United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
SAA goes for more direct sales
South African Airways is refocusing its direct sales strategy to “capitalise on business growth opportunities”.
The carrier has reversed a decision to switch its UK-based call centre to Johannesburg and moved UK and Ireland marketing manager Russel Barlow Jones to the position of direct sales manager.
Tebogo Tsimane, SAA ‘s UK and Ireland general manager is returning to South Africa to become head of sales for Africa and the Middle East. He will continue to oversee both roles until a replacement has been found for the UK.
A statement said: “A head office review of continuing growth opportunities has prompted SAA to reverse its earlier plans to switch the handling of UK customer calls to SAA’s centralised call centre in Johannesburg.”
Barlow Jones said: “Given the passenger growth we are experiencing, and the excellent performance of the UK call centre, it makes good sense to keep the function running in the UK for the foreseeable future.”
He added: “We have a first class sales team, especially in our call centre, which has consistently been recognised by the Benchmarking Performance Analysis for delivering the highest standard of customer service in the industry.
“My priority will be to work with the direct sales team to build on the successes of the past year to deliver even higher levels of customer service to meet the growth in demand for SAA flights.”
Despite the refocus, the carrier said that “industry sales also remain a priority”.
UK and Ireland sales manager Judy D’Arcy and her team “will continue to actively deliver the most competitive deals and the highest level of support to its trade customers,” the statement said.
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
Tony from Gatto’s Pizza on Columbus’s Unique Pizza Trail
Sophia Hyder Hock on Global Social Inclusion in Tourism
Sustainable Tourism: Don Welsh on Community Values and Global Collaboration
Jane Cunningham: Enhancing European Engagement in Tourism
Kristin Dunne: Navigating Destination Strategy
Revolutionizing Mobile Connectivity: Boris Bijlstra on HUBBY eSIM
Capturing Glasgow’s Vibrancy: An Interview with Susan Deighan, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life
Lebua Hotel & Resorts: Rajan Khurana on Hospitality and Bangkok’s Charms
Sustainable Tourism and Growth: Insights from Chiravadee Khunsub from Tourism Authority of Thailand
Revolutionizing Travel: SmartSIM USA’s Dale Takio Unveils the Power of E Sims
TravelMole Interview with Hishan Singhawansa, Deputy CEO of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, Sri Lanka
Unveiling the Essence of Magari Tours: A Dive into Authentic Italian Experiences
EU airports bring back 100ml liquid rule
CLIA: Anti-cruise demos could cause itinerary changes in Europe
Co-pilot faints, easyJet flight issues ‘red alert’
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Woman dies after getting ‘entangled’ in baggage carousel