TOUR GUIDE/HOST & LOCAL FOOD AMBASSADOR
We are seeking open-minded, diverse, positive, organized and detail-oriented persons who love Madison, and are passionate about our local food for the position of FOOD TOUR GUIDE / HOST.
Do you want to join our team of fun-spirited local food enthusiasts?
We are seeking one part-time team member to guide our guests through Madison to the best food and drink our city has to offer!
To succeed as a guide, the candidate must be: outgoing, team oriented, open-minded, a good listener and story-teller, socially graceful, organized, quick thinker, energetic, fun and LOVE our city and its food. Qualified candidates know Madison well. Global worldview a plus (Have you traveled? Do you speak another language?).
As a small business, we take pride in the exceptional experiences and tours that we offer to our guests. This position is quick-paced where you not only need to be able to think on your feet, but to maintain the highest level of guest experience that we offer. It’s like hosting a dinner party! At the end of the day, we focus on making sure our guests are incredibly happy and full!
DESCRIPTION
We are in search of one guide to lead biking and walking tours part time for Madison Eats Food Tours. The main responsibilities in this position are: communicating with restaurants regarding reservations and guests’ dietary considerations, offering a fun and informative experience for our guests, telling stories and entertaining the guests while keeping track of time, accommodating last minute needs from guests and restaurants, and connecting guests to our local food scene and producers through the food, stories and overall experience.
It is important to note that guides need to be flexible! Tours are booked up to 10 hours before the start time. You will need to be available until the ticket sales are closed. If a tour doesn’t book, you are not paid for that tour experience. We are a seasonal business with the highest demand for tours May through Sept, however we run year round.
What makes a great Guide and Host
Not only do you love food, but more importantly, you are eloquent and articulate when describing food. Guides are engaging storytellers and performers. They don’t just “talk” about food and our producers, but instead, they make dishes and the people behind them come alive for our guests through anecdotes, facts and more.
Guides possess excellent social skills interacting with groups of people. Are you open to people who express beliefs, look and talk differently from you? Do you anticipate people’s needs well? That’s great! Conversely, you should ask yourself: “do I enjoy hosting dinners or does it stress me out?” If it’s the latter, this role may not be for you!
Guides display boundless, positive energy. We walk a lot and need to constantly be on our toes when we are with our guests. Guides are equally great talkers AND listeners.
Guides can tackle unstructured situations and can deal with the unexpected. Every guest and every experience is different and special. We have some rules of thumb, but we expect our hosts to be quick and wise thinkers on the job.
Key responsibilities include:
ORGANIZATION
You will be reaching out to restaurants, keeping track of guests’ dietary preferences, checking in guests, taking a group picture, and following up with your team leader after each tour. You need to be organized and at the same time adaptable to last minute changes while making sure the experience flows seamlessly for guests.
EVENT & TOUR EXECUTION
Must be on time at the start of tour and consistently execute our tour protocol for the start and end of tour, and following tour “script”, while providing exceptional guest experience. Must remain on schedule, and deal with last minute changes or guests’ needs while offering a fun, delicious experience.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
We offer the highest quality tours to our guests. It is literally like hosting a dinner party for people you don’t know. Did everyone get water? Does someone seem unhappy but afraid to speak up? Is someone walking a bit slower that the rest of the group? Have you had a chance to talk to everyone to make them feel welcome? Your primary job is to make every person feel welcome and special, anticipate their needs, and ensure they have the best time possible while learning about Madison and eating delicious food.
Compensation & Benefits
WAGES
This position starts at $16 / hour plus tips (at discretion of guests, or in the case of private tours about 8-10% of total ticket sales).
You will be eligible for a raise after a year.
HOURS
Hours vary from about 10-20/month to 40 or more / month in the busy season. You must be available at least 2 weekends (Fri-Sunday)/month year round and have some weekday availability.
We also have a weekly meeting as well as occasional training sessions.
TO APPLY
Please send your resume and cover letter to info@madisoneatsfoodtours.com
Applications accepted until position is filled.
Interviews will be conducted starting May 5th, 2021. Position would start in May or as soon as candidate is hired with training, moving into more hours as we go into the busy season.
