Theatre Hosts

Job Description

Theatre Hosts are at the forefront of the Grand Opera Houses’s Front of House experience, welcoming visitors and audiences to performances and events. They deal with customer enquiries, check tickets, seat customers and sell programmes, merchandise and interval refreshments, and provide general information about the Theatre and its programme. Theatre Hosts ensure that customers have the best possible experience by providing an exemplary level of customer service

Customer Service 

• Provide a warm, friendly and professional welcome to all customers and visitors
• Usher shows and event, check tickets, seat customers and monitor audience safety during performances
• Assist customers with any additional access requirements
• Provide an excellent level of customer service and ensure customer enquiries are dealt with effectively and promptly
• Resolve customer complaints and seating issues, and refer unresolved complaints to the House Management Team
• Promote and sell show programmes, merchandise, interval orders and refreshments
• Handle money and stock accurately, reconcile floats, operate tills and escalate any discrepancies to the House Management Team

Health & Safety

• Assist the House Management Team with the implementation of the Theatre’s emergency invacuation and evacuation procedures if required, directly patrons confidently and safely
• Assist customers with any additional access requirements in the event of an emergency invacuation or evacuation
• Be vigilant in order to prevent accidents or incidents that might cause injury or harm to customers or staff and report all accidents, incidents or near misses to the House Management Team

A full and detailed Job Description is available in the Candidate Information Pack linked below.

Person Specification

Theatre Hosts are friendly, confident and approachable individuals with a desire and commitment to provide an exemplary level of customer service. Theatre Hosts are at the forefront of the Grand Opera House’s Front of House experience and therefore candidates must be able to demonstrate experience of dealing with customers confidently face to face, resolving customer queries and an ability to deliver sales.

Essential Experience

• A minimum of six months’ recent paid work experience in a customer facing role in a busy retail or hospitality environment.
• Experience of delivering sales, accurate cash-handling, and till transactions in a busy customer facing environment.

Essential Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the demonstrable commitment to providing an exemplary level of customer service
• Good numeracy/mental arithmetic skills to enable accurate cash handling and reconcilation
• Ability and confidence to proactively sell to customers
• Ability to remain calm under pressure, prioritise tasks and think on your feet
• Ability to work some afternoons and evenings during the week and at weekends is essential

Terms and Conditions

The Theatre Host wage is £12.71 per hour and we have a number of part-time contracts available for a minimum of 10.5 hours a week (ie. minimum of 3 x 3.5hr shifts). Additional hours may also be available during busy weeks in the Theatre, but these hours are not guaranteed.

Shifts are rota’d across seven days of the week and candidates must be flexible and available to work afternoons, evenings and weekends. A standard Theatre Host shift would normally be 3.5 hours starting at 6.00pm for an evening performance and 1.00pm for a matinee performance however, the length and timing of shifts may vary as they are determined by the Theatre’s performance schedule.

Candidates must have some availability to work Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoons to support the Theatre’s matinee performances as well as evenings Monday to Saturday.