Job Description

Job Title: Sales Assistant – Garden Room

Period: Permanent

Hours: 1 day per week (Wednesday – Friday), 7 hours excluding breaks, some weekends and evenings

Salary: £24,000 per year pro rata

Reports to: Retail Manager

Place of work: The Exchange, Erith DA8 1RA

How to apply: The application pack with details on how to apply is also available from the 'Join Staff Team' page on our website.

About the role

The Exchange is looking for an enthusiastic and hard-working Sales Assistant with a flair for customer service, and a passion for plants, craft and people. This is an exciting new opportunity to help support our Retail Manager in establishing The Garden Room as a vibrant, successful and welcoming space for retail, selling homeware and gifts; craft and garden supplies and tools; plants and plant care products; and some fashion, fragrance and cosmetics. The Garden Room acts as the main entrance into The Exchange, and so the Sales Assistant will be expected to be able to talk confidently about the wider organisation and its work. The space is also used for workshops, focusing on the interconnection between craft and gardens.

Principle Duties:

Please note: the ‘principal duties and responsibilities’ outlined below are not exhaustive. Other tasks and duties consistent with the role may be assigned.

• Sales: Maximise sales within our retail space, The Garden Room, by assisting with the day-to-day running of the shop, ensuring it is always well presented, welcoming and secure.
• Customer Service: Provide exceptional service to visitors and customers, providing information about The Garden Room and our retail offering as well as the organisation, its ethos, our programme and events.
• Plant Care: Basic care of the plants within The Garden Room and elsewhere in The Exchange.
• Ambassador: Be a positive ambassador of The Exchange, supporting the organisation and its work within the community.

Responsibilities:

• Provide excellent customer service in The Garden Room, answering queries and giving general assistance in a warm and friendly manner to ensure a positive visitor/customer experience, and to encourage repeat visits.
• Talk confidently about the wider work of The Exchange, including our history, ethos and our events/programme.
• Ensure the smooth operational running of The Garden Room.
• Till and cash handling, processing transactions on the till system, packaging and gift wrapping any purchases as required.
• Process online purchases by selecting stock, packing for postage and arranging dispatch.
• Inform customers about stock availability and gathering product feedback.
• Respond to email and in-person queries from customers in a timely and professional manner.
• Occasionally serve drinks and snacks from The Garden Room where we sell a small selection of chilled bottled and canned drinks for consumption on The Exchange premises. 
• Manage stock levels, preventing theft, and keeping the store clean and organised.
• Ensure that available stock is visible and is visually appealing.
• Maintain stock levels and visual standards of the drinks and snacks available to purchase from The Garden Room.
• Provide basic care instructions to customers purchasing plants.
• Operate within rigorous H&S and security frameworks, including taking responsibility for opening and closing tills, and final retail space checks.
• Assist with general housekeeping duties as assigned.

Personal specification:

Essential:

• Friendly and approachable with excellent customer service and ‘front of house’ skills.
• Motivated with an eye for detail and a desire to achieve high standards.
• Confident, calm approach to working within a busy environment balancing multiple demands.
• Excellent communication, listening, diplomacy and problem-solving skills.
• Evidence of positive and effective working with colleagues to achieve shared objectives.
• High level of written and verbal English communication skills.
• Reliable and highly organised with initiative and strong time management efficiency.
• Ability to work occasional weekends and evenings dependent the needs of the operation.
• The right to live and work in the United Kingdom.

Desirable:

• Working in an arts and culture / community / heritage environment.

How to apply:

The application pack with details on how to apply is also available from the 'Join Staff Team' page on our website.

Deadline for applications: Sunday 14 July

Interviews scheduled for: Thursday 18 July