Visitor Experience Assistant in London

The physical environment of Japan House London is attractive and of high quality, with services, products, attractive retail and catering facilities designed and delivered around the specific needs of visitors. The Visitor Experience Assistant team has been developed to support the visitor experience and to ensure that visitor access requirements are met, and their satisfaction levels are high, in line with the Japanese concept of Omotenashi: "Translated simply, Omotenashi means the Japanese way of treating a guest. It blends a welcoming spirit with warmth, understanding, and above all respect. The concept is all encompassing. The Japanese language makes no distinction between ‘guest’ and ‘customer.’ In English, the concept of ‘service’ suggests a hierarchy between the ‘server’ and the ‘customer.’ The Japanese Omotenashi, however, is based on a non-dominant relationship between equals – between the person offering the service (the host) and the person receiving it (the guest or customer). To practice Omotenashi, the host pays close attention to detail and is committed to anticipating the needs of the guest, smiling sincerely and setting a happy, relaxed mood. When authentic, Japanese hospitality and service exceed the expectations of the guests. At its most exquisite, Omotenashi offers a guest a once-in-a-life-time experience…" The primary role of the Visitor Experience Assistant therefore is to provide a five-star-level of welcome to all visitors to Japan House. Each visitor should feel welcome and encouraged to talk with any member of the team so that they leave feeling that they have had an engaging, enlightening and enjoyable visitor experience.

Visitor Experience

• Staying up to date and promoting all Japan House London facilities, services, products, activities, talks and tours, special exhibitions, membership, and any special events.
• Welcome all visitors to the Japan House London experience.
• Engaging with visitors, enabling them to explore and enjoy exhibitions and programmes, by interpreting themes clearly and accurately.
• Act as a Japan House brand ambassador, and practice omotenashi behaviours.
• Embody JHL values.
• Invigilating the Gallery and display areas.
• Collating accurate quantitative and qualitative visitor survey data and visitor stories.
• Hosting and briefing school groups and families visiting Japan House.
• Delivering Family Workshops.
• Delivering tours and presentations to universities, schools, corporate groups, and any other group that may require it, as well as internally.
• Managing visitor flow, especially when large groups are visiting.
• Maintaining an understanding of Japan House KPIs and objectives in relation to your department and key metrics.
• Managing and resolving visitor complaints.
• Always present a personal appearance according to the Japan House London Style Guide.
• Checking and maintaining the cleanliness and appearance of all JHL spaces according to its standards, calling for cleaning support when required.
• Act as a team player for operational support to your team and other departments.

Events and Programming Activities

• Assisting the Events team with delivering Japan House London in-person events.
• Supporting with the delivery of venue hire events.
• Delivering educational workshops and presentations for corporate and non-profit clients.
• Responsible for operational requirements for events, such as set up and take down.
• Assisting with the delivery of roadshow events for Japan House exhibitions.

Health, Safety & Security

• Assisting in evacuation during an emergency, and ensuring the safety of visitors, colleagues and volunteers.
• Supporting front-of-house security and safety, including visual checks, security checks, lockdown procedures and dealing with incidents.
• Understanding accident and near-miss reporting procedures and reporting incidents when necessary.

Other Activities

• Working in the office and supporting occasional research and administrative duties.
• On occasion, supporting with other duties, such as the creation of Marketing content to promote JHL activities.
• Collaborate, from time to time, in cross-functional teams or with other departments to deliver specific projects and programmes of activity.

As an employee of Japan H.L. Limited, under Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 you are responsible for your personal safety and that of your colleagues, including others who may be affected by the Companies activities. Additionally, you must also cooperate with the Company to enable it to discharge its own responsibilities successfully. A particular feature of the Japan House way of working is the project team. All members of staff are expected to collaborate, from time to time, in cross-functional teams to deliver specific projects and programmes of activity. The project teams are multi-disciplinary and bring together the skills and experience needed to deliver a wide range of shared initiatives and objectives. Teams may include experts from external companies or suppliers.

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

• Qualifications: Educated to degree level or equivalent qualification in Japan Studies, History, Art, Design or another related field preferred. Additional training and/or supplementary courses completed in Education, Museums Studies, Customer Services or relevant associated fields are advantageous.
• Knowledge: Know when to approach visitors and offer assistance; know how to evaluate and respond sensitively to the specific needs of visitors; know how to resolve incidents to a satisfactory outcome; know when to seek assistance and advice from other team members; knowledge of Health & Safety procedures; knowledge of basic First Aid is advantageous; high level of proficiency in the full MS Office suite; use of visitor survey apps and other software systems (e.g. CRM) is beneficial.
• Experience: Experience of working in a customer or visitor services role, with the ability to demonstrate a keen and genuine interest in working with the public, including collating feedback and data for visitor surveys; an understanding of Japanese culture and history would be an advantage; answering enquiries/complaints and dealing with challenging customers; some experience in giving presentations to a wide range of ages and taking part in education programmes/events is beneficial; exposure to relevant sector preferred (Museum, Gallery, Arts, NFP, Visitor Attraction, Heritage Destination or Tourism Development); previous experience in a project/pre-opening environment is desirable.
• Capabilities: High business standard, English language skills are essential; other language skills, including Japanese, are highly advantageous; exceptional standard of customer service through well-established and effective communication skills; places the customer at the heart of what they do, engages and listens, and responds to deliver exemplary service, creating an outstanding experience; support the culture of service excellence, both internally and externally; ability to multitask and prioritise work, whilst paying attention to detail; excellent time management skills; a creative mind with an ability to suggest improvements.

Work Environment

• Most duties carried out in the Japan House London public spaces.
• On occasion, off-site work is required.
• Standard hours are 8 per day. Rolling rota will include weekends and evenings. Additional after-hours project and event-related work may often be required.

About us

At Japan House London we offer the opportunity to experience the best and latest from Japan. Located on London’s Kensington High Street, the experience we cultivate is an authentic encounter with Japan, engaging and surprising even the most knowledgeable guests. Presenting the very best of Japanese art, design, gastronomy, innovation, and technology, we work to deepen the visitor’s appreciation of all that Japan has to offer. At the same time, we cultivate our own understanding of Japan and Japanese cultures.