Jake Swithenbank

Experience

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  Great Rail Journeys Ltd

  Oct 2004 - Jul 2008

  Customer Relations Specialist

  Responsible for monitoring the overall feedback about the product and communicating findings to internal and external stakeholders using reports and presentations, it was my role to ensure continuous improvement in customer satisfaction. I responded to all customer feedback including complaint letters, emails and telephone calls within strict deadlines as set by the company and ABTA. I also played an integral part in the design and implementation of new Customer Satisfaction Questionnaires and analysing methodologies. Working closely with the Contracting Team and senior stakeholders, I also ensured that any supplier issues were swiftly addressed with preventative measures put in place to reduce recurrence of issues. Defining projects:* Design and implementation of the new Customer Relations Strategy including updating feedbackquestionnaires, upgrading methodologies for tracking and reporting on feedback.* Implementing Product Change Forms to simplify communicating feedback to Contracting and Senior Management Teams. Show less

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  NYS Corporate Ltd

  Jul 2008 - Dec 2017

  Operations Supervisor - UK Travel Team

  Oversee the day to day running of the reservations team in a contact centre environment. Monitor and improve the overall efficiency of the team, amend and introduce internal processes. Maintain excellent working relationships between NYS and our third party suppliers.Instigate improvements to booking systems to ensure optimum benefit and value for money for clients as well as NYS. Implementation of new clients, including hosting training sessions at clients’ regional offices or online. Prepare and conduct monthly, quarterly and annual performance reviews for my team. Defining projects:* Introduction of NYS’ first ever employee recognition scheme – the OPALawards.* Introduction of NYS’ first ever dedicated client trainer resource with a focus on online adoption.* Full overhaul of rail admin process (issuing, dispatching, refunding tickets) saving hours per day and allowing for a reduction in resource.* Cross-training and upskilling of separate rail & hotel teams to create the UK Travel Team, enabling a seamless and consistent customer experience.* Introduction of a single database of all NYS clients and the key information required for Operations. Show less

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  Great Rail Journeys Ltd

  Dec 2017 - Jun 2022

  Direct the preparation of high volumes of transport orders across a diverse and complex network of international partners and suppliers. Oversee the accurate and timely fulfilment of orders across multiple teams, ensuring confirmations, costs and deadlines are correctly recorded. Ensure service levels are consistently achieved by our partners and suppliers with issues quickly resolved. Triage high volumes of customer requests to ensure an industry leading customer experience is delivered against constantly shifting priorities. Work collaboratively with IT to drive the transformation and evolution of systems and processes to deliver efficiency and cost savings whilst improving service. Plan for and respond to operational challenges whilst maintaining our regulatory responsibility to the customer. Recruitment, selection, training and developing staff members including designing and hosting workshops.Defining projects:• Successful ownership and management of a 3-month French rail strike, impacting 10,000 GRJ customers, for which I won a Special Recognition Award and a £5000 holiday. • Accompanying the first European tour to depart the UK after the first Covid lockdown to understand how the pandemic had changed travel and the impact this might have on the customer experience. • Automation of Flight Loading, saving thousands of hours of manual admin time annually. • Introduction of the Customer Personalisation Framework, setting out the levels at which customers can alter their holiday whist maintaining service and controlling admin time. Show less

  • Transport Team Manager

    Oct 2020 - Jun 2022

  • Transport & Customer Personalisation Manager

    Jun 2018 - Oct 2020

  • Transport Team Manager

    Dec 2017 - Jun 2018
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  Brightwater Holidays Limited

  Jun 2022 - Nov 2022

  Operations Manager

  Lead the operations team preparing pre-season, contracting hotels and excursion providers.Negotiated and contracted the best terms and rates with service and coach suppliers, across all tours.Monitor and improve margin on each departure through effective room and vehicle utilisation and negotiations with suppliers. Implement and monitor the outcome of holiday price changes.Manage Health & Safety requirements across the programme, ensuring compliance and audits completed prior to travel.Analyse tour feedback and implement improvements in advance of the next departure in the series.Act as Super User and ambassador for Travel Studio and ensure the system’s full capabilities are utilised across the team.Conducted a comprehensive review of customer and tour documentation, significantly enhancing the design and effectiveness of various processes. Show less

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  Clarity Business Travel

  Jan 2023 - Sept 2024

  Strategic Partnerships Manager – Rail, Ground and Ancillaries

  Develop strategic partnerships with key suppliers to deliver value to Agiito and their customers.Design and implement innovative strategies to increase sales, customer satisfaction and savings for customers. Analyse data to identify trends, growth opportunities and savings, ensuring the commerciality of propositions. Drive continuous improvement across the supply chain through effective supplier and KPI management. Host and attend Travel Showcases, supplier training sessions, workshops and FAM trips. Research and onboard new suppliers to meet current and future customer demand. Own the contract lifecycle from introduction, negotiation, signature and BAU for c£80m of annual turnover. Support Customer Account Managers in meeting customers’ business objectives. Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders on strategic projects for new and developing products and propositions. Represent Agiito and their customers at industry boards and events, lobbying and influencing change on a national level. Show less

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  Reed & Mackay

  Sept 2024 - now

  Rail Supplier Relations Manager