Visitor Services

JOB PURPOSE
This is an exciting and varied role within the Visitor Services Team, primarily based at the Tenement House as part of the Tenement House, Holmwood and Weaver’s Cottage cluster. We are looking for energetic, cheerful, and talkative individuals to join our team this season.
Working at all 3 sites will be required on a rota basis, but the role will be primarily based at The Tenement House. Through engaging and informative interactions, you’ll help share stories about these iconic sites and build support and understanding for the National Trust for Scotland.

• You’ll help welcome visitors from across the globe and ensure they have an enjoyable and memorable experience here from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave.

• You’ll work flexibly and with an eye for detail, ensuring the smooth and safe operations in Admissions, Retail, Catering and Events activities whilst making the property the best possible place to visit and work.

• By maintaining excellent standards of service, optimising opportunities to generate income, and ensuring that the site and its assets are safe and secure you will be a vital part of furthering the valuable work of the National Trust for Scotland.

• You will contribute to the team property targets and work well within a team.

Our ideal candidate will have a passion for customer service, excellent presentation skills and be able to communicate the importance of Scottish heritage and its preservation.
Someone who wants to help us generate the income and recruit the members that enable us to care for all the unique and valuable properties within the Glasgow cluster. They will enjoy the variety and exciting challenges that come with working across several different sites and areas. A Visitor Services Assistant is crucial to visitors’ understanding of the property and in establishing and maintaining the Trust’s reputation as a guardian of Scotland’s heritage, and as the organisation that actively wants people to engage with and enjoy the properties it cares for.
We are looking for someone who is keen to develop and learn new skills within the heritage sector.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
Provide a consistently high standard of visitor care
• Engage with and make our visitors feel welcome at all times, exploring the unique exhibitions and experiences each site has to offer.
• Be responsible and proactive. Ensuring all day-to-day tasks are completed as instructed.
• Provide a responsive, friendly and efficient service tailored to the needs of both individual visitors and tour groups.
• Be passionate about our sites. Develop a thorough understanding of the sites within the Glasgow Cluster, enabling you to share stories with visitors, offer ideas to help them enjoy their visit and answer common questions. Training of each property will be provided.
• Have a flexible approach to working hours and days including working weekend and Bank Holidays as appropriate.
• To work across departments when necessary, supporting the wider Holmwood and Weaver’s Cottage teams.
• Promote other local properties and the work of the Trust.
• Focus on the details. Ensure retail or catering displays remain stocked, tidy and enticing throughout the day.
• Assist with the set-up, running and clean-up of functions and events.
• Work flexibly and in harmony with your colleagues across sites and departments, supporting each other to make best use of team resources, especially at busy times.
• Take the initiative and address problems or deal with tasks as they arise.
• Listen and respond open to visitor comments to ensure that visitors leave happy and looking forward to their next visit. Feedback any issues as they arise to ensure the smooth running of the site.
• Help gather photos/videos for social media to promote our activities and encourage visits.
• Be able to take responsibility for your own development and learning.

Generate the income that enables us to look after special places

• Be aware of the team’s targets for generating income and other key objectives and aim to achieve and exceed them.
• Work with the Visitor Services Manager and property staff to deliver financial targets and other KPI’s.
• Be proactive in upselling our café, shop and membership products and services by seeking to understand customers’ preferences.
• Be responsible for accurate and secure till operation and sales processing and support the reconciliation of end of day takings. Handling cash accurately and processing sales.

Maintain excellent standards of site and personal presentation and safety
• Help with behind-the-scenes tasks to prepare for opening at the start of the day and close-down at the end.
• Take pride in your surroundings by maintaining high standards throughout the day and helping to clean public and staff areas.
• Report all instances of damage, wear and tear or maintenance needs promptly.
• Ensure you are clearly identifiable and appropriately dressed by wearing uniform, name badges, and PPE as required.
• Share responsibility for the health and welfare of property staff, volunteers and visitors by adhering to NTS Health, Safety and Environment policies and guidelines.
• Work in cooperation with other departments; gardening, grounds maintenance, contractors and NTS staff.

SCOPE OF JOB
People Management

· Will have regular (daily) interaction with members of the public of all ages and abilities

Finance Management

· Share till reconciliation duties, as appointed by Visitor Services Manager.

· Assist Retail/Catering with stocktaking and goods receipting.

Tools/equipment and cleaning chemicals

· Will be a user of cleaning chemical while supporting housekeeping of staff and visitor areas.

· Is expected to work and ensure compliance within the property’s ‘safe systems of work’ (the system for managing health and safety)
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
Qualifications

• No formal educational qualification required. Relevant training provided.

Desirable Skills, Experience & Knowledge
• Experience in a customer-facing role
• Understanding and commitment to the aims and objectives of the National Trust for Scotland
• Excellent “front of house” persona – warm, welcoming, helpful, patient and understanding
• Excellent communication skills, a passion for sharing stories and offering memorable experiences
• Persuasive selling skills, tailoring conversations to customer needs and product knowledge
• Ability to work within a team or independently to a high and safe standard
• Caring and helpful attitude towards visitors and colleagues
• Comfortable with being flexible and adapting working patterns to meet property needs
• Excellent time management skills and the ability to prioritise
• Attention to detail and pride in presentation standards
• Ability to be flexible, in particular to adapt working patterns and tasks to meet day-to-day variations in visitors, catering and general property needs.
• Ability to adjust pace to match customer flow without compromising quality of service

The Key Responsibilities, Scope of Job, and Required Qualifications, Skills, Experience & Knowledge reflect the requirements of the job at the time of issue. The Trust reserves the right to amend these with appropriate consultation and/or request the post-holder to undertake any activities that it believes to be reasonable within the broad scope of the job or his/her general abilities.

JOB PURPOSE
To maximise our visitors’ enjoyment of National Trust for Scotland managed sites by maintaining the excellent standards we set across our properties to enable us to provide the best possible experience for our visitors. Providing an efficient, reliable service and high standards in housekeeping based on the needs of the property. Specifically, to ensure that all areas and public areas are cleaned and maintained to the highest standards, to make the property the best possible place to visit and work.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
The Housekeeper is responsible for a wide variety of housekeeping duties in connection with the well-being and care of the visited, non-visited and holiday accommodation at Culzean Castle and Country Parkas per the Trust’s Housekeeping Procedures Manual, including the following:

• Ensuring a high standard of cleanliness to all visited and non-visited areas of the property as directed by your line manager
• The general ongoing operational cleaning of all areas as necessary, as toilet cleaning, emptying waste bins and as appropriate vacuum cleaning, mopping, sweeping, dusting and polishing when required etc
• Working with the public, cleaning during trading hours.
• Ensuring site is ready to open and welcome visitors by the set opening time
• Actively support the Trust’s Conservation programme and undertake general housekeeping duties to the highest level of care which may include:
• In line with current NTS best practice, clean and care for the collection of furniture, books, artworks, glass, china silverware, other artefacts and delicate fabrics and curtains
• Checking of collections and domestic inventories during changeover
• Reporting losses/breakages, wear and tear and repairs required immediately to your line manager
• Provide support to enable functions and events to be successfully delivered
• Wearing correct uniform, name badges, or PPE as required
• reporting all H&S hazards, fire risks, and instances of damage and wear and tear issues promptly to the Visitor Services Supervisor,
• Routinely clean and look after the holiday accommodation and will involve but is not limited to:
o vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, polishing of floors
o dusting/polishing of surfaces and fittings such as furniture, ornaments, panelling, stairs, and doors
o dusting/wiping of sills, skirtings, door, and window frames
o cleaning of windows
o cleaning of lavatories, sinks, etc
o changing of bed linen and towels, and making of beds
o cleaning of bathroom/toilet areas and fittings
o cleaning of kitchen areas and equipment
o checking functionality of lighting, heating, TV/radio etc
o replenishing of welcome/hospitality trays, and consumables
o cleaning and providing clean laundry for each occupancy
o disposal of general household waste

• To be first point of contact in case of queries or questions from clients regarding the holiday property and to provide additional service or help when requested.
• Assist with the administration of any repair works, liaising with the Visitor Services Supervisor to arrange necessary repairs.
• Monitor the condition of furniture – reporting any loss or damage to the Visitor Services Manager.
• Ensure COVID 19 Guidelines and Safe Systems of Work is implemented effectively within function and with external contractors.
• Undertake any administration required in support of housekeeping, including (but not limited to): planning regimes for routine and in-depth cleaning; stock control and ordering of recommended cleaning consumables/janitorial supplies; recording work undertaken.
• Deliver excellent customer care to foster a friendly and inviting atmosphere for visitors.
• Share in the common responsibility of working in a manner mindful of the Trust’s obligations to minimise impact on the environment, through e.g., efficient use of water/heat/light, recycling and the disposal of waste, and considered use of transport.

In accordance with the property’s procedures, share in the common responsibility for the safe evacuation or management of colleagues and visitors in the event of a fire or security alert or alarm. This includes weekly fire alarm checks whilst cleaning and keeping a record of the checks

The current duties of this job do not require a criminal record (Disclosure Scotland) check to be carried out.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
Qualifications
No formal educational qualification required.
Skills, Experience & Knowledge
Essential
• Sound previous housekeeping experience including
• Clean and current driving license
• Cleaning and presentation of areas open to the public or holiday-rental accommodation
• Evidence of acting to identify health and safety issues, required repairs, damage etc.
• Personal commitment to high standards of cleanliness
• Personal commitment to excellence in customer care
• Flexible, helpful outlook to customers and colleagues
• Attentive to detail with an eye for presentation and finish
• Ensure that all activities undertaken are compliant with the Trust’s health and safety policies
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with an ability to get along with a wide range of people
• This is a physical job, which will normally include use of vacuums, carpet cleaners, mop and bucket, lifting, fetching and carrying laundry and objects as well as the ascent and descent of both internal and external stairs
• Working flexibly in response to the needs to the business, including evening/weekend work and lone working
• An understanding and commitment to the aims and objectives of the National Trust for Scotland
• Living the values of the National Trust for Scotland and encourage colleagues to do the same
• The ability and willingness to understand others’ perspectives and to consider the impact of your actions on them and to adapt your actions as necessary.
• The ability and willingness to learn and try new things, to be flexible and step outside of your comfort zone.
• An open and honest way of communicating, ready to ask others for their ideas and to be open to hear and consider different points of view.
• A pro-active approach to taking initiative and to driving forward ideas and projects designed to improve daily operations and deliver an exceptional visitor experience.

The Key Responsibilities, Behaviours and Skills, Experience & Knowledge reflect the requirements of the job at the time of issue. The Trust reserves the right to amend these with appropriate consultation and/or request the post-holder to undertake any activities that it believes to be reasonable within the broad scope of the job or his/her general abilities.

JOB PURPOSE

Brodick Castle is an idyllic island destination and visitor attraction on the Isle of Arran. As one of the Visitor Services team within the castle, you’ll ensure that all visitors receive an excellent visitor experience and leave feeling inspired by this stunning property and its history. This will be achieved through being welcoming; engaging and knowledgeable; prepared to answer visitors’ questions about objects, stories of the castle and its family and the NTS. This person is frequently in contact with visitors and as such is an ambassador for the Trust, exhibiting consistently excellent customer services while actively promoting the Trust’s aims and services.
The Trust has stated the importance that education plays at its properties. The provision of an interesting and educational day out has been a key feature at Brodick Castle and Country Park for many years. Castle guides may be asked to support the delivery of learning programs and events, at the property.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
ROOM GUIDES
In their role as a room guide, the post holder will assist with the delivery of historical and educational information to visitors and ensure their enjoyment and safety during their visit to the castle. They may also be asked to assist with the education programme at Brodick Castle, under the direction of the Head Education Guide.
Key responsibilities include:

• Always ensuring the highest level of customer care.
• Maximising the visitor’s enjoyment and understanding of the property by presenting to them the history of Brodick, it’s collection and the people who lived there
• Communicating with, and effectively engaging with a diverse selection of visitors
• Being mindful of security needs of the property and its contents, minimising opportunities for theft or damage through diligent monitoring of visitors and the implementation of security measures (e.g. locking up procedures etc.)
• Being aware of the conservation needs of the property and its contents and minimising the risk of accidental damage through engaging with visitors and the implementation of appropriate conservation measures
• Sharing in the common responsibility of implementing the Trust’s Health & Safety policy, being mindful at all times of health & safety of self, staff, volunteers, and visitors
• Sharing in the common responsibility for the safe evacuation/management of colleagues and visitors in the event of a fire or security alert or alarm
• Responsibility for daily guiding/educational operations within the castle.
• Ensuring all opening and closing procedures have been carried out and that all areas are properly supervised.
• Embracing all organisational training required to be taken as part of the role.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES
EDUCATION
• Delivery of a range of high-quality talks and tours about Brodick for the public and organised groups, including all ages and abilities
• Delivery of formal/informal educational activities and workshops to school

Fulfilling any other reasonable duty where this relates to education, admissions, membership and retail at the property.
SCOPE OF ROLE
Communication and Customer Care
• Will need to communicate willingly and effectively with all visitors.
• Will need to acquire relevant knowledge of what Brodick Castle and its environment can offer to visitors in order to provide the best customer care.

Technical Knowledge
• Will need a wide ranging and developing knowledge of Brodick Castle, its history and collections-this will be acquired through training, prepared, and explored resources.
• Will need knowledge of relevant health, safety and evacuation procedures in order to ensure the safety of self, visitors, volunteers and staff-this will be acquired through training.
• Will need a basic knowledge of preventative and best practice measures to help ensure the conservation of both the Castle and the collection-this will be acquired through training.

People Management
• Will need to communicate efficiently with both internal and external customers
• Will need to communicate, co-operate, and engage effectively with their team.

SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
The below outlines the key skills and behaviours the job holder will need to possess and exercise:
Essential
• Must be a very able and enthusiastic communicator, in particular, verbally.
• Must have enthusiasm for Scottish heritage and in particular family history and history of art/architecture
• Must have sound working experience dealing effectively with a wide range of people in a public situation
• Must have a personal commitment to excellence in customer care with the ability to enthuse others
• Must be an effective team player
• Must be able to work effectively on own initiative
• Must have a genuine understanding of, and belief in, the work of the National Trust for Scotland.
• Must be willing to show commitment and flexibility in work practice

Desirable
• Experience in historic properties/similar role
• demonstrable experience of guiding and/ or education – ideally in the heritage/tourism environment
The Key Responsibilities, Scope of Job, and Required Qualifications, Skills, Experience & Knowledge reflect the requirements of the job at the time of issue. The Trust reserves the right to amend these with appropriate consultation and/or request the post-holder to undertake any activities that it believes to be reasonable within the broad scope of the job or his/her general abilities.

Thank you for your interest in the post of Admissions Assistant with Historic Environment Scotland based at Stirling Castle. These are part year permanent, part time and pensionable appointments working on average 25 hours per week including weekends and public holidays.

We have two contracts available:-
24 weeks – Part Year – normally June to September
22 weeks – Part Year – normally May to September
Note: both contracts will finish later this year due to the later start in the season.

The post holder will be responsible for delivering the highest standards of visitor experience at Stirling Castle working across all areas within the Admissions Team, including the car park, admissions & external areas, and also the delivery of information to visitors which is a core part of the role.

For further information about the role please refer to the job description.

Closing date for applications is noon on Wednesday 28th June 2023.

National Museums Scotland is one of the leading museum groups in Europe with one of the largest and most diverse collections in the world!

We are looking for enthusiastic, passionate, honest, service-driven individuals to join our team.

Hours:
35 + 17.5 hours per week available | Five days across Seven, fixed rota pattern.

Responsibilities:
As a Visitor Experience Assistant with National Museums Scotland you will:
• To be proactive, approachable and visitor focussed in being ready to offer support, directions and assistance to visitors.
• Be visible at all times, maintaining a consistent, engaging and professional manner in pursuit of the provision of a high quality customer service that is visitor experience-focused.
• To engage proactively with visitors responding to their needs as appropriate, including being able to answer a diverse range of questions and enquiries.
• To be security conscious and alert, ensuring in depth knowledge and implementation of all museum security procedures to safeguard the collections and visitors. This includes observation, daily gallery checks for assigned areas and providing first response to incidents.

Requirements:
• Good communication skills.
• Providing an upbeat, attentive, welcoming service to all visitors at all times.
• Ability to be flexible within the role.
• Being able to respond effectively to varied questions and queries from visitors.

Additional Benefits:
• Generous Annual leave (28.5 days – rising to 33.5) as well as an additional 8 days public holidays! (pro rata).
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Free access to national (and international) museums and exhibitions!
• Exclusive discounts on both local and national Highstreet and online retailers!

For us, hiring the right person for the right job is everything to us. We want to encourage you to apply if you think the this is the role for you!

Please note that CVs are not considered as part of applications and will not be forwarded to the shortlisting process.