Sports Facilities – Guest Relations / Event Staff Jobs
Guest Relations Staff are the primary contact for club level patrons, suite owners and VIP event guests. Positions include ushering, ticket checkers and takers, club level entrance monitors, greeters and information personnel. This is a high profile position which requires significant customer service qualities.
Often time’s pagers or PDAs are given to staff and transmit in text form all announcements made through the stadium public address system. This allows the staff to be in tune with any event day changes that may take place.
One main Guest Relations job function is providing tours of the facilities. These tours usually take place late in the week or on weekends and cost around $7.00-$10.00 for adults, $1.00-$5.00 for kids and seniors. Guest Relations staff personnel take reservations, requiring those in the position to have good communication and interpersonal skills.
Some key responsibilities for those giving tours include; memorizing the tour script and dealing with individual personalities, having a deep understanding of the facility and the sports team/teams that use it, knowing facts and figures of the venue and acquaintance with the different tour routes.
Unlike the manager, director and VP positions, the staff position qualifications do not usually require a four year degree (however, it is a plus). The key characteristics that most companies are looking for are energetic, personable, articulate, and creative individuals with the ability to speak in front of large groups interact with various groups and ages, walk long distances, and handle flexible scheduling.
A brief description of the Tour Guide job function: Tour Guide’s conduct tours for the public, speaking in a clear, concise, informative and entertaining manner. Tour Guides also answer patron questions with detail to ensure an overall positive guest experience, monitor and lead groups safely through entire premises with knowledge of all fire exits, elevators and restroom facilities and have the ability to adapt to requests and changes (route, dialogue, assignment) on a short notice. On top of the tours themselves, guides must perform a variety of office duties before, after or amid varying tour shifts. The hour spent with a Tour Guide should create a positive impression of the event center, its teams, its operation and the overall fan experience.
Compensation:
There is very little variance in pay for these positions across leagues and sports. The variance is from around minimum wage to about $15 per hour. The more responsibility guest relations staff members take on, the higher their hourly rate or salary will be.
Major League Baseball: Min. Wage – $22 per hour + Overtime
National Football League: Min. Wage – $35 per hour + Overtime
National Basketball Association: Min. Wage – $20 per hour + Overtime
National Hockey League: Min. Wage – $15 per hour + Overtime
Collegiate: Min. Wage – $25 per hour + Overtime