Seasonal Guest Services Associate

Seasonal Guest Services AssociatePay: $16/hr Exempt/Non-exempt: Non-Exempt Position Type: Part-Time, weekend hours required Location: Richmond, VAJob DescriptionResponsibility, Innovation, Integrity, Hospitality, and InspirationFounded in 1984, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is a non-profit garden located in Richmond, Virginia's Lakeside neighborhood. The Garden encompasses 82 acres, four lakes, 5,500 unique taxa of plants within 15 distinct outdoor gardens, 11 major buildings, including a conservatory and greenhouse, plus an 80-acre branch site, the Lewis Ginter Nature Reserve. Annually, Lewis Ginter engages over 17,000 students in innovative and exciting education programs. This cadre of identified learners is just a fraction of the more than 400,000 annual visitors to the Garden. In recent years, the Garden has been honored with inclusion in several top ten lists for botanical gardens in North America.Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the ground of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability or national origin in the hiring, retention, or promotion of employees. We support the diversity and inclusion policy adopted by The American Public Gardens Association: to create an equitable, diverse and inclusive culture where the contributions of all community members are valued, respected and appreciated.Job Description:The Seasonal Guest Services Associate provides friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable service to visitors of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. This position serves as an important first point of contact for guests and assists with admissions, memberships, wayfinding, visitor questions, and general Garden information. The Seasonal Guest Services Associate helps ensure a safe, enjoyable, and inclusive experience for all visitors.This is a temporary position working during the Dominion GardenFest of Lights Exhibit from November through January.Responsibilities:Welcome guests and provide friendly, professional customer service.Process admissions, memberships, ticket sales, and other visitor transactions accurately.Answer questions about the Garden, exhibits, programs, events, amenities, and daily activities.Respond to written ticketing correspondence inquiries and requests.Answer the Garden's main telephone line, provide general information, and direct calls to the appropriate department, staff member, or service.Provide directions and assistance to help visitors navigate the Garden.Explain membership benefits and assist guests with membership purchases and renewals.Operate point-of-sale and ticketing systems and handle cash and credit card transactions.Receive and coordinate deliveries, ensuring packages and materials are directed to the appropriate department or staff member.Assist with special events, seasonal programs, and high-volume visitor periods.Monitor assigned guest service areas and maintain a clean, organized, and welcoming environment.Respond appropriately to visitor concerns and refer more complex issues to a supervisor.Follow Garden policies and procedures related to visitor safety, emergency response, cash handling, and customer service.Work collaboratively with other departments and volunteers to support the visitor experience.Assist with accessibility accommodation and provide appropriate assistance to visitors when needed.Maintain current knowledge of Garden policies, programs, events, exhibits, and visitor amenities.Perform other job-related duties as assigned.Is able to handle difficult situations with tact and respect, and reports issues to the supervisor in a timely manner with accurate details.Skills and Abilities:Strong interpersonal skills, flexibility, and customer service orientation.Knowledge of cash management principles and/or procedures.Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.Ability to learn and operate the POS/ticketing database Tessitura and a Calendar database.Ability to efficiently and accurately use the membership database.Ability to multitask and manage detail-oriented transactions in a fast-paced, potentially noisy environment.Proven ability to remain calm and problem-solve in real time.Ability to work evenings, weekends, and occasional holidays, ensuring coverage for Horticulture and for special events at the Garden, including GardenFest, outside the traditional work week/day.Bilingual with a preference for conversational fluency in Spanish.Must be available to work evenings, weekends, occasional holidays, and special events like GardenFest, ensuring coverage for Horticulture outside the traditional work week/dayEach Employee of Lewis Ginter:Must comply with provisions of the current Employee Handbook, all published personnel policies, and the requirements of their individual job descriptions.Must conduct herself or himself and perform all duties in a manner consistent with a public garden serving multigenerational and multicultural individuals and families, and in accordance with directed practices and procedures.Must be aware of surroundings and vigilant to threats to the safety of visitors, volunteers, and staff or to the security of their property, ensuring that all concerns are reported promptly.Must report all mishaps, injuries, and incidents immediately and ultimately in writing to supervisor(s) and to Human Resources.Must ensure compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations.Must perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.Physical Demands / Working Conditions:Work is performed primarily in visitor-facing areas, including indoor and outdoor locations throughout the Garden.Requires prolonged sitting for 3-4 hours at a time.Ability to stand and walk for extended periods as needed to assist visitors and perform job duties.Must be available to work evenings, weekends, occasional holidays, and special events like GardenFest, ensuring coverage for Horticulture outside the traditional work week/dayMay require exposure to varying weather conditions.Ability to move throughout the Garden and access indoor and outdoor areas.Ability to occasionally lift, carry, push, or pull supplies and materials weighing up to [XX] pounds.Ability to use a computer, telephone, and other office equipment for extended periods.Ability to perform repetitive hand and wrist movements associated with computer, telephone, and point-of-sale activities.Ability to communicate effectively with visitors, staff, and volunteers in person and by telephone.Note: Duties described above, other duties, and physical demands have been identified as essential functions as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.Education and Experience:High school diploma or equivalent preferred.Previous customer service, hospitality, retail, admissions, or visitor-services experience preferred.Strong interpersonal and communication skills.Ability to provide courteous and professional service to a diverse range of visitors.Basic computer and cash-handling skills.Ability to learn and operate ticketing and point-of-sale systems.Ability to remain calm and professional when handling difficult or unexpected situations.To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to View email address on click.appcast.io.