Job Specification

Purpose :

To coordinate and oversee the day-to-day functions and administration of Visitor Services in such areas as customer service, finance, statistical reporting and other administrative activities.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Administrative Assistance and Coordination Services
-Coordinates administrative activities for the implementation of promotions, coupons, membership campaigns, by meeting with evenl/coupon stakeholders, assessing intent of the promotion, placing in context with other current promotions/campaigns.
-Coordinates administrative activities such as preparing staff schedule and providing training of Visitor Services staff providing parking, visitor help desks, lost-and- found service, on-line school and tour group bookings in a Call centre environment, switchboard, walk-up ticket sales and concierge services, theatre and auditorium ushers and other venues for special programs.
-Determines staffing requirements or shift changes to accommodate changing demand for services, and recommends overtime approvals.
-Provides statistical reporting/information and visitor attendance reports for management utilizing existing template reports or by creating ad hoc database reports by category, market segment or other management custom defined criteria.
-Participates in the monitoring of existing policy, procedures, and manuals to include modifications due to new sales channels, membership promotions, etc.

2. Customer Service
-Monitors the activities of admissions staff providing primary visitor care. Functions as a point of contact and advocate for visitors with significant concerns about programs, products, prices or "front-line" service.
-Resolves customer complaints referred by staff by determining a mutually acceptable solution e.g., providing refunds, offering rain-checks or other incentives to dissatisfied visitors.

3. Staff Supervision
-Supervises the activities of several different functional positions including seasonal staff; establishing priorities, developing work schedules, assigning and monitoring work, and assisting in staff selection. Explains section operations, customer service guidelines, requirements, established policies, procedures and expected performance levels.
-Implements training plans for staff including orientation, customer service, cash and computer training and OSC events/promotional offers. Updates training manuals and documents.

4. Consultation and Liaison
- Liaises with ticket agency, program staff, facility rentals staff, event coordinator or external contact person on theatre and auditorium showings to determine proportion of tickets to be sold, and to ensure a high standard of service provided by staff.
-Coordinates technical support to oversee the console, sound and lighting system for regular shows and multimedia events.
- Ensures communications between different venues in the building and information flow through use of two-way radios and multi-phone system; keeps senior staff abreast on all informal and documented visitor concerns and problem resolution.
5. Financial Administration
- Oversees the collection, reconciliation, reporting and bank deposit of gate receipts from general admissions, cash sales, gift certificates, credit card orders, debit, and invoices for tour/school groups; revenue from theatre and auditorium events; monies collected through Call Centre activity, box office, membership programs, facility rentals, consignment programs and vendif!g machines.
- Maintains a cash float; provides customer refunds and reconciles cashiers' daily sales; maintains custody of deposit cheques for group reservations. Maintains inventories of ticketing stock and supplies, and exercises signing authority for approvals within delegated levels.

Knowledge / Skill :

Knowledge of and skills in:
-Ontario Science Centre programs, events, promotions, projects, membership procedures, prices/coupons and reciprocal agreements (e.g. private sector joint ventures) to ensure consistency in procedures, and to respond to inquiries or customer complaints.
-Ticketing system policies, procedures, software application to meet ministry standards.
-Government/ministry revenue and sales accounting, cash handling, financial reporting, reconciliation and consolidation techniques and audit procedures, to monitor sales and revenue, prepare reconciliation reports.
-Customer service delivery principles and practices to resolve customer service issues; customer service techniques such as empowerment and procedural flexibility to train staff in their use.
-Human resources, payroll procedures, occupational health and safety, to advise staff on overtime/payroll issues, and to monitor public/staff safety.
-Planning and supervision to coordinate and set work priorities, provide training, advice and guidance to staff, and ensure adequate staffing numbers are maintained.
-Word processing, spreadsheet and database applications to prepare statistical and financial reconciliation reports, operation of two-way radios and a multi phone system to liaise with staff regarding complaints or emergency situations.

Interpersonal / Influencing Skill :

-Interpersonal/influencing skills to inform/advise program staff on administrative processes and procedures; to advise on/demonstrate complaint resolution and sales techniques to staff; to provide customer service to the public and up-sell products and to liaise with event coordinators to coordinate ticket sales and discuss additional staff requirements.
-Persuasion skills, tact and diplomacy to resolve customer service complaints from the public, and to persuade visitors to reach a mutually acceptable solution, e.g., refund or rain-check.

Analyzing / Problem Solving Skill :

Analyzing and problem solving skills to:
- Determine staffing demands/shift requirements of different programs, new promotions and scheduled events; respond to fluctuating staffing demands, e.g., unplanned changes in customer traffic flow due to seasonal program delivery.
-Assess the nature of a customer's complaint/needs to resolve visitor issues/problems referred by staff.
-Initially troubleshoot IT issues.
-Review and analyze sales and attendance data and cashier reports.

Decision Making / Responsibility :

Responsible for:
-Administering visitor services including increasing sales and attendance targets with the mandate of the OSC and responding to complex customer service issues.
-Identifying the need for and recommending the approval of staff schedule changes and overtime to meet additional staffing demands.
-Approving admissions refunds and rain-checks in response to customer complaints.
-Coordinating the financial reporting and reconciliation of multi-million dollar sales/cash revenue.
Has latitude to recommend and implement revised work schedules for staff to accommodate fluctuations in visitor attendance. Decisions are made within established policies, guidelines, and accounting/audit procedures concerning refunds, sales and revenue collection. Functional specialists are available for human resources and financial advice.

Contacts / Stakeholder :

-Senior staff to discuss/refer formal complaints; resolve customer service and administrative issues; advise on administrative procedures and processes.
-Programs staff to discuss/resolve conflicting demands .
-Corporate service areas to discuss human resources requirements, and clarify staff overtime/payroll matters.
-Ticket agency, facility rentals staff, event coordinator or external contact person to determine proportion of tickets to be sold.
-Groups of visitors, organizers, customers and members of the public to answer questions, resolve complaints, explain why customer's request is denied, or to offer rain-checks or other incentives to dissatisfied visitors.

Guidance / Supervision :

-Provides technical guidance and training to support staff and seasonal staff by explaining work assignments, establishing work priorities and schedules, assigning and monitoring work.
-Provides explanations and clarifications to management & staff on administrative procedures and processes.
-Provides back up for the Manager.

Demands / Pressures :

Work Demands :

-Occasionally deals with unexpected changes, or conflicting work priorities and demands from multiple sources.
-Routinely deals with limited control over the pace of work due to fluctuating volume of visitor admissions.
-Routine requirement to work beyond normal hours. Disruption of personal life due to changing shift work schedules that include evenings and weekends and holidays.
-Occasionally deals with unexpected changes, or conflicting work priorities and demands from multiple sources.
-Routinely deals with limited control over the pace of work due to fluctuating volume of visitor admissions.
-Routine requirement to work beyond normal hours. Disruption of personal life due to changing shift work schedules that include evenings and weekends and holidays.

Mental / Sensory :

Frequent requirement to listen intently to customer complaints in order to determine/resolve issue, and to concentrate when observing and giving instructions.

Conditions / Environment :

Work is performed in an education/tourist attraction agency, involving regular exposure to the public, and may occasionally include verbal abuse or confrontational behaviour exhibited by members of the public.