Hospitality & Visitor Experience Intern

Best Friends Animal Society•Kanab, UT

2d•$16•Onsite

About The Position

The Visitor Experience Intern reports to Chelsea Thebeau, Manager, Best Friends Roadhouse & Mercantile, and will receive regular supervision and feedback. This internship will include opportunities to shadow staff in all parts of Visitor Experience, including hospitality, tours/tourism, cafe, and volunteer engagement. The minimum time commitment for the Visitor Experience Internship is 40 hours per week at $16.00 an hour for 13 weeks. This is an on-site internship at the Best Friends Sanctuary and the Best Friends Roadhouse & Mercantile in Kanab, Utah.

Requirements

Strong desire to work in the hospitality or tourism industry.
Proficient computer skills are required. Microsoft Office, Outlook, and Google Docs are preferred.
Ability to receive and provide constructive feedback, and a commitment to learning and improvement.
Professional work ethics and independent time management skills.
Commitment to communication, cooperation, and collaboration.
Comfortable with or open to developing public speaking skills.
Resourcefulness, adaptability, and problem-solving skills.
Must be able to: Routinely lift up to 60 pounds and perform daily strenuous and/or repetitive activities including sweeping, mopping, bending, stooping, lifting, reaching, walking, and working at computers (typing, hand motions).
Work indoors and outdoors in a variety of weather conditions including extreme heat and cold.
Must be comfortable with: Potential contact with hay, dust and other allergens. Interaction with animals of all kinds; personal or Sanctuary owned. Potential exposure to animal injury, illness, and/or death.
Must have reliable transportation to get to, from, and around the Sanctuary. There is no public transportation in Kanab.
Best Friends employees may only hold one compensated position at any time. Current employees are not allowed to hold another position and this internship position at the same time. If a current employee would like to apply for this internship, the employee would be required to resign from their primary position, with no guarantee of re-employment, if the employee wanted to accept this position.
Applicants for employment in the U.S. must have valid work authorization that does not now and/or will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S. by Best Friends Animal Society.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Greet Roadhouse guests in a warm and inviting manner, answer inquiries via phone/email, and provide information on Sanctuary and local attractions, tours, and services.
Oversee daily Roadhouse & Mercantile operations including checking-in/out of guests, assisting guests with recommendations, requests and local activities, processing of payments and other guest-oriented tasks as needed.
Resolve guest issues and ensure complete guest satisfaction.
Communicate with housekeeping and maintenance departments to ensure prompt responses to guests' needs.
Assist with merchandising and maintaining an attractive retail space in the Mercantile and Sanctuary gift shop.
Perform routine manual tasks to maintain cleanliness, sanitary conditions, and appearance inside and outside of guest rooms and common areas while also interacting regularly with the guest, their accompanying pets, and other Roadhouse and Best Friends team members.
Support Welcome Center operations including but not limited to, answering phone calls, scheduling tours, handling of animals, and receiving donations.
Shadow cafe staff to learn basic meal prep and catering, host duties, event venue set up and booking.
Assist with volunteer recruitment, scheduling and management, event coordination and promotion and data management.
Participate in community events to promote the Sanctuary, animal adoptions, and spread awareness of the Best Friends’ mission.