Career summary

Details for Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks


Description

Make and confirm reservations and sell tickets to passengers and for large hotel or motel chains. May check baggage and direct passengers to designated concourse, pier, or track; make reservations, deliver tickets, arrange for visas, contact individuals and groups to inform them of package tours, or provide tourists with travel information, such as points of interest, restaurants, rates, and emergency service.

Tasks

  • Plan routes, itineraries, and accommodation details, and compute fares and fees, using schedules, rate books, and computers.
  • Make and confirm reservations for transportation and accommodations, using telephones, faxes, mail, and computers.
  • Prepare customer invoices and accept payment.
  • Answer inquiries regarding information, such as schedules, accommodations, procedures, or policies.
  • Assemble and issue required documentation, such as tickets, travel insurance policies, or itineraries.
  • Determine whether space is available on travel dates requested by customers, assigning requested spaces when available.
  • Inform clients of essential travel information, such as travel times, transportation connections, or medical and visa requirements.
  • Maintain computerized inventories of available passenger space and provide information on space reserved or available.
  • Confer with customers to determine their service requirements and travel preferences.
  • Examine passenger documentation to determine destinations and to assign boarding passes.
  • Provide boarding or disembarking assistance to passengers needing special assistance.
  • Check baggage and cargo and direct passengers to designated locations for loading.
  • Announce arrival and departure information, using public address systems.
  • Trace lost, delayed, or misdirected baggage for customers.
  • Promote particular destinations, tour packages, and other travel services.
  • Provide clients with assistance in preparing required travel documents and forms.
  • Provide customers with travel suggestions and information sources, such as guides, directories, brochures, or maps.
  • Contact customers or travel agents to advise them of travel conveyance changes or to confirm reservations.
  • Contact motel, hotel, resort, and travel operators to obtain current advertising literature.
  • Keep information facilities clean during operation.
  • Open or close information facilities.

Interests

  • Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
  • Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
  • Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Education, training, experience

  • Education - These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
  • Training - Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
  • Experience - Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Knowledge

  • Law and Government -Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • Sales and Marketing -Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
  • English Language -Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Computers and Electronics -Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Customer and Personal Service -Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills

  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

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