations• designing a room layout plan• organising promotional materials• producing visual aids.

Deliver a well-structured welcome meeting to a group of holidaymakers, ensuring you meet the requirements below:

• use natural voice• ensure that the content is suitable for the audience• provide resort and accommodation information• provide safety information• use sales techniques to promote at least two suitable excursions to meet customer needs, highlighting features and benefits, up-selling and attempting to close the sale• complete paperwork, including tickets and receipts• respond to queries from two holidaymakers.

To achieve M2 you must also demonstrate that you have:

• used effective social, customer service and selling skills when carrying out Tasks 1a and 1b.

Task 2 (completion of both scenarios in Task 2 will provide evidence for P5)

While in resort you must use social and customer service skills to deal with customers in different situations and complete appropriate documentation.When dealing with both of the scenarios you will need to provide evidence that you have:

• dealt appropriately with different customers• demonstrated listening skills• handled a complaint• empathised• found solutions• met customer needs

• used effective verbal and non verbal communication• completed appropriate documentation.

Scenario 1You arrive at the Hotel Luxus to find that they have overbooked the accommodation and you have to break the news to Mr and Mrs French that they are going to have to move to the Hotel Spa next door. Both hotels are officially four star but the Hotel Spa is £50 per person cheaper per week and it does not have a swimming pool. Mr French is not happy and you need to find the best solution. Role play the situation and complete any necessary documentation.

Scenario 2

An elderly customer, Mrs O’Leary, has been mugged just outside the hotel. She has had her handbag stolen, containing her passport, credit card and traveller’s cheques.

Mrs O’Leary is very upset and the hotel receptionist has called you to come and deal with the situation. Role play the situation and complete any necessary documentation.

To achieve M3 you must also demonstrate that you have: Dealt effectively with different customers in two complex situations Accurately completed all relevant documentation Displayed appropriate social and customer service skills throughout

both scenarios in Task 2.

To achieve D2 you must also demonstrate that you have:• Consistently projected a confident, professional image throughout

Tasks 1a, 1b and for both scenarios in Task 2• Dressed appropriately and professionally, including name badge• Projected a professional company image in all verbal and written

communications• Completed documentation accurately and to a standard appropriate to

the industry.