Visitor Services

JOB PURPOSE
Here at National Trust for Scotland’s beautiful Brodie Castle we are looking for energetic, friendly, and confident individuals to join our amazing welcome team this season. No previous experience is needed, we would just love to hear from people who can interact and chat with our guests and make them feel welcomed and valued from the minute they arrive until we wish them farewell. This role is vital in providing an amazing welcome in all areas of the offer here at Brodie Castle, helping our visitors have a fantastic experience, and create wonderful memories.

Based in the Castle, Welcome Centre or Car Park, your role is to make a great day out truly exceptional for our guests. You’ll help us maximise all charity income opportunities through excellent customer service, product knowledge and taking a pride in everything we do, as well as inviting visitors to support our work through membership.

This role also includes conducting guided tours of the Castle for groups of up to 25 people or being a guide during our self-guided visits. You will shine a light on the fascinating history of the Brodie Family and the Castle they lived in through warm and enthusiastic story telling.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide excellent customer service to all who choose to visit.
• Be responsible and proactive. Ensuring all day-to-day tasks are completed as instructed.
• Welcome customers to the property by providing information on the site and facilities.
• Lead tours of the Castle and Grounds which tell the stories of the past, present and future of Brodie Castle.
• Help manage car park arrivals, process payments and give site orientation
• Work with the Visitor Services Managers and property staff to deliver targets and other KPI’s.
• Handling cash accurately and processing sales.
• Working closely with the Visitor Services Manager and property staff to ensure perpetually high levels of accuracy are maintained for stock inventories.
• Actively drive-up selling opportunities through strong product knowledge and an excellent customer service with a strong focus on membership and retail.
• Working with the Visitor Services Manager and property staff to ensure high standards of display, preparation, serving and merchandising at all times.
• Cash reconciliation duties including end of day and administration tasks.
• Be able to take responsibility for your own development and learning.
• Have a flexible approach to working hours and days including working weekend and Bank Holidays as appropriate.
• Work across departments when necessary, supporting the wider Brodie Castle teams.
• Develop a working knowledge of the history of the site and being able to relate that to products.
• Provide consistently excellent customer service when dealing with high volumes of customers.
• Assisting in the general ongoing operational cleaning of all areas as necessary.
• Ensuring health and welfare of property staff, volunteers and visitors by adhering to the Trust’s Health, Safety and Environment policies and guidelines. This includes working within the property’s “Safe System of Work” (the system for managing Health & Safety).
• Play your part in ensuring that the presentation of all areas is of the highest standards including wearing of uniform.

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

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 with stocktaking and goods receipting.

Tools/equipment and cleaning chemicals
• Will be an occasional user of cleaning chemicals.
• Is expected to work and ensure compliance within the property’s ‘safe systems of work’ (the system for managing health and safety)

REQUIRED SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Essential:

• Ability to work within a team or independently, with minimal supervision to a high and safe standard.
• Ability to be flexible, 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.
• Excellent front of house persona – warm, welcoming, patient and understanding.
• Genuine belief in the value of good customer service.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills.
• Demonstrable time management skills and the ability to prioritise.

Desirable:

• Previous tourism or tour guide experience.
• Interest in the work of the NTS.

JOB PURPOSE
To maximise our visitors’ enjoyment of National Trust for Scotland managed sites by maintaining excellent standards of service, optimising opportunities to generate income and ensuring that the site and its assets are safe and secure. Specifically, to ensure the smooth and safe operations in retail and admission and making Threave Gardens & Nature Reserve the best possible place to visit and work.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
To provide a consistently high standard of visitor care at all times
• Welcoming visitors to the site and processing their admission/retail purchase in a friendly, efficient and knowledgeable manner
• Providing information about the site, its history, contents, offers and merchandise
• Promoting National Trust for Scotland brand to include our Membership scheme, events, upselling other properties and any promotional campaigns, being proactive in the selling of Membership and Gift Aid.

To maintain excellent standards of site and personal presentation at all times
• Ensuring site is ready to open and welcome visitors by the set opening time
• Wearing correct uniform, name badges, or PPE as required.
• Reporting all instances of damage and wear and tear issues promptly to your line manager
• Working in harmony with other departments; food & beverage, housekeeping, gardening, estate and site repair employees/contractors.

Financial Responsibilities
• To adhere to all financial procedures to include till operation and banking and safeguarding of monies: to implement amendments to standard procedure as instructions may dictate.

Retail/Admission/Plant Sales and other duties
• To ensure good housekeeping of and back of house areas, including Plant Sales
• To ensure that retail merchandising is in accordance with NTS policy.
• To assist in achieving site targets and KPI’s.
• To actively upsell products and services to facilitate the visitor’s enjoyment.
• To actively feedback visitor comments to line managers to develop and improve offer, service, operations.
• To work flexibly across departments and sites as needed.

Health and Safety
• To ensure site meets with Health and Safety legislation in liaison with your department manager.
• To ensure that visitors vacate the site at close of business and that the site is secured at end of day.
• To use personal protection equipment as provided and directed by your line manager

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
Qualifications
• No formal educational qualification required.

Skills, Experience & Knowledge
Essential
• Demonstrable experience in a customer-facing role, delivering high levels of customer care through excellent inter-personal skills,
• Experience and confidence undertaking till-work and cash handling/reconciliation.
• Excellent selling skills – adaptable to customer type and product.
• Flexible, helpful outlook to customers and colleagues.
• 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
o 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.
o The ability and willingness to learn and try new things, to be flexible and step outside of your comfort zone.
o 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.
o 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.

Desirable
• Experience using an EPOS system

JOB PURPOSE
A Visitor Services Assistant is crucial to our visitors’ lasting impression 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. You will ensure the stories of the families who lived at Brodick Castle are told in an engaging and informative manner, as well as information pertaining to the site. As a guide you will bring our museum accredited collection and interpretation to life.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
Customer Service & Visitor Experience
 Deliver a consistently high standard of customer service to all visitors.
 Provide confident knowledge of the collection and stories of Brodick Castle.
 Actively research independently to inform knowledge growth where appropriate.
 Provide general information to visitors about the wider site, including directions, facilities, opening hours, and key points of interest across Brodick Castle, Gardens and Country Park.
 Support occasional admissions and retail processes.
 Assisting with queue management by working at pace during busy periods to maintain a smooth visitor journey.

Membership Engagement & Promotion
 Share the benefits of membership with ticket holders and actively seek innovative ways to encourage recruitment.
 Actively promote the work of the National Trust for Scotland and the value of membership to existing and potential members.
 Occasionally processing sales of memberships through the tills.

Room Guiding and Tour Leading
 Deliver engaging content relevant to Brodick Castle to a wide range of audiences.
 Ask as a knowledge ambassador sharing the history, collection and wider landscape in an accessible way.
 Adapt tours and interpretation styles to meet the needs and requirement of group dynamics.
 Support the delivery of programmed activities in education sessions and themed tours.
 Support story telling by delivering talks in costumes relating to the stories being told.
 Develop a catalogue of stories of your special interest relevant to Brodick Castle.

Health, Safety and Welfare
 Ensure the health, safety and welfare or staff and visitors by adhering to the Trust’s Health, Safety and Environment policies.
 Work in line with the properties Risk Assessments and report any hazards, incidents or maintenance issues promptly.
 Carry out security duties, including opening and closing of the rooms within the castle, ensuring the space is safe, secure and ready for visitors at the start and end of each day.
 Assist as a fire marshal for the safety of all staff and visitors.

Communication and Teamwork
 A flexible approach to scheduling on a variable shift pattern.
 Communicating effectively with colleagues, supervisors and managers to support smooth daily operations – via radio/telephone and email.
 Contributing to a positive and inclusive team culture.
 Participation in educational programmes may require a criminal records (Disclosure Scotland) check to be carried out.

As a Brand Home Ambassador & Tour Guide, you will be the face of our brand new distillery and visitor centre in Luss.

Your role will be pivotal in delivering exceptional, engaging, and educational experiences to all guests, from immersive gin tours and to bespoke whisky tastings. You will bring our wide portfolio of brands to life, ensuring every visitor leaves with a memorable experience.

Please apply using the link below, or reach out with any questions to information@lussdistillery.com

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

Provide a consistently high standard of customer service

• Welcome customers at all our key touch points, from their arrival in our car park and entrance area, to making purchases in our café and shop, exploring our unique reconstruction of a 300-year-old turf house or enjoying the info hub, cinema and exhibition.
• Provide a responsive, friendly and efficient service tailored to the needs of both individual visitors and tour groups.
• Develop a thorough understanding of the place you work, enabling you to share stories.

• visitors, offer ideas to help them enjoy their visit and answer common questions.
Follow guidelines to ensure retail or catering displays remain enticing throughout the day and help with stock replenishment to ensure product availability.
• Work flexibly and in harmony with your colleagues across departments, supporting each other to make best use of team resources, especially at busy times.
• Seek visitor feedback and share your own ideas to develop and improve our offer, service and operations.
• Help gather photos / videos for social media to promote our activities and encourage visits.
• Assist with the set-up, stewarding and break-down of functions and events.

Generate the income that enables us to look after special places

• Be aware of the team’s targets for generating income and aim to achieve and exceed them.
• Actively upsell our café, shop and membership products and services with excellent product knowledge, tailored to customer preferences.
• Be responsible for accurate and secure till operation and sales processing, supporting the reconciliation of end-of-day takings.

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 the presentation of our buildings and surrounding landscape, maintaining high standards throughout by 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 badge 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.