Visitor Services

You will play a pivotal role within the Scottish Storytelling Centre team through the provision of outstanding customer service for visitors to the Centre.

In addition to your excellent communication and interpersonal skills, you will be highly organised and a strong team-player who will be able to demonstrate a flexible and adaptable approach to your work in order to meet the daily demands presented. Numeracy and the ability to pay close attention to detail are essential as you will be required to operate the till and box office system. A good level of IT skills will be required.

You will work 35 hours per week on a flexible rota which will include evenings and weekends.

Fixed term to February 2023

The role

To process and contribute to all RZSS membership and adoption administrative and sales activities, ensuring income is processed accurately and on time, whilst providing high levels of customer service to all stakeholders.

Some of the things you’ll do:

Accurately process membership and adoption applications and renewals, adhering strictly to deadlines and in full compliance with GDPR requirements.

Use and maintain membership and adoption databases to securely upload, extract and process data.

Ensure all queries (email, phone, face-to-face) are answered within a reasonable timeframe and with first-class customer care.

Provide high levels of customer service to both internal and external customers.

Provide ad hoc admin support where required, e.g. post duties, mailings, donation processing.

Support the Membership and Adoption Manager in developing membership and adoption activities.

What we’re looking for:

You’ll have previous experience of administrative and data processing work.

Good achievement in standard grades (or equivalent), including English and maths.

Competent in the use of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).

Fast and accurate typing and inputting skills.

Skilled in communicating constructively with customers by phone, email and face to face.

Committed to providing first class customer care and service, including dealing with customer complaints.

Please see the role profile for further information on what the role involves and essential/desirable criteria.

JOB PURPOSE
To maximise our visitors’ enjoyment of National Trust for Scotland managed sites by maintaining excellent standards of service, optimising opportunities to generate income and ensuring that the site and its assets are safe and secure.
Specifically, to ensure the smooth and safe operations in hospitality services at Culzean.
Core hours will be the minimum hours available, with the opportunity to work additional hours to suit the needs of the business. Must have full weekend availability, hours will be issued on a rota basis.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
To provide a consistently high standard of visitor care at all times
• Welcoming visitors to the site and processing their admission/retail or catering purchase in a friendly, efficient and knowledgeable manner;
• Welcoming visitors with special needs / impairments and providing a high level of service in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act;
• Welcoming International visitors and aiding with specific needs.
• Welcoming groups in an efficient and warm manner
• Answering visitors’ queries about the site, education facilities and the local area;
• Providing information about the site, its history, contents, offers and merchandise;
• Promoting National Trust for Scotland brand to include our Membership scheme, events, upselling other properties and any promotional campaigns, being proactive in the selling of Membership and Gift Aid.

To maintain excellent standards of site and personal presentation at all times
• The general ongoing operational cleaning of all areas as necessary, toilet cleaning, emptying waste bins and as appropriate vacuum cleaning, mopping, sweeping, dusting and polishing when required;
• To ensure good housekeeping of the Eisenhower rooms to include the communal areas, bedrooms & Bathrooms
• Ensuring site is ready to open and welcome visitors by the set opening time;
• Wearing correct uniform, name badges, or PPE as required.
• Reporting all instances of damage and wear and tear issues promptly to your line manager;
• Working in harmony with other departments; housekeeping, gardening, grounds maintenance and site repair employees/contractors.

Financial Responsibilities (where applicable)
• To adhere to all financial procedures to include till operation and banking and safeguarding of monies: to implement amendments to standard procedure as instructions may dictate.

Hospitality/Catering duties
• To ensure good housekeeping of catering kitchens, serveries and back of house areas.
• To actively upsell products and services to facilitate the visitor’s enjoyment.
• To actively feedback visitor comments to line managers to develop and improve offer, service, operations.
• To work flexibly across departments and sites as needed.
• To assist with the set-up, stewarding and break-down of events in liaison with the events coordinator.
• To assist with Hospitality events, the set, break down and food and drink service. Staff may be asked to work through into the night hours.

JOB PURPOSE

Inverewe is a garden of outstanding horticultural importance, recognised internationally for its extensive plant collections. Created by Osgood Mackenzie in the late 19th century, it has been in NTS ownership since 1952. Here, exotic plants flourish in a challenging northern landscape of spectacular mountain and coast. Within its essential tree shelterbelt, the planting has always ‘pushed the boundaries’. The Collections Gardener plays a key role in maintaining and developing the extensive plant collection, in particular the current National Collections of Rhododendron subsections barbata, glishcra and maculifera, Olearia and Aeonium.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Qualifications

Essential
 NVQ/SVQ Level 3 (or equivalent) with relevant practical experience, including working in a similar large garden/nursery with specialist collections
 PA1 and PA6a spraying certificates, or willingness to be trained in the use of pesticides and to exercise that training
 Driving Licence, valid for driving within the UK.

Desirable
 Tractor driving certification and experience
 Basic chain-saw certificates – CS30 & CS31, or willingness to be trained in the basic use of chainsaws and to exercise that training.

Experience, skills and knowledge

Essential
 Eye for detail and finish
 Sound plant knowledge and identification skills
 Demonstrable skills and experience in relevant propagation, care and conservation techniques
 Knowledge and experience of general amenity gardening, e.g. managing shrubs, herbaceous plants and bulbs
 Sound knowledge of basic tool and machinery use and maintenance
 Practical knowledge of Health and Safety processes and procedures and the ability to work effectively within these processes
 Competent IT skills sufficient for maintaining plant records, use of the internet/intranet, assisting trainees/apprentices, distance learning etc
 Understanding of plant record systems (ideally IRIS BG) and their use to record and help inform collection management
 Strong planning and organisational skills
 Experience of working in a mixed team that includes short-term/seasonal staff and/or volunteers
 Managing, supervising and instructing staff and volunteers
 An effective team member with excellent interpersonal and communication skills, confident and competent in interacting and dealing with a wide range of people, and able to represent the Trust
 Self-motivated with good organisational and time-management skills – including the ability to prioritise
 Able to live and work in a relatively remote rural environment with little public transport.

JOB PURPOSE
To provide operational coordination and supervision of catering, retail, visitor services, and events at in line with the Trust’s policies, priorities, performance standards and targets to contribute to the enjoyment of the property by visitors and members, and help ensure commercial, financial, and conservation objectives are achieved.
The Visitor Services Supervisor at a Trust property plays a pivotal role ensuring that the management objectives are achieved through excellent customer service. With delegated responsibility for catering, retail, events and duty management this job is very often the “face” of the Trust to visitors and suppliers, directly influencing public perceptions of the Trust and is crucial to developing and maintaining the property’s local/national reputation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
Supervising/undertaking the day-to-day operation of the property and environs to ensure an excellent customer/visitor experience. This includes supervision of:
• Visitor services, events and retail offer (including ordering, merchandising, sales targets);
• Management of Visitor Services Assistants and volunteers
• Duty management and oversight/maintenance of the property
• Ensure the property social media is managed to generate interest, engagement and help drive visitors
• Support the informal learning and community engagement / outreach activity, e.g. public events
• Ticketing & Membership sales (to targets) and general customer service (individuals, education visits, other groups);
• Security of the Property;
• Health & Safety procedures, emergency procedures, and environmental procedures;
• Deputising for the Visitor Services Manager on-site and off-site as required

Supporting day to day financial administration at the property, including
• Ensuring the completion of Cash/till reconciliation;
• Week-end reports and reconciliation;
• Completion of the banking and all cash handling processes

Supporting the Visitor Services Manager with
• recruitment; induction; development; and management of all visitor services employees and volunteers such that they understand and are equipped to fulfill their roles to the standards required and that they feel valued, respected and supported.