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The Job Profile of Travel Clerks and Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents

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Nature of the Work

Each year, millions of Americans travel by plane, train, ship, bus, and automobile. When they make reservations for travel or accommodations, purchase tickets, or check their luggage, they deal with reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks.

Most reservation agents work for large hotel chains or airlines helping people plan trips and make reservations. They usually work in large central offices answering telephone inquiries and offering suggestions on travel arrangements such as routes, time schedules, rates, and types of accommodation. They quote fares and room rates, make and confirm transportation and hotel reservations, and sell tickets. Agents use computer terminals to quickly obtain information needed to make, change, or cancel reservations for customers. After a ticket has been purchased, they arrange for it to be sent to or picked up by the traveler.



Transportation ticket agents sometimes are known as passenger service agents, passenger-booking clerks, reservation clerks, ticket clerks, or ticket sellers. They work in airports, train, and bus stations selling tickets, assigning seats to passengers, and checking baggage. In addition, they may answer inquiries and give directions, examine passports and visas, or check in animals.

Other ticket agents, more commonly known as gate or station agents, work in airport terminals assisting passengers when boarding airplanes. They direct passengers to the correct boarding area, check tickets and seat assignments, make boarding announcements, and provide special assistance to young, elderly, or disabled passengers when they board or disembark.

Passenger rate clerks work for bus companies. They sell tickets for regular bus routes and arrange nonscheduled or chartered trips. They plan travel routes, compute rates, and keep customers informed of appropriate details. They also may arrange travel accommodations.

Most travel clerks are employed by automobile clubs. These workers, sometimes called member services counselors or travel counselors, plan trips, calculate mileage, and offer travel suggestions for club members. They highlight the best route from the point of origin to the destination, as well as the return. They also may prepare an itinerary that indicates points of interest, restaurants, overnight accommodations, and availability of emergency services during the trip. In some cases, they may make rental car, hotel, or restaurant reservations for club members.

Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks must be knowledgeable about their companies' policies and about industry procedures. They must be able to use computers to as-certain the availability of special promotions or services, reservation information, and find answers to any questions customers may have.

Working Conditions

Transportation ticket agents who greet customers and visitors usually work in areas that are highly visible. Reservation agents, who do much of their work over the telephone, generally work away from the public; a number of agents or clerks may share the same work space, which may be crowded and noisy.

Although most reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks work a standard 40-hour week, these jobs may require working evenings, late night shifts, weekends, and holidays. In many cases, employees with the least seniority are as-signed the least desirable shifts.

The work performed by these workers may be tiring, repetitious, and stressful. Many reservation agents and travel clerks must work under stringent guidelines for the use of their time. Management may electronically monitor their use of the computer systems, monitor or tape record their telephone calls, limit the time they can spend on each call, and have quotas on the number of reservations made. Such practices may make stress-related complaints more common. In addition, prolonged exposure to a video display terminal may lead to eye strain.

The work of transportation ticket agents also can be stressful when trying to serve the needs of difficult or angry customers.

During holidays and other busy travel periods, these clerks may find the work extremely hectic. When flights are canceled, reservations mishandled, or guests are dissatisfied, these clerks must act as a buffer between the establishment and its customs Ticket agents may be on their feet most of the time and may have to lift heavy baggage.

Employment

Although agents and clerks are found throughout the country, most work at large metropolitan airports, downtown tic and reservation offices, large reservation centers, as well as train and bus stations. The rest of them work in smaller community served only by intercity bus or railroad lines.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

A high school diploma or its equivalent is the most common educational requirement, but for airline reservation and tic agent jobs, some college education may be preferred. However, good interpersonal skills and familiarity or experience with computers often are more important to employers.

Most airline reservation agents learn their skills through formal company training programs. They spend some time ii classroom setting, learning company and industry policies, computer systems, and ticketing procedures. They learn to use a computer to obtain information on schedules, seat availability, air fares; to reserve space for passengers; and to plan passenger itineraries.

They must learn airport and airline code designation; and may be tested on this knowledge. After completing class room instruction, new agents work on the job with supervisors experienced agents for a period of time. During this period, monitoring of telephone conversations may serve as a training device to improve the quality of customer service. Agents are expect to provide good service while limiting the time spent on each c without being discourteous to customers. In contrast, automobile clubs, bus lines, and railroads tend to train their ticket agents travel clerks on the job, through short in-house classes that can last several days. Most continue to receive instruction on new procedures and company policies after their initial training enc

Because these workers deal directly with the public, a good appearance and a pleasant personality are imperative, as are good problem-solving and interpersonal skills. A clear speaking voice and fluency in the English language are essential because the employees frequently use the telephone or public address system. Coursework useful to persons wanting to enter these occupations include basic math, English, geography, U.S. history, psychology, communications, and public speaking. Good spelling, typing ability, and computer literacy often are needed, particularly since most work involves considerable computer us Some employers may require applicants to take a typing and spelling test to gauge their skills, often requiring a minimum typing speed of 35 to 50 words per minute.

Advancement for reservation and transportation tick agents and travel clerks generally comes about either by transfer to a different, more responsible occupation or by promotion to supervisory position. The more skills, experience, and addition; training employees possess, the better their advancement opportunities.

Job Outlook

Entry requirements for these jobs are minimal and any people seeking to get into the airline industry or travel business often start out in these types of positions. Also, these jobs provide excellent travel benefits and many people view airline job as glamorous.

The work of these occupations is being affected significantly by technology. Automated reservations and ticketing, ticketless travel, reduces the need for some of these positions. Nevertheless, job openings will become available as these workers transfer to other occupations, retire, or leave the labor force altogether.

Related Occupations

A number of other workers deal with the public, receive and provide information, or direct people to others who can assist them. Among these are dispatchers, security guards, bank tellers, guides, telephone operators, record clerks, counter and rental clerks, survey workers, and ushers and lobby attendants.
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