Guest Experience Continuous Improvement Lead

SAGA PLC; Folkestone; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday + bank holidays

Option to purchase additional leave -

Pension scheme matched up to 10%

Company performance related annual<br>

Life assurance policy on joining us, 4

Wellbeing programme

Colleague discounts

Range of reductions and offers

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

Grandparents leave

Income protection

Saga Academy access

Job summary

Saga PLC is seeking a Guest Experience Continuous Improvement Lead to elevate how we support guests. In this hybrid role, you will work with the Head of Guest Experience to coach the team, handle complex complaints and drive fair, empathetic outcomes.

You will review processes, implement improvements, and ensure consistent service standards across travel and hospitality offerings. This is a customer‑focused leadership role that blends hands‑on complaint work with coaching and quality assurance.

Qualifications

• Experience leading, coaching or supervising a customer service, complaints or customer relations team.
• Experience within the travel or hospitality sector.
• Strong experience investigating and resolving customer complaints, including more complex or escalated cases.
• Excellent written communication skills, particularly when drafting customer letters and responses to sensitive situations.
• A proven ability to coach, develop and motivate colleagues to achieve high standards.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• The ability to make balanced, fair and customer‑focused decisions.
• Excellent attention to detail and a genuine commitment to quality.
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build positive working relationships.
• A proactive, resilient and solutions‑focused approach, with a willingness to challenge existing processes and find better ways of working.
• The ability to lead by example, encourage accountability and create a supportive team environment.
• A commitment to continuous improvement and your own personal development.
• ABTA guidance knowledge
• Zoho Desk CRM knowledge
• Process improvements experience
• Quality assurance methodologies and performance management

Responsibilities

• Supporting day-to-day leadership of the Guest Experience team, coaching colleagues to deliver high standards of service and complaint resolution.
• Overseeing complaint handling to ensure cases, including complex and escalated complaints, are investigated and resolved fairly, empathetically and within agreed timescales.
• Reviewing customer correspondence and compensation decisions to ensure consistency, quality and alignment with Saga's standards, tone of voice and relevant industry regulations.
• Identifying and leading opportunities to improve complaint handling processes, workflows and ways of working, helping to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction.
• Carrying out quality assurance reviews, monitoring team performance and using feedback and lessons learned to identify training needs and improve service delivery.
• Supporting workload management and service level performance, addressing operational challenges and helping the team manage peak periods or disruption.
• Building strong relationships with colleagues across Saga, overseas partners and suppliers to ensure customer concerns are resolved effectively.
• Supporting the introduction of new systems, guidance and procedures, while championing a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.

Skills

Team leadership

Travel industry

Complaint handling

Written communication

Coaching

Organisational skills

Decision making

Attention to detail

Stakeholder management

Problem solving

Lead by example

Continuous improvement

ABTA knowledge

CRM systems

Process improvement

QA / performance mgmt

Tools

Zoho Desk

Job description

As a trusted specialist serving people over 50, we're passionate about creating memorable experiences for our customers, whether they're travelling with us on one of our holidays or cruises or engaging with another part of our business. We're now looking for a Guest Experience Continuous Improvement Lead to join our team and help us take the way we support our guests to the next level. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is passionate about customer service, enjoys developing people and has a real eye for spotting ways to make things better. Working closely with the Head of Guest Experience, you'll play a pivotal role in improving how we manage complaints, support our colleagues and deliver fair, consistent and empathetic outcomes for our guests. You'll combine hands‑on involvement in complex customer complaints with coaching, quality assurance and continuous improvement. From helping colleagues build their confidence and capability to reviewing processes, improving customer communications and identifying lessons we can learn, you'll help ensure every interaction reflects Saga's commitment to excellent service. You'll also support the day‑to‑day leadership of the Guest Experience team, helping to create a positive, collaborative environment where colleagues feel supported to do their best work. As well as improving the experience for our guests, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the experience of the people delivering that service. If you're a customer‑focused leader who enjoys solving problems, developing others and turning feedback into positive change, this could be a fantastic opportunity to make your mark at Saga. We work in a hybrid way at Saga both at home and in the office at least 3 days a week.

Role Responsibility

• Supporting the day‑to‑day leadership of the Guest Experience team, coaching and developing colleagues to deliver high standards of customer service and complaint resolution.
• Overseeing complaint handling to ensure cases, including complex and escalated complaints, are investigated and resolved fairly, empathetically and within agreed timescales.
• Reviewing customer correspondence and compensation decisions to ensure consistency, quality and alignment with Saga's standards, tone of voice and relevant industry regulations.
• Identifying and leading opportunities to improve complaint handling processes, workflows and ways of working, helping to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction.
• Carrying out quality assurance reviews, monitoring team performance and using feedback and lessons learned to identify training needs and improve service delivery.
• Supporting workload management and service level performance, addressing operational challenges and helping the team manage peak periods or disruption.
• Building strong relationships with colleagues across Saga, overseas partners and suppliers to ensure customer concerns are resolved effectively.
• Supporting the introduction of new systems, guidance and procedures, while championing a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.

We're looking for someone who genuinely cares about the customer experience and understands the difference that a thoughtful, fair and empathetic approach can make. You'll be a confident and supportive leader who can help colleagues develop, navigate challenging situations and deliver consistently high standards.

You'll enjoy getting to the heart of a problem, identifying what could be done better and turning those ideas into practical improvements. Just as importantly, you'll be comfortable balancing customer needs with business requirements, making considered decisions and building strong relationships across teams.

You’ll ideally have:

• Experience leading, coaching or supervising a customer service, complaints or customer relations team.
• Experience within the travel or hospitality sector.
• Strong experience investigating and resolving customer complaints, including more complex or escalated cases.
• Excellent written communication skills, particularly when drafting customer letters and responses to sensitive situations.
• A proven ability to coach, develop and motivate colleagues to achieve high standards.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• The ability to make balanced, fair and customer‑focused decisions.
• Excellent attention to detail and a genuine commitment to quality.
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build positive working relationships.
• A proactive, resilient and solutions‑focused approach, with a willingness to challenge existing processes and find better ways of working.
• The ability to lead by example, encourage accountability and create a supportive team environment.
• A commitment to continuous improvement and your own personal development.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of ABTA guidance and Package Travel Regulations.
• Experience using CRM or complaint management systems, such as Zoho Desk.
• Experience implementing process improvements or service enhancement initiatives.
• An understanding of quality assurance methodologies and performance management.

Above all, you'll be passionate about delivering excellent service, treating customers fairly and helping colleagues succeed. You'll bring empathy, professionalism and a positive attitude, with the confidence to make decisions and the curiosity to keep looking for ways to improve.

Over the past 75 years we have become the UK's specialist provider of products and services to people aged over 50 in the UK. We're the most trusted brand amongst UK consumers in this demographic, recognised for high‑quality products and exceptional standards of service. Our product portfolio includes cruises, holidays, insurance, personal finance products and our Saga Magazine. Our focus on delivering exceptional products and service empowers our colleagues to create moments that are personal and special for our customers and for each other and our values underpin our approach and help guide us to deliver our purpose. We're committed to making sure that colleagues can be their best, be themselves and make a difference - more than anywhere else. We have done this by creating a truly inclusive culture, where all colleagues can bring their full and authentic selves to work and be treated with dignity and respect in an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment. Thanks to our people, Saga was awarded with a Gold for Best Customer Centric Culture in 2025. This is testament to the great culture we've built together. This award belongs to all our colleagues who collectively make Saga a fantastic place to work.

£28000 to £32,000 Permanent Hybrid / Crawley or Folkestone - 3 days a week in the office, with travel as required by the business

At Saga, we believe that great customer experiences are about more than the products and holidays we offer, they're about how we make people feel, the care we show and the way we put our customers first, especially when things don't go to plan., At Saga we recognise that our people make us special. We believe our colleagues deserve rewards for the excellence they demonstrate every single day, that's why we have put together an amazing benefits package for all colleagues.

BENEFITS AVAILABLE FOR THIS ROLE

• 25 days holiday + bank holidays
• Option to purchase additional leave - 5 extra days
• Pension scheme matched up to 10%
• Company performance related annual bonus - Up to 5%
• Life assurance policy on joining us, 4 x salary
• Wellbeing programme
• Colleague discounts including family discounts on cruises, holidays and insurance
• Range of reductions and offers from leading retailers, travel groups and entertainment companies
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Grandparents leave
• Income protection
• Access to Saga Academy, our bespoke learning platform