Gift Shop Team Lead

Build your career at Sazerac! With almost 400 years of rich history, Sazerac Company has thrived as an independent, American family-owned company with operations in the United States and around the world. Since the 2000s, Sazerac has averaged double digit growth every year! Sazerac Company produces and markets the most award-winning bourbons and whiskeys in the world, including Buffalo Trace, Pappy Van Winkle, Eagle Rare, Blanton’s, and Sazerac Rye. Additionally, Sazerac owns many popular brands across a range of spirits, including Fireball, Southern Comfort, Seagram’s V.O., Myers’s, Goldschläger, Parrot Bay, 99 Brand, and Platinum Vodka. 

We’re proud of our award-winning culture and distilleries. Our Louisville office has been named one of the “Best Places to Work in Kentucky” four times, and our Buffalo Trace Distillery has earned the title of “world’s most award-winning distillery” through the dedication of our craftsmen for well over 200 years. Whether you’re a recent graduate or an experienced professional, Sazerac provides extraordinary opportunities for growth with competitive salaries and benefits in an exciting, entrepreneurial industry.

Nestled at the corner of Canal Street and Magazine Street, and less than 350 yards from the original Sazerac Coffee House, The Sazerac House will be New Orleans’ most memorable destination offering an enriching sensory experience that embodies the city’s spirited and historic character.

The Sazerac House will take its visitors through a journey of the history and culture of spirits in New Orleans showcasing the company’s brands relevant to the city of yesterday and today.

The Gift Shop Team Lead is responsible for supervising and facilitating all activities that occur at the Sazerac House Gift Shop; oversees all of the Gift Shop Associates, maintains the gift shop stocked, and participates in the VIP program. The leader strives to create a positive and fun experience for all of the visitors at the Sazerac House.

RESPONSIBILITIES:  

• Demonstrate and reinforce persuasive selling techniques with Gift Shop staff. Ensure gift shop is properly stocked at all times.
• Model excellent customer service at all times. Train, develop and coach Gift shop associates in all aspects of customer service. Take the lead on "problem solving" for unusual or special situations in the absence of the management. See to it that all visitor inquiries are getting addressed in the standard two business day period and that each situation is resolved to the best of the teams ability to create "raving fans" of Sazerac products. Execute monthly training to all Gift Shop attendants on customer service and operating procedures/processes.
• Ensure excellent display of retail products to enhance shopping appeal for consumers. Work with GS staff on persuasive selling techniques. Create seasonal and Holiday displays. Work with AGM to develop processes and methods to improve turn over on seasonal products. Ensure Gift Shop is maintained at proper inventory levels, clean and aesthetically pleasing to visitors at all times.
• Monitor processes on a daily basis and ensure all employees are following correct procedures. Communicate deviations or exceptions from standard to AGM and ensure proper tools and training are in place. Follow inventory controls and processes. Make recommendations for new merchandise. 
• Use PDS as a tool to monitor performance and evaluate own skills and the skills of the gift shop team. Participate in PDS discussions with supervisor and the gift shop team.
• Reinforce ongoing responsibilities, priorities, and tasks of Gift Shop positions with staff. Develop and maintain operating standards, opening and closing duties with gift shop team.  
• Ensure that all gift shop attendants obtain pertinent information from visitors and completing comment cards. Build relationship with tour operators and other industry partners to enhance the Sazerac House experience. 
• Work with gift shop team to make every consumer contact a new, influential, raving fan of our products. Secure information on interested consumers that may be used to communicate via grass roots efforts in the future.
• Ensure gift shop team has a working knowledge of Public Relations efforts and press releases in order to address visitors' inquiries. Keep General Manager informed of any questions/comments related to Sazerac news from consumers that is out of the ordinary.
• Collaborate with AGM in identifying and developing training opportunities for the gift shop team. Develop and maintain protocols for potentially significant consumers issues ( i.e. and escalation protocol). Ensure adherence to Personal Safety, Food Safety, Quality and Environmental Policies and Practices.

Requirements:

• High School diploma or GED equivalent
• 2 years supervisory experience
• Ability and willingness to work non-traditional hours (nights/weekends)
• Excellent oral & written communication skills
• Must be a team player
• Working knowledge of MS Office Products (Word, Excel and Outlook)
• Ability to communicate with all levels of an org
• Ability to handle multiple tasks at one time

Preferred:

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent
• 2 years Experience in customer service, retail
• 3 years relevant experience in customer service