Job Listing: Guest Relations Associate - Mariners' Museum

The Mariners' Museum & Park -  Newport News, Virginia

Closes - open until filled

Position Title – Guest Relations Associate

Salary: $15/hour

Job Type - full-time, hourly, 35-40 hours/week, non-exempt

Apply: Click here to apply. The ideal candidate must be able to work weekends, holidays, and occasional evenings. No phone calls, please – only applicants being considered for interviews will be contacted.      

Summary: The Guest Relations Associate is a forward-facing team member that serves as the primary point of contact to welcome guests and to communicate The Mariners' Museum and Park's mission. This customer service role is responsible for greeting our guests, making them feel welcome, and helping to orient them upon arriving at the Museum. Additionally, the Guest Relations Associate will be responsible for assisting with ticket and Membership purchases, conducting sales in the Museum Gift Shop, and providing knowledgeable aid to all guests in person, over the phone, and via email to ensure they have a positive and enjoyable experience with the Museum. The Guest Relations Associate will represent themselves and the Museum in a professional and polite manner, possess excellent communication skills, address guest complaints as needed, and oversee Guest Relations volunteers.  

Job Responsibilities:

Admission Desk

• Welcomes each guest to the Museum in a friendly and professional manner. 
• Assists guests with redeeming online ticket purchases, on-site ticket sales, Memberships, and obtaining personal information as needed to complete their transaction (i.e., zip code, mailing address, phone number, email, etc.)  
• Ensure high customer satisfaction by responding to emails, answering incoming phone calls, providing correct and current information in a polite and helpful manner, and routing calls to the proper departments as needed.
• Remains knowledgeable of all current events listed on the Museum’s calendars.
• Responsible for all money collected and maintaining a cash drawer. The total cash/credits obtained must be reconciled with the amounts recorded in Altru or Lightspeed systems. 
• Ensure personal workstation is neat and tidy and monitor public spaces to ensure they are welcoming to guests. Notify appropriate staff if any actions are required to clean or repair an item or area.  
• Ensure that all displays, rack cards, brochures, and other supplies are well stocked at all times and ready for the next shift. 
• Ensure the “I am a Mariner” wall is stocked and organized. Promptly remove any noticeably inappropriate cards. 
• Address customer complaints and escalate them to the Lead Guest Relations Associate or the Senior Director of Advancement when needed.
• Reinforce Museum regulations and safety guidelines in a polite and professional manner. 
• Assist volunteers in the completion of their duties.
• Other duties as assigned. 

Guest Relations Support

• Guest Relations Email–in coordination with the Lead Guest Relations Associate and other full-time Guest Relations Associate(s):
  • Respond in a timely and accurate manner to emails received through guestrelations@MarinersMuseum.org.
  • Email event reminders with Zoom information to virtual attendees and 
  • Other emails as needed
• Movie tickets and Admission tickets–in coordination with the Lead Guest Relations Associate and other full-time Guest Relations Associate(s), schedule movie tickets and admission tickets for sale.
• Other duties as assigned.

Advancement Support

• Supports the Advancement department with special projects, including but not limited to:
  • Marketing–works with the team on various projects to monitor and update mailing and email lists, external calendars, and Museum information on external websites.
  • Membership–supports the team with membership renewal and acknowledgment processes. When needed, makes welcome calls to Members and reminder calls to members and supporters about upcoming events.  
• Assists with special projects as needed.

Gift Shop

• Welcomes each guest to the shop in a friendly and professional manner. 
• Engage with guests by participating in the sales process and proactively interacting throughout their shop visit, as appropriate. 
• Remain knowledgeable of shop inventory and able to make recommendations based on the guests' needs. 
• Responsible for all money collected and maintaining a cash drawer. The total cash/credits obtained must be reconciled with the amounts recorded in Altru or Lightspeed systems.  
• Ensure a safe and clean gift shop environment. 
• Assist in maintaining visual merchandise standards, stock shelves, and maintain store inventory control.
• Participate in annual physical inventory counts and routine cycle counts.
• Other duties as assigned. 

 Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Professional, outgoing, friendly, and service-oriented. 
• Exceptional communication skills. 
• Able to communicate enthusiasm for the Museum’s mission and its programs.
• Must be tactful and display discernment and discretion.  
• Must be able to remain calm in confrontational and crisis situations.
• Must have the ability to gracefully handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Must possess basic math skills, cash handling skills, and a basic understanding of debits and credits.
• Basic computer skills and cash register experience are helpful.
• Ability to manage multiple types of transactions efficiently and with a high level of accuracy while providing the highest level of customer care. 
• Must be able to accurately and efficiently perform data entry.

Education and Experience: 

• High School graduate or equivalent required.
• Two years’ experience in customer service and cash handling is preferred. 

Conditions of Employment:

• Must be able to work weekends, holidays, and occasional evenings. 
• Must be able to pass a background check and drug screen prior to employment. 

About The Mariners' Museum & Park: 

Everyone at The Mariners’ Museum and Park believes our people are our greatest asset, and are the foundation for accomplishing our mission. Our strategy is to hire talented people who support our mission, identify with our core values, and have a desire to grow and adapt as fully integrated members of our team.

We are humbled to be recognized as one of Inside Business’s Top Workplaces for 2020, 2021, and 2022. We are proud of receiving the distinction for Best Communication in 2020, an award based on the results of an anonymous employee engagement survey.

The Mariners’ team is a passionate and diverse group of people who use their talents and gifts to serve our community in support of our mission. The knowledge and expertise of our team members are extensive. You can find everything from Archivists to Conservators to Marketers to Multi-Media Producers to Park Rangers to Electricians and many other professions.