Meet the team: Linda

In this edition of Meet the Team, we had to jump on Skype and reach out to our Head of North America Operations, Linda Lossing. Our agent network across the US is growing fast and is probably going to be larger than our domestic base by the end of next year. So who is in charge of building that growth? Let's find out.

Hi Linda. I appreciate the time difference and taking your evening out to chat with us today, let’s start by finding out what area of the business you work?

Where are you based and what’s your office like?
Our US Room-Res.com headquarters is based in sunny Tampa, Florida. Although some may consider our physical office to be small, we are a team that is always keen to provide excellent customer service to our US travel agent partners.

What area of the business do you manage?
As Head of North America for Room-Res, I oversee the operations, customer service, key account management and acquisition of new agency partners in the United States.

How long have you been with Room-Res?
I joined the Room-Res team in November of 2017, before the launch of Room-Res in the US in April of 2018.

Where have you worked before?
The travel industry must be in my blood, as I have been in the industry for several years. Initially, I owned a travel agency that primarily focused on corporate travel; although we also had leisure and groups departments. After selling the agency, I joined a large OTA where I held several roles; the last being head of their US and Canada travel agency program. I was with the previous organisation for 9½ years before joining Room-Res.

Any vacation plans coming up in the next few months?
Unfortunately, no. However, my husband, John and I are hoping to take a European river cruise later in the fall of this year. We are currently exploring the various options and destinations which are available. So, I would welcome your suggestions.

How do you support your agents across the US?
Similar to the team in Australia, our US Room-Res team provides customer support by telephone and email 7 days a week. Also, and due to the distances and time-zones involved, we host regular Room-Res webinars for our agent partners, as well as in person and video training on an as-needed basis.

Why is Room-Res better than its competitors in the US?
Unlike the majority of our competitors, the Room-Res booking platform was created specifically for travel agents. Consequently, it provides our agent partners with the opportunity to quickly identify not just the best rates, but also the most significant value in the market; which in turn allows them to increase their hotel margins. Also, to our user-friendly booking tool, we back it up with market leading agent support and personalized customer service that is available 24/7/365.

What are the primary differences between the US market compared to AU?
Although the markets are similar in many ways, there are also quite a few differences. One significant difference between the US and AU is the business model of agencies in the two countries. For example, although the US does have retail travel agencies, the vast majority of agents are home-based and are either a member of a host agency or an independent agent. As a result, many travel agents in the US are novice agents who are looking for a second income or have retired from their previous careers. Consequently, training and education on the benefits of booking on Room-Res are needed often, along with providing and maintaining excellent customer support is key to assisting them in growing their businesses; which in turn solidifies their support of Room-Res.

What makes Room-Res so appealing to US agents?
US travel agents really like Room-Res for several reasons:
It's effortless to use in comparison to so many other booking platforms. The Room Res’ proprietary algorithms that sort through the incredibly extensive global inventory which provides our agent partners with the best value options. Increased hotel margins can often be 20%+, which is almost unique in our market. Obviously, our excellent customer service, which we take so much pride in delivering. And the continuous enhancements to the booking platform that are implemented as a result of our agent partners’ feedback. They feel part of the process, and one such example is the recent launch of transfers on Room-Res, which was widely requested and delivered over a short period. Service they simply don't get from other suppliers.

What do you love about Room-Res?
What’s not to love?? I love Room-Res’ entrepreneurial spirit and our “one team” philosophy regardless if you are based in AU or the US. I also really enjoy Room-Res’ commitment to our agent partners to deliver outstanding customer service, that enables them to go the “extra mile” to ensure they have happier repeat customers.

Thanks, Linda, for your time and telling our Australian-based users about what you do and how Room-Res is growing across the US.

We look forward to catching up with another team member soon.

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