RETAIL ASSISTANT - NGG

THE NATIONAL GALLERY

THE ROLE PROFILE

Job purpose

National Gallery Global Limited (NGG) is a commercial company established to provide revenue for the National Gallery from a range of operations including Retail, Publishing, Loyalty, Sales and Ticketed Experiences, and Hospitality and Events. Our work enhances the visitor experience and helps to safeguard some of the country’s most valuable works of art.

The Retail Assistant has a wide range of responsibilities, all focussed on the shop floor. The principal aim is to contribute to the commercial success of the Company by generating sales of NGG products and services and by ensuring that the highest standards of customer service, operational efficiency and housekeeping are maintained, in line with Company policy.

Key Accountabilities and Key Activities / Decision Areas

Customer Service

• Recognise that excellent customer service is a major part of providing customers with an enjoyable shopping experience which they will want to repeat.

• Recognise that excellent customer service has a direct impact on the level of retail revenue taken in the stores, both in terms of visitors becoming customers (‘customer conversion rate’) and customers spending more (‘average spend per customer’).

• Acknowledge and greet customers, and be responsible for initiating first contact, responding to customer needs quickly and courteously.

• Confident and effective in using selling skills, establishing rapport with customers, by determining their needs via listening, asking open questions and using clarification.

• Apply product knowledge, by explaining about unique features and benefits of the products.

• Direct customers to additional services such as home delivery, book ordering, VAT exemptions.

• Always seek to find alternative solutions to customer requests when the customer’s direct request cannot be achieved e.g. sell gift vouchers.

• Identify and act on opportunities to increase sales e.g. by suggesting related items.

• To pack and wrap purchases with care.

• Ensure commitments made to customers are followed up. To sensitively handle customer complaints and to be able to judge when appropriate to defer to a Retail Supervisor or Manager.

• Recognise the need for additional sales support from more experienced colleagues where you are unable to answer customer queries.

• Sensitively balance the sometimes competing requirements of a responsive phone service with the in-shop service.

• Adhere to the Company returns policy. To be able to explain NGG policies and procedures in order to manage customer expectations.

• Assist with NGG promotional events e.g. book signings or private views.

Retail Operations

• Effectively and efficiently operate the computerised tills (including processing of normal sales, handling multiple methods of payments, operating other till functions such as discounts etc.).

• Be responsible for handling cash and credit transactions on behalf of NGG and for ensuring that the contents of the till drawer are accurate.

• Understand the importance of following Company policy and procedures in ensuring the maintenance of high retail standards and the provision of an accurate audit trail.

• Ensure compliance in all respects with Company policy and procedures, and legislation in respect of trading standards and Health & Safety.

• Efficiently operate general retail equipment e.g. trolleys and price guns.

Health & Safety

• Be aware of and observe NGG’s and National Gallery’s Health & Safety and emergency procedures.

• Always follow safe working practises e.g. when required to exert force to lift, lower, push, pull and carry or move items/ packages. To know which team

members are NGG’s Health & Safety representatives, Fire Marshalls and First Aiders.

Product & brand knowledge/ brand awareness

• Demonstrate an interest in and develop an understanding of the NGG product range (both the core product range and exhibition product ranges), which is crucial to providing an effective and efficient level of customer service.

• Maintain an up to date knowledge of product prices.

• Use the brand and a good product knowledge to drive sales.

Housekeeping & Visual Merchandising

• Perform general housekeeping duties in the shops, ensuring all areas are clean, tidy and well-organised.

• Ensure that product displays are always clean, tidy and organised in line with NGG’s visual merchandise (VM) principles, deferring to Retail Supervisors/ Managers if required.

• Maintain excellent housekeeping standards throughout the day (e.g. tidy till points, all walkways clear of clutter, appropriate product/price signage).

Stock control

• Take an active role in ensuring that all wall units, table units and shelves are appropriately stocked according to VM principles.

• Assist with regular Company stock takes.

• Maintain an awareness of stock levels across the stores to support customer service and queries.

• Price stock where required.

• Ensure back up stock on the shop floor is stored appropriately and is easily located.

• Assist in maintaining a tidy and well-organised stock room, in line with the guidelines established by the Forward Stock team. If you have an assigned sectional responsibility, to be responsible for monitoring stock levels, sales and agreeing appropriate stock ordering and shop replenishments with the Retail Supervisors and Retail Managers.

Teamwork & communication

• Be a pro-active, flexible, and helpful member of the Retail Team at all times.

• Contribute ideas and suggestions to the Retail Supervisors and Managers, in order to achieve improvements in all aspects of the shops performance. To take an active role in ensuring the quality of your own work conforms to NGG standards.

Cloakroom

• To provide cover for the Gallery cloakroom, according to a rota. To ensure that coats, bags, umbrellas etc of visitors are safely deposited within the cloakroom.

• Interact with visitors when receiving their items, exchanging tickets for items and returning them to their owners.

• Ensure that the cloakroom area is tidy and ordered.

Security

• To be vigilant as to security risks (e.g. in terms of cash-handling, shop-floor theft) and to be constantly observant of behaviours on the shop floor.

• Be aware of the location of National Gallery security staff and to be alert to the potential for internal as well as external theft, escalating any issues to a Retail Supervisor or Retail Manager.

Other Duties

• Undertake all reasonable duties and requests as requested by Retail Supervisors and the NGG management team.

• Keep all restrooms and locker rooms clean and tidy.

• Adhere to NGG’s Retail Dress Code at all times.

Role Dimensions

Financial (limits/mandates etc.)

• Cash handling

Non-financial (contacts, customers, staff etc)

• NG visitors / NGG customers, NGG and NG staff

Person Specification

Competency / Performance Drivers

• Customer service skills, sociable

• Selling skills

• Reliable, team worker

• Excellent communication skills with an eye for detail

• Numerate

• A high level of personal drive and commitment

• A high level of personal presentation

Technical / Professional Expertise

• Some previous, relevant experience working in a retail environment

• Experience of operating till systems

• An understanding and experience of the selling cycle and experience of retail operations and procedures

The Promise Performance Behaviours

Passionate, Engaging, Polite, Positive, Patient, Approachable, Adaptable, Consistent, Professional

SUMMARY OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Retail Assistant

Contract

Part-time, fixed term contract working 15 hrs a week.

The salary is £14.96 per hour plus benefits.

HOW TO APPLY

It is important to complete all sections of our application form in order to ensure that we have all the information necessary to consider you for the job you are applying for. There are a number of sections to complete before submitting your application. However, you can save your application form at any stage and return at any time prior to the closing date to complete.

If you have any questions on the information you should provide, or have any difficulties completing the form, please contact the Human Resources Department at recruitment@nationalgallery.org.uk.

Employment & Academic History

Due to the value of our collection the Gallery undertakes extensive preemployment screening, including a criminal record check. As part of our security screening process we need to account for all of your time over the past 3/5* years and willverify the information provided. However we are interested in all of your relevant work experience so please provide us with your career history.

Supporting Information

In this section you should provide any information that supports your application. The essential role criterion shows you the criteria which are necessary to carry out the responsibilities of the job and will be used to shortlist candidates for interview. By using the role profile, you should outline how your skills, knowledge and experience match the requirements of the post.

Shortlisting

The National Gallery operates name free recruitment, which means an applicant's name and personal details are not visible to recruiting managers in the shortlisting process. By removing the applicant's name and other personal information, such as their ethnicity or the university they attended, we aim to ensure that people will be judged on merit and not on their background, race or gender

Selection

For some roles at the Gallery we will ask you to complete a variety of selection activities to allow you to demonstrate your abilities and suitability for the post. These may include ability tests, personality questionnaires, work simulation exercises, interviews, etc. Details of the specific activities will be advised to you as part of the process.

Equal Opportunities Monitoring

The Gallery is committed to equal opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Our policy is that no job applicant or employee should receive less favourable treatment than another on grounds of gender (including gender reassignment), sexual orientation, marital or family status, civil partnership status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or similar belief, disability, age or trade union membership or any other condition or requirement which cannot be shown to be justifiable.

Information you provide such as ethnic origin, gender and disability will be used solely for monitoring purposes and identifiable information will not be disclosed.