Senior Guest Relations Specialist

As a Senior Guest Relations Specialist & Analyst at Bloomin' Brands, you will play a crucial role in enhancing guest satisfaction and engagement. This role reports to the Guest Relations Manager and assists with supporting the systems and tools utilized by the Guest Relations Team. This role is also heavily responsible for developing and maintaining systems and standards of reporting on trends and feedback for leadership to inform the business.

We are on a mission to continuously transform the Guest Relations department from a static, reactionary, recovery-focused department to a multi-channel, guest-centric, data-informed, and guest-delight Center of Excellence. This team member will be expected to perform at a high level of excellence, adapt to change, and develop ideas for continuous innovation. This role is also responsible for ensuring quality across all guest touchpoints and reporting; the ability to provide corrective feedback and identify areas for accuracy improvement is essential. This team member will also collect and analyze feedback from guest contact channels to report to leadership and monitor for real-time trends.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

* Assist Guest Relations Team in handling guest inquiries, concerns, and feedback with professionalism and a commitment to resolving issues promptly in an omni-channel setting. Typical channels include, but are not limited to: phone, mail, email, Facebook, X, Instagram, reviews.

* Toggle seamlessly between multiple brands, adhering to the unique brand voice and brand purpose.

* Develop and maintain a comprehensive Quality Assurance program to ensure the accuracy of Guest Relations team responses, tracking, and process adherence.

* Develop and maintain SOPs across a wide variety of topics and tasks. Communicate to manager and to team members on changes and inspire adaptation to new ways of working.

Social Media Community Management:

* Engage with guests through online communities, responding to comments and direct messages in a timely and professional manner.

* Support and enhance the strategy for social media brand engagement and reputation.

* Cultivate an omni-channel mindset to meet guests where they want to interact.

Escalated Issue Resolution:

* Collaborate with cross-functional teams to resolve complex guest issues effectively.

* Handles escalated guest calls, emails, and social contacts that require senior-level support.

Guest Trend Analysis:

* Develop and maintain all systems and tools utilized by Guest Relations to effectively collect feedback and report trends, sentiment, and shifts in topics to leadership on a regular basis.

* Collaborate with management to identify opportunities for improvement and innovation in service offerings based on guest insights.

* Stay informed about industry trends and competitor activities to ensure Bloomin Brands remains at the forefront of the dining experience.

Administrative Tasks:

* Become the subject matter expert in all Guest Relations tools. Reconfigure routing, tracking, reporting, processes, and permissions according to best practices.

* Vette and onboard new tools as business needs develop. * Act as liaison with vendors as directed by manager.

* Additional projects or tasks as business needs evolve.

REQUIREMENTS

* Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, or related field

* 5+ years of experience in guest service or client service required; call center experience preferred.

* 2 - 3 years of experience as a Systems Lead analyst and team lead or trainer preferred.

SKILLS:

* Demonstrated project management skills.

* A strong passion for providing exceptional service and creating memorable guest experiences.

* Strong social media management skills, including experience with platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, X, and review sites. Ability to navigate these platforms natively.

* Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret and apply guest trend data.

* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

* Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.

* Experience with multi-unit brands.