Reservationist

$16 - $17/Yr

National Aquarium - Baltimore, MD

Full-time - Entry Level

Baltimore, MD

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions

About the position

The Central Reservations group is responsible for ensuring accurate, friendly, efficient service for our visitors who require reservations for immersion tours, classroom programs, school groups. This team answers general visitor questions, manages ticket requests, and directs calls to the proper internal employees. The Reservations team processes all membership, renewals, and upgrades. Reservationists provide excellent customer service to all clients, internal and external.

Responsibilities

• Processing reservations including but not limited to: school groups, school programs, group sales, social visitor groups, fee based general visitor programs, member programs, and education.
• Accepting reservation requests resulting in approximately 5,000 bookings accounting for more than 200,000 visitors each year.
• Booking classroom space for programs.
• Confirming, rescheduling or cancelling reservations.
• Communicating with internal departments.
• Accepting and processing payments for deposits, program fees, and balances due, including signing and returning PO submissions.
• Maintaining reservation information in the ticketing system.
• Acting as liaison between group leaders, teachers, members, clients, and appropriate departments.
• Maintaining and cultivating excellent service relationship with these shareholder departments.
• Processing and mailing final checklist and appropriate materials 21 days prior to reservation date.
• Generating reminder emails for groups who have submitted their reservation contracts and deposits.
• Responding to customer inquiries via email using professional business language and format.
• Increasing revenue by offering additional program options and upsells.
• Answering visitor requests for general information on the x3800 line.
• Answering approximately 500+ weekly customer inquiry phone calls.
• Communicating appropriate information regarding parking, hours, prices, dining options, accessibility, timed entry, directions, etc.
• Maintaining a professional demeanor and attitude.
• Communicating with impacted internal departments as appropriate.
• Responsible for membership data entry, reservations and communications.
• Processing approximately 23,000 memberships annually.
• Ensuring all data entry for memberships is accurate, including memberships processed at the Admissions Ticket Center.
• Acting as liaison between members and membership department.
• Maintaining and cultivating excellent service relationship.
• Responding to member questions by phone and email, providing first point of contact.
• Troubleshooting concerns of members at the box office.
• Verifying and updating member records as needed, including personal data, membership upgrades, guest card purchases, Member Advance Ticket purchases, etc.
• Following up on returned mail to ensure accurate information in system.
• Using knowledge to cross sell members into programs and interest general public in membership.
• Responsible for general data entry and administrative support of department efforts.
• Ensuring accurate reservation & membership data.
• Maintaining Excel database for teacher orientations.
• Processing reports and letters for orientations and reminder calls.
• Processing cancellations and waitlist information as needed.
• Creating and sending out all confirmation letters.
• Maintaining files to support confirmations and cancellations.
• Maintaining sales drawer to record payments. Counting and reconciling drawer daily.
• Performing as a group greeter when needed.
• Using appropriate sales techniques and initiatives.
• Keeping up to date on products, prices, content, and general information.
• Awareness of shareholder attendance and revenue goals, understanding of critical role accurate booking and information gathering plays in reaching those goals.
• Participating in departmental strategies and initiatives.
• Excelling in customer service skills using outstanding phone etiquette in a high volume call center receiving more than 25,000 calls per year.
• Cross selling programs and promoting membership sales.
• Participating in and using departmental sales training.
• Receiving and using training from shareholders when new programs/items are introduced.
• Adhering to all organizational and departmental policies and procedures.
• Other duties as assigned or required.

Requirements

• High school diploma required; college courses in public relations preferred.
• One to two years of experience working with the public in customer service or sales.
• Exceptional verbal communication skills (i.e., proper diction and impeccable grammar) required.
• Excellent computer skills, exceptional phone manner and competent written communication required.
• Excellent multi-tasking skills.
• High level of competency with various PC programs including Excel, Word, Power Point and Outlook.
• Comfortable performing routine tasks.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to answer basic to moderate-level questions from internal and external clients.

Benefits

• Hourly range ($16.00-17.57) with hours worked over 40 paid as overtime.
• Holiday premium pay, and extra pay for night work.
• Four weeks paid time off.
• Six paid floating holidays.
• Up to four weeks of paid family leave and conservation day leave.
• Health care (single and family) after 30 days of full-time work.
• 401(k) plan participation with employer match available.
• Family membership package and Aquarium tickets.