2024/25 Guest Services Team Leader

Position Description – Guest Services Team Leader

Ultimate Hikes are the exclusive operators of multi day guided walks on the famous Milford & Routeburn Tracks.

The tracks are New Zealand's most iconic of the Great Walks, and along with the Greenstone Track, showcase the majestic nature of Fiordland and Mt Aspiring National Parks.   We combine the opportunity to inhabit these great locations and challenging hiking tracks with the comfort of private lodges and unique hospitality in the most remote of locations.

Over the season we employ a range to people to work together to make our guided walks the most memorable experience for our guests.

Purpose

The Ultimate Hikes Centre Queenstown Team Leader is responsible the delivery of excellent day-to-day customer service in the Ultimate Hikes Centres in Queenstown and Te Anau. Key focuses of the role include training, mentoring and supporting the UHC staff to ensure a high level of guest service is delivered, generating optimum sales opportunities, and providing feedback to the team on performance. In addition, managing walker information and requirements prior to walk departure, monitoring the walker’s personal information, providing briefing presentations and a point of contact for assistance and information in Queenstown, and ensuring their experience exceeds expectations are also key.

Relationships

The role reports to the Retail Purchasing Manager, Guest Services Manager and HR & Administration Manager, and works closely with the Ultimate Hikes Centre team (Queenstown and Te Anau), briefing staff, Reservations team, and other members of the Operations team.

Location

The role is based in the Queenstown Ultimate Hikes Centre on Duke Street.

Hours of work

The Team Leader role is seasonal, and hours worked are as necessary to carry out your duties.  This will involve a minimum of 40 hours per week and will include working at weekends, as necessary, in order to carry out your duties.

Key skills and responsibilities

The Team Leader plays a significant role in Ultimate Hikes successfully providing an excellent experience for our guests before and after being on track. We expect our Team Leader to approach each working day in a positive and enthusiastic manner. Team Leader’s tasks include but are not limited to:

Leadership & direction

• Work closely with the Retail Purchasing Manager to create a strong team in the UHC
• Ensure all UHC staff are trained and able to carry out their work tasks in line with company requirements
• Communicate and report to senior management on a regular basis in line with company requirements, and attend weekly team meetings
• Manage staff performance, providing feedback, assistance and further training where needed
• Assist with the recruitment, training & development, and manage the performance of Ultimate Hikes Centre staff according to company standards, and resolve any staff issues.
• Provide a high level of prompt guest service at all times and ensure staff do likewise.
• Maintain a safe, harmonious, enjoyable work place environment for staff

People

• First impressions are important. Ensure these are managed and delivered, providing a welcoming environment for our guests with high standards of service, while meeting company expectations in terms of quality and delivery
• Relate to and easily communicate with a wide range of people and personalities in a professional manner
• Assess walker lists prior to arrival, communicating any relevant information where necessary
• Meet and greet walkers, respond to enquiries, monitor check in forms to ensure walker profiles are updated prior to departure and important information is shared with Guides, Lodges, Guest Service Manager and General Manager where appropriate
• Plan and implement client briefings
• Prepare and implement rosters in accordance with workforce plans and assign staff to specific duties.
• Ensure that cash handling systems within the UHC are operating accurately and correctly at all times, and staff are adequately trained in this area
• In conjunction with the Retail Purchasing Manager, develop and implement a sales process to ensure sales are maximised at all times and ensure that goods and services are correctly analysed, priced and displayed
• Accurately take reservations for Ultimate Hikes products

Administration

• Complete accurate, timely and relevant reports, as required
• Maintain regular contact/feedback with the Operations team to ensure any UHC, staff and customer matters are dealt with in a timely way

Health & Safety

• All staff must comply with the Safety Management System when working
• Foster a positive Health & Safety culture, and attend the monthly Health & Safety meeting
• Identify and report hazards within the workplace.  Comply with all procedures
• Ensure that equipment is safe and in working condition

Other

• Undertake any other administration or operational tasks as required

Person specifications

This part of the position description defines the key elements of our Ultimate Hikes Centre Team Leader. These descriptors of what success would look like will assist Ultimate Hikes in a variety of ways including:

• Setting a benchmark for Ultimate Hikes Centre leadership
• Assisting in the identification and recruitment of our UHC team
• Assisting in the retention of our team over multiple seasons

To keep the Success Profile simple, a framework comprising three components has been created.  The details of each component are outlined in the following pages.

What I have done (experience)

To be successful as a Team Leader, it is expected that the individual will have been exposed to experiences that shape their future responses to often challenging situations.

Essential experience:

• A passion for providing exceptional guest experiences
• A minimum of 6 months experience in management and/or guest service/retail, gaining skills in motivating, leading, directing and assisting others to achieve required goals to a high standard and within time constraints
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to work alongside team members to achieve required results
• Demonstrate ability to assess information and situations and take the best course of action to get them resolved with either team members or guests
• Confidence in addressing groups, including customers and team members
• Experience working in a collaborative team environment
• You must have the right to work in New Zealand

Desirable experience:

• Working for Ultimate Hikes or an affiliated Trojan Holdings company

What I know (knowledge)

Our Team Leader will need to know their stuff! This will ensure they deliver excellence and will contribute to their personal credibility.

Essential skills:

• Good level of physical fitness
• Be able to use computer systems including Microsoft Office
• Ability to adapt in challenging situations, showing resilience
• Ability to control outward behaviour especially under pressure
• Motivation to learn, to pick up new skills, improve yourself and enjoy your working environment.
• Great attitude and be a strong team player, ability to use initiative, and have a willingness to go the extra mile to get the job done

Desirable skills:

• A retail or guest services background
• Very good knowledge of all shop and company products

What am I capable of (personal characteristics)

These competencies define clusters of behaviours, knowledge, and motivations that are related to success or failure within the role of a highly performing Team Leader, and ones that we would like you to aspire to. 

Essential performance characteristics of all roles in Ultimate Hikes

Specific characteristics

Ultimate Hikes are guardians of the environment we operate in. We are leaders in the safety and education of visitors to the region and we are responsible for the health, safety and wellbeing of the people who live and work there on our behalf.

We take this commitment very seriously and pledge that everything we do will be in keeping with our own Tiaki Promise - caring for people and place.