Reservation Agent

Company Description

Marshall and I grew up in Gainesville, FL, only a mile from each other but we didn’t meet until college.  We were married in 1991 and graduated from University of Central Florida in 1992.  We both received degrees in teaching and started our careers as public school teachers in Orlando, FL.  After teaching for several years, we decided to purchase a franchise and become business owners. 

The franchise we purchased was called Wood You Furniture, part of a chain of unfinished furniture stores.  We choose to open the store in Asheville in the spring of ‘96. In the years that we owned the store in Asheville, we also opened a store in Johnson City, Tennessee and Greenville, SC as well.

We hired excellent managers to run the stores which enabled our family to do the thing we enjoy most: travel.  We soon found ourselves traveling all over the country and the world meeting new people and seeing the sights.  Fortunately, we were able to bring our four kids with us on most of our trips.

All of this traveling gave Marshall and me an idea.  With the tourist industry increasing in Asheville and Marshall’s strict business philosophy of making his customers happy in the furniture business, we decided to build a vacation rental home with the goal to give our guests the best and cleanest cottage stay that have ever experienced.

In 2003, we built our first two bedroom cottages, the Bent Creek and the Blue Ridge.  We soon found that the vacation rental business was different from the furniture business in one important aspect: it was FUN!  We loved making people happy, a task that came easy to us.  Our plan was simple: find out what our guests wanted and give it to them, plus a little extra. 

Within two years we purchased the house in front of the Blue Ridge and Bent Creek and completely gutted it.  We then remodeled it to create two cottages under one roof, condo style (we don’t like the sound of the word “duplex”).   I remember how nervous we were about adding these two new cottages to our website.  We didn’t know if anyone would want to rent a “duplex” no matter what lengths we went through to make them private.  As it turned out, there was even more demand for the Laurel and Rosewood, than there was for the Bent Creek and Blue Ridge.

Two years later, fourteen acres became available in a location that Marshall had been dreaming of since the opening of the first two cottages. After purchasing the land, we built six, one bedroom, condo style cottages.  Using the comments from our past guests combined with our experience so far in the vacation rental business, we designed these cottages to be exemplary.  At each step in the design and construction phase our mantra was simple: “If it doesn’t make our guest say ‘WOW’, change it so that it does.”  I know this frustrated our architect and our builder, but we knew the end product would be well worth the effort.

In the winter of 2013, we closed the last of our furniture stores and that same summer we opened our two newest, two bedroom, standalone cottages, the Ivy and the Magnolia.  Again, our goal in building these was to make our guest say “wow” every time they walked around a corner.  If you get a chance to stay in one of these cottages, we hope you have as much fun while you are there as we did designing and building them.

In 2015 we built the Hickory and Walnut, our first standalone one bedroom cottages. We upgraded these cottages to several ways, the most significant of which is the oversized, extra large, walk-in, double shower and garden tub.

The Cedar is our last and possibly final cottage completed in the summer of 2017. Since we used the same floor plan as the Hickory, the Cedar and the Hickory almost identical. 

At 15 cottages I believe we are finished building. We like being personally involved in all aspects of our cottages. I am afraid that if we get any bigger, we would have to back away from some of the day-to-day operations-something we are unwilling to do. When you call, for example, you will be talking to Marshall or me. If you have a problem, one of the two of us will handle it for you. It's all very personal and that is the way we like it.

Marshall and I love the life God has given us.  After homeschooling for our children for the past 17 years I am delighted to giving my full attention to our cottages (and to my new grand baby!).  I handle all guest communications and oversee the cleaning of the cottages.  Marshall and the boys make sure the buildings and grounds look new and fresh and we still travel every chance we get so that we can bring new ideas back to the cottages (and because it’s so fun!)

We do not take lightly the fact that you chose to spend your vacation with us.  I am still amazed and honored that you would do so.  Our goal is, and will always be, to give you the best vacation rental cottage stay you have ever experienced.  

Thank you for reading and may the word of Christ dwell in you and your family richly.

Job Description

Asheville Cottages is looking to hire an enthusiastic individual to fulfill a position in our Reservations Department. The purpose of this position is to interact with our guests and ensure they have a great experience when staying at our resort. This person is also responsible for responding to guest calls or inquiries about accommodation packages reservations, to provide information and complete reservations for guests coming to the resort.

• Processes reservations by email, telephone, fax or central reservation systems referral.
• Processes reservations from the sales office, other hotel departments, and travel agents.
• Handles daily correspondence
• The Reservations Agent will be proficient in obtaining all necessary information and providing the guest a room that meets their expectations.
• Knows accommodation, packages and promotional options available.
• Explains resort products, service and other information about the resort as requested.
• Knows the selling status, rates, and benefits of all packages plans.
• Maintain knowledge of current resort events, activities, hours of operation as well as dining options currently available.
• Processes cancellations and modifications and promptly relays this information to the front desk.
• Understands the hotel's policy on guaranteed reservations and no-shows.
• Monitors and processes advance deposits on reservations.
• Creates and maintains reservation records for a variety for facilities within the department.
• Prepares letters of confirmation.
• Communicates information to the front desk.
• Makes sure that files are kept up to date.
• Maintains a clean and neat appearance and work area at all times.
• Courteous, friendly, and helpful to guests, managers, and fellow employees.
• To be aware of all front office procedures and assist with front desk duties when required.
• Willing to undertake any reasonable request made by management in any other areas of the house.

Job Qualifications

Education:

• High school diploma or equivalent.

Experience:

• Previous guest service and reservations experience preferred.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills required.
• Positive interpersonal skills required.
• Must be fluent in verbal and written English.
• Excellent computer and typing skills are required. Excel and Word proficiency desired.
• Previous call-center experience preferred.
• Excellent listening and comprehension skills required.

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.