Customer Director

Started trading in the UK in 2011 and founded by experienced travel entrepreneur and CEO Robin Deller along with co-founder Natalie Maye. Imagine Cruising are experts in creating Cruise and Stay Holidays and are now selling over 60,000 holidays a year with turnover in excess of £200m with industry beating margin and profit metrics. In 2015 dnata Travel, a division of the Emirates Group, took a 51% stake in Imagine Cruising.

Our Head Office is in the UK but we employee 220 staff worldwide. We trade in South Africa, Australia in Brisbane & Perth, and New Zealand

At Imagine Cruising, we pride ourselves on our excellent customer service.

Though based in the UK, the scope of this role is Global and will be accountable for the Customer Journey within the Imagine Group. As we continue to grow, we are looking for a dynamic customer centred professional to lead all aspects of customer touch points. The role is based in the UK but the brief will also cover the development of the appropriate structure and processes to support the customer journey across all of our global markets. We are looking for an individual who has the required passion, skill and experience across all areas of the Customer Journey but just as importantly, an individual who can thrive and demonstrate leadership in a fast changing and entrepreneurial business.

Travel industry experience would be beneficial but not essential.

The role & responsibilities:

Strategic Growth

• Accountable for the development and implementation of a clear Customer Strategy, encompassing the full customer journey from booking through to departure, the holiday and post return, and leading a customer focus across all areas of the business, ensuring all customer touch points support the developing brand strategy
• Responsible for working closely with peers and stakeholders across Operations, Sales, Finance, Product and Marketing to ensure an excellent Customer Journey always plays a central role
• Accountable for delivering customer-focussed booking and digital system developments
• Responsible for building external relationships with the Customer contacts within key cruise line businesses
• Responsible for the NPS Customer Satisfaction Score across all aspects of the customer experience
• Accountable for the continued development of the customer journey, working with key stakeholders to design and implement processes and procedures that position Imagine Cruising as ‘best in class’ across all customer touch points

Financial

• Accountable for the delivery of secondary income budget of the Upsell team, and to hit monthly KPI targets across the globe
• Accountable for Profit and Loss budgets across global Service and Operations teams
• Accountable for the overhead costs of the global customer departments, managing to budget and improving cost efficiencies where possible

Team and Structure

• Accountable for developing motivated and engaged Global Customer teams that offers a consistent level of service to our customers – demonstrating a passion to get into the detail and lead by example
• Responsible for setting clear expectations and providing consistent performance feedback to assist the team in accomplishing key performance goals, ongoing training and development needs
• Responsible for creating and implementing a dynamic and measurable training and development programme for the team to support the change and development required
• Responsible for driving a high performing, collaborative culture while leading a cohesive approach with internal stakeholders to ensure smooth flow and integrated solutions
• Responsible for acting as the “Voice of the Customer” across the organisation

Reporting and Compliance

• Accountable for the introduction of automation and other processes to enhance our service and efficiency
• Accountable for the business metrics (KPI’s) and use them to make informed business decisions and drive Customer Service performance
• Accountable for the compliance with any external customer guidelines and consumer legislation (ABTA/ATOL), keeping up to date with any changes that may impact the business

The candidate:

• Has extensive experience in mapping customer journeys and creating/implementing a customer strategy and supporting processes
• Can demonstrate strong communication, influencing and presentation skills
• Has extensive experience in managing customer teams
• Is able to motivate, lead and develop managers and team members
• Has the ability to work strategically as well as in the detail
• Understands the importance of metrics within a business and can demonstrate how they have previously used metrics to inform a business decision and manage people
• Can demonstrate experience of budget setting, call forecasting, revenue and cost management
• A real team player and comfortable working in an open, honest and challenging environment – comfortable in a fast moving ‘entrepreneurial’ rather than a traditional ‘corporate’ environment
• Has the ability to think proactively, recommending change, improvement and demonstrating decisiveness
• Shows tenacity in championing the needs of our customers and be confident in challenging the status quo
• Demonstrate the strategic leadership required to motivate and engage a team and ensure the Customer has a high profile across the business
• Experienced in handing difficult/sensitive issues with customers
• Be able to travel on company business
• Be passionate about the Customer Journey and have a real grasp of the detail
• Ability to self-motivate, use intuition and high level of commitment and drive
• Encourages collaboration and effectively communicates across all levels
• Flexible approach, with ability to adjust to competing and shifting priorities
• Able to work extended hours on occasions when required
• Able to adapt and succeed in a changing environment

The ability to travel regularly is essential.  This role will involve visits to our offices which are geographically spread.

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