Ambitions Travel Recruitment
CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGER
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CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGER / COMPLAINTS MANAGER
CROYDON — HYBRID | 2 DAYS OFFICE, 3 DAYS HOME
GREAT SALARY PLUS BENEFITS
TRAVEL INDUSTRY COMPLAINTS MANAGEMENT WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE ABTA CODE OF CONDUCT IS ESSENTIAL
Customer Relations Manager job in Croydon within the travel industry, offering an excellent salary plus benefits. This is a leadership role owning the Customer Relations team and our most complex casework, including ABTA mediation, arbitration and personal injury claims.
▌ Do you?
- Do you want to lead a team that turns a customer's worst moment into the reason they come back?
- Are you confident handling complex, sensitive casework — from ABTA mediation and arbitration through to personal injury claims?
- Do you enjoy coaching a team to resolve cases independently, while staying calm and fair under pressure yourself?
- And are you genuinely curious about what complaints tell a business, using every case as a chance to prevent the next one?
▌ Our Client
Our client is a well-established name in the travel industry, known for the quality of the holidays they design and the standard of service they deliver. Complaints handling is a genuine priority for them — they see it as one of the strongest levers they have for building loyalty and turning customers into advocates.
They are now seeking a Customer Relations Manager / Complaints Manager to lead the team, the workload and the most complex casework — shaping how the business handles complaints and feedback for the long term.
▌ The Role
In this role, you will lead the Customer Relations team day to day while personally handling the most complex and sensitive casework the business faces.
- Manage the Customer Relations team, including workload, coaching, development and recruitment
- Champion a call-to-resolve approach where it delivers the best outcome for the customer
- Personally handle ABTA mediation calls, pre-arbitration assessments and written defences
- Liaise with insurers on potential personal injury claims
- Approve refunds and compensation payments within delegated authority limits
- Monitor workflow to keep response times and phone performance within agreed SLAs
- Lead planning and delivery of weekend opening during peak season, staffed on a fair rota
- Meet regularly with Product teams to resolve individual issues and identify recurring themes
- Lead the team's use of case management technology, including AI-assisted first responses
- Partner with the Head of Customer Experience on the most complex situations, deputising in their absence
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▌ Experience Required
- Experience managing and motivating a small, customer-facing team, ideally within travel or tour operating
- A track record of handling complex, sensitive or regulated casework — compensation, injury claims or formal escalation such as ABTA mediation and arbitration is highly desirable
- Familiarity with ABTA's Code of Conduct and the Package Travel Regulations
- Experience improving team performance against service level targets
- Comfortable working with a case management or CRM platform
- A natural people leader who coaches and builds a team's confidence and independence
- Calm and fair under pressure, particularly in emotionally difficult conversations
- Confident using data to track performance and make the case for change with other teams
▌ Benefits
- Hybrid working — 2 days in the Croydon office, 3 days from home
- Excellent salary plus benefits
- A genuinely influential leadership role, with real autonomy over how the team works
- Ownership of the most complex casework in the business, including ABTA mediation and arbitration
- Occasional weekend flexibility required during peak season, on a fair rota basis
▌ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the salary for a Customer Relations Manager in travel in Croydon?
Excellent salary plus benefits. Ambitions Travel Recruitment will share full package details with shortlisted candidates.
What does hybrid working look like in this role?
Two days in the Croydon office, three days from home — structured and specific, not subject to change at short notice.
Is travel industry experience required?
Travel industry experience, ideally within tour operating, is preferred, along with experience of complex or regulated casework. Ambitions Travel Recruitment will fully brief all shortlisted candidates before interview.
How do I apply through Ambitions Travel Recruitment?
Apply via this page. Ambitions Travel Recruitment reviews every application personally — no automated screening. Register at ambitionstravelrecruitment.com to be considered for future roles.
What does a Customer Relations Manager role in travel involve?
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Leading a customer relations team and owning the most complex casework a travel business faces — including ABTA mediation, arbitration and personal injury claims — while shaping how complaints are handled and prevented.
Who are Ambitions Travel Recruitment?
Ambitions Travel Recruitment is a specialist leisure travel recruitment agency placing professionals across all areas of leisure travel — including, but not limited to, tour operators, tailor-made travel, safari companies, expedition and adventure travel, ocean and river cruise lines, ski operators, and UHNW concierge businesses — in the UK, South Africa, GCC, Asia, and North America. Founded by Fi Morrison-Arnthal with 35+ years' experience.
Click here to apply for this Customer Relations Manager job, which is being recruited by Ambitions Travel Recruitment.
Ambitions Travel Recruitment places professionals across all areas of leisure travel, including tour operators, tailor-made travel, safari companies, expedition and adventure travel, ocean and river cruise lines, ski operators, and UHNW concierge businesses, in the UK, South Africa, GCC, Asia, and North America. With over 100 combined years of industry experience, we are trusted by global corporations, independent travel businesses, and growing operators to source hard-to-find specialists through a headhunting approach that reaches candidates who never appear on job boards.
▌ IMPORTANT
If this role ticks your boxes and you've got the relevant experience, then click and apply
If this role isn't for you but you'd be keen to receive suitable job alerts, then register with us now www.ambitionstravelrecruitment.com
Due to the massive number of applications, we receive, we're usually only able to reply to candidates whose requirements meet our customers' needs. We're super grateful that you take the time to apply, and we will save your CV and be in touch for other suitable roles
Please visit our website www.ambitionstravelrecruitment.com for our full privacy policy which explains how we store and access your personal data and our candidate promise to never share your details with an employer without your prior consent etc.
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