Being a guest service employee in the entertainment industry is difficult. It requires juggling numerous complex tasks during every shift. Managers must understand these guest service responsibilities to properly support the employees doing them.
Learn why it’s important to define this role and ensure managers support staff. If you want information about other roles, we offer other shift worker task lists.
Why do you need to define guest service responsibilities?
For managers, it may seem odd to define such a standard role, especially when there’s already a job description created. However, it’s good to have a solid definition of guest service responsibilities because it fully encompasses everything staff members do (or might do) each shift — which is a lot.
A reference list of guest service responsibilities prepares managers to offer assistance as needed to keep everything running smoothly.
Entertainment venue guest service job overview
While each entertainment venue will require its guest staff to carry out specific tasks related to their venue — think interacting with people as mascots vs. helping guests find their seats. However, we can create a general overview of the role with tasks such as:
Cleaning the venue before and after events
Setting up event spaces
Ensuring food and supplies are always available
Greeting guests
Assisting guests as needed
Taking tickets
Ensuring the safety of guests and coworkers
Key job responsibilities
Guest service staff are often the unsung heroes of entertainment venues. They keep the show running despite the chaos that comes naturally to the entertainment world. Here are some of the critical tasks they do each shift.
Customer service
Greet guests
Answer questions
Give directions to attractions or seats
Collect tickets
Address complaints
Let customers know where the safety exits are located
Uphold guest service standards
Serve food (if needed)
Operational and safety tasks
Clean the venue space before and after events
Keep the guest service space and guest areas clean
Assist with the setup of the event space (if needed)
Communicate with other staff
Assist coworkers with tasks to ensure things run smoothly
Ensure technology is working properly
Handle any spills and safety hazards
Manage crowds
Assist with opening and closing procedures
Keep a full stock
Follow food safety rules (if needed)
Cash handling
Sell tickets
Give back accurate change
Sell merchandise (if needed)
Process returns
Common challenges entertainment guest services staff face
Because this type of employee’s role is so people- and multi-task oriented, they may face problems daily. However, as their supervisor, you can assist them and make them feel supported during more difficult shifts.
Disgruntled customers
It’s not uncommon for guest service staff to face unhappy customers. The reasons can range from disliking a performance to feeling like they didn’t get their money’s worth from an event, or maybe they are just having a bad day.
While most staff can handle these incidents on their own by showing they are listening to the customers by offering a discount for the next time they arrive or offering returns, there are times they may need you to step in.
For example, if a customer is demanding a refund after having seen a show that ran as expected and won’t accept no for an answer, a manager needs to step in. When your staff member calls for you, come quickly to prevent more ire from the customer for having to wait.
When engaging with the customer, the manager’s job is not to make the customer happy by throwing their employee under the bus. In this case, the manager should explain that company policy states refunds cannot be handed out after a customer has watched a performance unless the performance was delayed or if it didn’t perform as intended.
The customer will either accept that or storm away. Managers should acknowledge the staff member’s good work with the customer.
Understaffing
Understaffing is always a huge problem, but in the entertainment industry, it causes a ripple effect that can affect everything. Understaffing can make collecting tickets more difficult, cause safety concerns with crowd control, and even delay performance start times.
Proper scheduling and quickly reaching out to staff who have the day off can do a lot to ease understaffing. However, if those actions don’t work, the best thing managers can do is jump in to help. Communicating with all staff to see what needs to be done first and helping can ease a lot of staff stress while ensuring everything runs smoothly.
Learn how the Tate museums solve understaffing problems with Deputy.
Technology problems
Technology is intertwined with entertainment. If there are any tech problems, such as the POS system going down or the audio cutting out, it’s up to the staff to solve the problem. Depending on when the issue is discovered, they may be extra stressed because the performance is soon.
Hopefully, managers have trained staff in basic IT solutions so they can solve these issues on their own. If the issue goes beyond a simple problem, managers need to jump in to help. This may require calling the owner or the tech company for assistance. Managers should also direct staff to explain what is happening to customers to ensure a good experience.
Organization is everything in the entertainment industry
An unorganized staff creates disorder in an already chaotic environment. Keeping staff on track, in the right places, and ensuring everything is on schedule is crucial for a streamlined operation. A solo manager can struggle to do all this each shift.
Thankfully, Deputy can help. Our HR platform can help with scheduling and communication — two essential aspects of entertainment guest services. Red Door Escape Room saved $12,000 a year just from streamlining their scheduling process with Deputy.
Try Deputy today for free and see how much stress it can take off your manager’s shoulders.
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