James (Brad) Driskell
Mattoon,IL
Summary
Dedicated customer service professional with a strong understanding of service delivery and a proven ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. Committed to building and maintaining professional relationships to drive profitability and achieve business objectives. Brings top-notch skills in oral and written communication, active listening, and analytical problem-solving. Enhances customer experiences by employing service-oriented behaviors, understanding customer desires, and providing customized solutions to build loyalty.
Overview
40
40
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Entertainment Advisor
BCD Travel - Apple
02.2019 - Current
- Provided air travel needs including car and hotel for movie productions of 200+ travelers
- Coordinated chartering of aircraft for large lifts of crew
- Maintained up-to-date knowledge on industry trends and regulations, ensuring accurate advice was provided to clients at all times.
- Mentored new advisors, fostering supportive team environment focused on growth and learning.
- Developed strong relationships with clients through regular communication and excellent customer service.
- Participated in ongoing professional development opportunities to stay current with industry trends and best practices.
- Enhanced team productivity with introduction of streamlined processes.
- Enhanced advisor skills and knowledge through continuous professional development program, elevating service quality.
Global Meeting Air Coordinator
BCD Travel - Apple
06.2013 - 02.2019
- Act as point person between Apple Travel and Apple MES for all meetings that will require involvement from both departments
- Supervise Regional Meeting Air Coordinator in Americas region
- Create travel logistics by using meeting numbers that identify each of meetings guidelines
- Weekly status updates to manager/supervisors of any large meeting that may impact call queues and agents
- Have creative solutions for large complex meetings
- Run and distribute weekly travel reports to planners and/or meeting stakeholders
- Run and compile Arrival/Departure manifests for planners
- Manage dedicated mailboxes for groups/meetings
- Work with 3rd party vendors for meeting setups, (GetThere, StarCite)
- Process internal meeting requests
- Work with many different lines of business with Apple, including Program Manager for Marcom Workshops
- Work with AMR, APAC and EMEA managers and planners to ensure global meetings are ready and complete
- Attend weekly global calls with Apple MES planners to discuss current programs and up coming programs
- Working knowledge of StarCite/Lanyon system planners use
- Heavily involved in development with QikPlanner, new planner tool
- Experience with MAC computer, Pages, Numbers, Word, Excel.
Group Travel Lead
Travel and Transport
03.2010 - 06.2013
- The Group Travel Lead is the liaison between the client and Travel & Transport for group air programs
- Primary responsibility is to manage all aspects of group air component whether it is stand alone program or part of complete meeting package
- Travel on-site with programs as requested by client
- Build meeting parameters in online booking tool (Concur or TravelQuote) for each client
- Manage program mailboxes for travel related questions/air approvals for agents
- Additional responsibilities included program specific training for group air agents, building program bar/star in GDS (Apollo/Sabre), airline reservations, vendor negotiations, arrival/departure manifests, timeline management, monitoring flights w/updates to DMC airport arrival staff, audits/air-hotel cross checks, invoicing and pre/post trip reporting
- Providing back-up service for meeting planners as workload permitted
- Experience with Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook along with Pages and Numbers for iMac.
Store Manager
Centreville Shipping and Services
11.2008 - 03.2010
- Assist customers with shipping services via FedEx, UPS and USPS
- Prepare and mail customer statements
- Answering telephones and helping customers with faxing, notary, ordering specialty items as needed
- Design and print business and personalized cards, brochures and newsletters
- Experience with Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook and Publisher.
Certified Airline Reporting Specialist
BCD Travel - Apple
12.1984 - 11.2008
- Prepared airline and rail ticketing sales reports for submission to Airline Reporting Corporation for payment
- Reconcile agency back office system with ARC
- Lead agent responsible for quality control and ticketing for new agent bookings via Sabre and Turbo Sabre GDS
- Researched and addressed customer complaints in person, via email and over phone
- Assist travelers with questions and bookings for company online booking tool, GetThere
- Liaison to domestic and international airlines for research and processing debit memos for payment or dispute as well as track and report to agent for process improvement awareness
- Calculate full and partial refunds for domestic and international air and rail tickets
- Involved with Groups/Meetings department, which include booking and ticketing bulk air and block space reservations
- Processing arrival and departure manifests for airport meet and greet for all meeting arrivals and departures for VIP clients
- Provided weekly, monthly and quarterly reporting to various accounts on spending based on company travel policy
- Managed nonrefundable database of cancelled bookings for agents to use for ticket exchanges
- Active role in customization of Turbo Sabre for Apple Computer along with training agents on Turbo Sabre, process improvement development for better utilization and BCD Travel standard operating procedures
- Experience with Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook and Publisher along withiMac computer.
Travel Consultant, Domestic/International
BCD Travel
10.1999 - 04.2000
- Duties include answering phones and booking domestic and international air, car, hotel, rail and limo bookings for attorneys and VIP clients with Sabre GDS system
- Experience with Microsoft products.
Travel Consultant, Domestic/International and Trainer
BCD Travel
10.1997 - 10.1999
- Implementation for Gillette and Oral B accounts resulting in a weekly commute to Boston Massachusetts for 10 months
- Trained new Gillette and Oral B agents from Apollo GDS to Sabre GDS, as well as BCD Travel standard operating procedures
- Answered phones for air, car, hotel, rail and limo bookings for VIP clients
- Reserve agent for various Washington DC and Baltimore Maryland accounts
- Attended Apollo GDS training classes
- Experience with Microsoft products.
Travel Consultant, Domestic/International and Trainer
BCD Travel
12.1984 - 10.1997
- Implementation of Dell Computer and Southland Corporation accounts with regards to BCD Travel standard operating procedures
- Customer Service agent for high profile accounts which include booking, quality control and ticketing VIP clients with Sabre GDS system
- Reserve agent for Miller Freeman account in San Francisco
- Weekly commute to San Francisco for 6 months
- Experience with Microsoft products.
Education
Travel -
Wilma Boyd Travel School
Pittsburgh, PA07.1983
High School Diploma -
Mattoon High School
Mattoon, Il06.1981
Skills
- Proficient in Sabre
- Proficient in Apollo
- Proficient in gTAD
- Proficient with MacBook Pro
- Process Improvement
- Team leadership and direction
- Customer and personnel training
- Onsite customer support
- Vendor management
- Quality assurance
- Electronic and communication systems
- Proficient in Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint
- Proficient in iWork Suite Pages, Numbers and KeyNote
- Room Block Management
Timeline
Senior Entertainment Advisor
BCD Travel - Apple
02.2019 - Current
Global Meeting Air Coordinator
BCD Travel - Apple
06.2013 - 02.2019
Group Travel Lead
Travel and Transport
03.2010 - 06.2013
Store Manager
Centreville Shipping and Services
11.2008 - 03.2010
Travel Consultant, Domestic/International
BCD Travel
10.1999 - 04.2000
Travel Consultant, Domestic/International and Trainer
BCD Travel
10.1997 - 10.1999
Certified Airline Reporting Specialist
BCD Travel - Apple
12.1984 - 11.2008
Travel Consultant, Domestic/International and Trainer
BCD Travel
12.1984 - 10.1997
Travel -
Wilma Boyd Travel School
High School Diploma -
Mattoon High School
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