Customer Service Team Leader (Japanese, English and Italian speaking) at Kuoni Tumlare

About Kuoni Tumlare

At Kuoni Tumlare, we deliver truly inspiring and innovative solutions and experiences that create value both for our Partners and Society at large. Our wide portfolio of products and solutions is built on 100+ years of destination management experience. Our solutions include series tours, technical visits, educational tours, Japanspecialist travel consulting, as well as meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions. Our product portfolio includes MyBus excursions at destinations as well as guaranteed departure tours devised and delivered by our Seat-in-Coach specialists, Europamundo (EMV) and MyBus Landcruise. We cater to a wide range of customer needs in close collaboration with our trusted suppliers and powered by our team of destinations experts - enabling us to make a real difference to the world.

About the Business

Our Destination Management services form the core of our business. Together with our destination experts, our sales and account management teams generate business by partnering with our customers (Tour Operators, Travel Agencies) to shape exciting itineraries suited to their traveler’s needs. We take care of everything from ground support, hotel bookings, sightseeing, restaurants, and local guides; all while providing 24/7 customer support so that travelers from over 50 countries can enjoy memorable travel experiences worry free.

About the Role

We are currently offering a position as Customer Service Team Leader (Japanese, English and Italian speaking ) to join our team in our Rome Office. The Customer Service Team Leader is responsible for supporting the Customer Service Manager in leading the team and ensuring the delivery of excellent customer service. The role will directly supervise a team of Customer Service Agents, providing day-to-day guidance, monitoring workload and service quality, and supporting the development and performance of team members. The Team Leader will play a key operational role within the department, acting as the first point of escalation for agents and customers, coordinating with internal departments and suppliers, and ensuring enquiries and operational issues are handled professionally and efficiently. This is a hands-on position suited to an experienced customer service professional who enjoys supporting and developing others while remaining closely involved in daily operations within an international travel environment.

Key Activities

• Monitor daily workload and allocate tasks to ensure enquiries and requests are handled professionally and within agreed service levels.
• Act as the first point of escalation for complex customer enquiries, complaints and operational issues.
• Monitor individual and team performance, service quality and productivity, escalating relevant matters to the Customer Service Manager.
• Help maintain appropriate team coverage by supporting the planning of holidays, absences and daily schedules.
• Support the onboarding and training of new team members.
• Promote a positive, collaborative and inclusive working environment within the team.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, workflows and ways of working in order to increase efficiency and service quality.
• Coordinate with other internal departments and suppliers to resolve customer service and quality-related issues.
• Participate in operational projects, inspections, tour attendance, meet & greets and client or supplier meetings when required.
• Support emergency response activities and operational incidents when required.

To succeed in the role, you should have:

• Previous experience in customer service, preferably within the travel, tourism, hospitality or destination management industry.
• Previous experience as a Team Leader, Supervisor or in another role involving coaching is nice to have, but not compulsory.
• Business-level Japanese, English and Italian, both written and spoken, is essential.
• Strong understanding of Japanese customer expectations and cultural standards is highly desirable.
• Confidence in dealing with customers, suppliers and internal stakeholders in an international environment.
• Good AI computer literacy, including experience with Microsoft Office applications.
• Comfortable using digital tools and AI-supported solutions as part of daily work.
• Good understanding of customer service KPIs, reporting and performance monitoring is preferred.

We are looking for a person who has:

• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• A strong customer-focused mindset and enthusiasm for delivering outstanding service.
• The ability to prioritize and multitask in a fast-paced and complex environment.
• The ability to remain calm and make decisions under pressure.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• The ability to build positive relationships with customers, suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• A proactive and solution-oriented attitude.
• A collaborative approach and strong team spirit.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to work in an international and multicultural environment.
• Diverse and inclusive company culture.
• Learning and training opportunities for professional growth.
• Dedicated employee engagement activities.
• Opportunity to develop leadership experience within the international travel industry.

Compensation Range (Annual Gross Salary): range €33K / 38K 2 years contract