Negotiator

About the role

This position falls under our lodging line of business and is in Lexington, KY. The Negotiator will primarily be responsible for researching hotel options, negotiating, and booking 45+ night reservations. They will also build and maintain strong relationships with hotel contacts while communicating effectively with those contracts.

Role Responsibilities

• Managing reservation requests for stays of 30+ nights to fulfill customer needs and ensure satisfaction.
• Utilizing decision-making skills to find hotel options that adhere to client guidelines.
• Communicating effectively with clients and hotels via phone and email to ensure consistency with CLC policies.
• Providing high-quality reservations and options to clients proficiently and consistently.
• Completing negotiations on all requests for 45+ nights based on established policies and procedures.
• Performing more complex negotiations, including scenarios with limited buying power, limited availability, and reduced turnaround time while aiming for client savings.
• Identifying trends and opportunities for client savings and potential market consolidation.
• Securing rates, discounts, and RFPs with current and new hotel partners.
• Exhibiting and utilizing knowledge of the hotel industry and regional markets relevant to clients.
• Reserving rooms that align with client guidelines concerning per diem, amenities, mileage parameters, authorized requestor criteria, and hotel preferences.
• Identifying and resolving client and hotel issues on a daily basis.
• Resolving all client and hotel inquiries regarding extensions, early departures, or changes to reservations.
• Meting or exceeding all client deadlines consistently.
• Consulting with clients to select the option that best fits their needs.
• Collaborating with Account Management teams and Long-Term Solutions to ensure network consolidation for our clients.
• Attending all scheduled training, meetings, or events as assigned by the supervisor.
• Performing all other duties as assigned, as needed.

Qualifications & Skills

• College degree or 1-3 years previous-related experience.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate successfully with short notice and firm deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to solve problems at an elevated level through critical thinking.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment and deliver superior service with high accuracy.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and navigating the internet.
• Excellent personal interaction, communication, and phone skills along with a high degree of initiative, personal responsibility, ownership, and commitment to providing the highest level of customer service.
• Be available for on-call rotations which may fall outside of regular scheduled shifts.