Guest Service Specialist

Socket.dev; Williamsburg (VA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is seeking a Guest Service Specialist to greet visitors, assist with ticketing, and orient guests to the historic area and museums. You will support onsite sales, validate tickets, and help ensure a smooth guest experience across multiple entry points.

Required: high school diploma and at least 1 year in a customer service role; proficiency with Microsoft Office; knowledge of Tessitura CRM is a plus.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum of 1 year of experience in customer service role.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Knowledge of Tessitura CRM or other ticketing/CRM systems.
• Strong verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Welcoming visitors and representing the foundation as the first point of contact.
• Assist in opening, closing, and daily operations of all guest entry points (Visitor Center, Museums, etc.).
• Operate an automated ticketing system accurately.
• Monitor theater queues and assist with film introductions.
• Promote and sell admissions, lodging, and dining options across channels.
• Validate advance tickets and capture master file information.
• Participate in daily stand-up briefings with staff and updates.
• Provide guest-focused service including arrival orientation and transportation info.
• Ensure accurate collection of customer data (names, emails, phone numbers).
• Process discounts, promotions, and vouchers; post payments and maintain cash handling accuracy.
• Assist Lead Guest Service Specialist and Supervisor with inquiries and customer experience.

Skills

Microsoft Office suite

Verbal communication

Customer service

Problem solving

Cash handling

Teamwork

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Tessitura CRM

Job description

Who We Are:

Founded in 1926, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a private, not-for-profit educational, historic, and cultural institution that owns and operates one of the largest and best-known museum complexes in the world. Our mission is “that the future may learn from the past” through preserving and restoring 18th-century Williamsburg, Virginia’s colonial capital. We engage, inform, and inspire people to learn about this historic capital, the events that occurred here, and the diverse peoples who helped shape a new nation.

Today, Colonial Williamsburg is the largest living history museum in the U.S. The Historic Area is the 301-acre restored colonial capital with 89 original buildings and 525 buildings reconstructed to how they appeared in the 18th century through extensive archaeological, architectural, and documentary research. The Historic Area is staffed by highly trained, historically dressed interpreters and expert tradespeople who bring the 18th century to life. The Foundation also owns and operates two world-class museums, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, The Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute, and a renowned research library, the John D Rockefeller Jr Library.

Additionally, Colonial Williamsburg is home to five world class accommodations at the Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg Lodge Autograph Collection, the Griffin Hotel, the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotels and Suites and the unique Colonial Houses in the Historical Area. Visitors may also indulge in food and drink at our many on site restaurants and taverns that blend a historically inspired dining experience with today’s evolved tastes. Each year over five million people visit Williamsburg and another 20 million engage with us digitally.

About the Position:

The Guest Service Specialist serves as a first point of contact for onsite guests in the historic area or the museums. This position is responsible for ensuring superior guest service, responding to guest inquiries, and orienting guests to their Colonial Williamsburg experience. The Guest Service Specialist will engage in onsite sales operations and assist in the ongoing monitoring and maintenance of all physical points of entry.

Essential Functions:

1. 1) Welcoming visitors, representing the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation as the first person our guests meet.
2. 2) Assist in the opening, closing, and daily operations of all guest entry points including the Colonial Williamsburg Regional Visitor Center, Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, Lumber House, etc. to include reporting needed repairs and looking for opportunities to further engage guests while onsite at these physical locations.
3. 3) Operating an automated ticketing system accurately; meeting all proficiency requirements.
4. 4) Monitoring and controlling the flow of traffic through the theaters and in queues; operating the theaters and introducing films.
5. 5) Promoting Colonial Williamsburg’s retail sales, lodging, and dining facilities; selling general admission and special program tickets across the counter, by phone, or via a mobile sales unit.
6. 6) Validating advance ticket sales and capturing master file information.
7. 7) Participate in daily stand-up briefings where current and pertinent job-related information is provided to the staff, key programming in the Historic Area is highlighted, and where operational updates/changes are discussed.
8. 8) Provide guest-first customer service including orienting visitors at arrival points, familiarization with transportation options, amenities, and other logistics as needed.
9. 9) Ensure accurate collection of customer data such as names, emails, phone numbers, etc. into systems.
10. 10) Process discounts, promotions, and vouchers, while adhering to all policies and procedures, post payments to accounts, and maintain accuracy in cash handling and all other forms of payment.
11. 11) Assist the Lead Guest Service Specialist and Guest Service Supervisor in addressing any customer inquiries or complaints in a timely fashion with superior customer experience and positive net promoter score in mind

Required and Preferred Education and Experience:

Required:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum of 1 year of experience in customer service role.

Preferred:

• Knowledge of Tessitura CRM and/or other ticketing or CRM systems.

Qualifications:

• Must demonstrate proficiency in software programs including Microsoft Office suite.
• Must have strong verbal communication skills with individuals and groups of people.
• Excels in customer service, going above and beyond to resolve internal and external customer inquiries and issues.
• Physically able to work in and around visitor points of entry, to include outdoors in the Historic Area as needed.
• The ability to work in a variety of locations (including the Visitor Center, Lumber House, Museum and Ice Rink) and shifts, including nights, weekends and holidays (up to 10:00 PM.)
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds

Compensation Disclaimer:

The compensation listed below for this position represents the anticipated hiring range and is provided in accordance with Virginia pay transparency requirements. Actual compensation will be determined based on factors such as the selected candidate’s skills, qualifications, experience, education, certifications, internal equity, and the specific requirements of the role.

Range: $18.50-$19.00