New Bedford Whaling Museum

18 Johnny Cake Hill
New Bedford, MA 02740
Website
Email

Date Posted:
April 01, 2022

Region:
Eastern Massachusetts

Category:
Retail/Sales/Waitstaff

Type:
Part-Time

Visitor Experience Associate (Part-time)

Description:
The Visitor Experience Associate serves as the public face of the New Bedford Whaling Museum and is integral to fulfilling the Museum’s strategic goal of providing all guests with a welcoming and engaging experience. On a day-to-day basis, the Visitor Experience Associate is responsible for greeting and orienting visitors, generating revenue through admission and store sales, providing guests with information about the museum and local area, and assisting with initiatives to better understand our visitors. Success in this position requires a confident and outgoing disposition, attention to detail, prompt and reliable attendance, and an enthusiasm for working with the public.

Essential Functions

  • Provide exceptional customer service and promote a welcoming and inclusive environment for all guests, staff, and volunteers.
  • Accurately process online and onsite sales in our admission and store POS systems (ACME, Quickbooks, and Shopify) and appropriately handle cash and credit card transactions.
  • Prepare and maintain store and admission desk. This includes counting the cash drawers, replenishing products and supplies, creating product displays, cleaning designated areas, running daily reports, and preparing bank deposits.
  • Maintain up-to-date knowledge of museum activities, store products, current exhibits, local attractions, and other information to assist guests before, during, or after their visit.
  • Promptly and courteously answer incoming telephone and email inquiries.
  • Promote membership sales and renewals as a way for guests to support and stay connected to the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
  • Adapt your communication and customer service approach to respect the individual needs, motivations, and abilities of guests, staff, and volunteers of diverse backgrounds and ages.
  • Clearly communicate museum policies to guests and, if feasible, offer appropriate alternatives that conform to museum policies.
  • Collaborate with the education, facility, and rental teams to create a cohesive museum experience for all guests, including school groups and after-hour event attendees.
  • Assist in the evaluation of the museum experience by collecting demographic data at admission desk, observing visitor behavior throughout the exhibits, and directly surveying guests.
  • Recognize and act on opportunities to engage guests in conversation that positively impacts the overall visitor experience. This may include providing one-on-one assistance in the store, recommending museum itineraries for a returning guest, or offering to take a family photo in front of a whale skeleton.
  • Other duties as assigned by management
Qualifications:

Ideal candidates possess exceptional customer service skills, a background or interest in museums, a mature and outgoing personality, and an enjoyment for interacting with members of the public. They are detail-oriented; can manage several tasks simultaneously; display a positive attitude with visitors and staff members; and are willing to work as part of a team. Previous employment or volunteer experience in retail, sales, or customer service is preferred. Fluency in another language is a plus. Ability to work weekends, occasional evenings, and some holidays is required.

How To Apply:

Send resume and cover letter to Rachel Dwyer, Visitor Experience Supervisor, at rdwyer@whalingmuseum.org . 

The New Bedford Whaling Museum is committed to equal employment opportunities for all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, age, or disability.

Apply by:
April 30, 2022
Salary:
15.00
About this Organization:
The New Bedford Whaling Museum ignites learning through explorations of art, history, science, and culture rooted in the stories of people, the region, and an international seaport. The Museum seeks to advance understanding related to the influence of the whaling industry and the port of New Bedford on the history, economy, ecology, arts, and cultures of the region, the nation, and the world. We will expand our capacity to tell the stories of the many diverse communities that shared in the creation of this history, through excellence in our collections, scholarship, and all forms of public engagement. In doing so the Museum will be recognized as a compelling destination that inspires all visitors to reflect on the complex issues that shaped the past, remain critical today, and inform a sustainable future. The New Bedford Whaling Museum is an equal opportunity employer.