Reposted today

Reception and Customer Service (Placemaker)

Places Leisure
Pay Estimated pay: £8.64-10.98 per hour

Location Reading, Berkshire
Contract time Part time

The Breakroom Take

7.4

Rated 7.4 out of 10, based on 185 employees who took the Breakroom Quiz

See all job reviews

  • Great team mates
  • People enjoy this job
  • Good employer
  • Pays all ages fairly
  • Recommended by students
  • Respectful managers
  • Proper training

About Places Leisure

Places Leisure is a Scottish fitness company.

Job description from Places Leisure

We are Places for People Group, we're a social enterprise that believes it's people that make a community. That's why we build homes and deliver services for everyone in the community to thrive. At Places Leisure we are changing lives by creating active places and healthy people for communities to thrive, and we want to be the UK's leading health and wellbeing enabler.

We aren't your typical company. We apply the same philosophy to our People as we do to our communities, ensuring our team is appreciated and supported. At Places for People, you're more than just a number - you're part of our cause.

More About the Role:

We have an exciting new opportunity for a Reception and Sales colleague, (internally known as a Placemaker) at Places Leisure, where you will be working in a fun, lively environment with likeminded people. You will help to inspire others to work together and deliver their very best. You will be highly organised and thrive on delivering excellent customer service whilst promoting a helpful and welcoming environment that offers a positive first impression to all prospective and existing members.

Previous experience in a sales and customer service environment would be beneficial, however, if you are a naturally proactive and self-motivated individual, then with our continuous learning and development opportunities, we would be happy to support you with the training and tools to succeed in this role and beyond.

There are many opportunities available for you within Places Leisure. Your career with us as a Placemaker is a great first step to many different routes including a Placemaker Assistant Manager and Placemaker Manager.

In the Placemaker role, we will offer ongoing training and development opportunities, including Customer Service and Sales learning through our training partners, regular webinars and seminars to develop sales performance as well as opportunities to develop cross skills in lifeguarding, swimming teaching & more.

More About You:

  • You will have the inherent ability to create personable and meaningful relationships with customers in a unique and relevant way.
  • You will be able to multi-task and manage daily operational tasks with strong execution and confidence.
  • Be an advocate for the benefits of physical activity and contribute to our mission of creating active places and healthy people.
  • You will have the ability to use sales tools and techniques documented by Places Leisure membership management.
  • Sales focused and target driven individual.
  • You will have a passion for delivering first class customer service and deal with customers in a friendly and professional manner whilst going above and beyond to deliver the highest level of standards.

Benefits

We are a large, diverse and ambitious business, which will give you all the challenge you could wish for.

We know that there's always more we can do to make you smile, that's why we offer a comprehensive benefits package with each role, yours will include:

  • We align with the Real Living Wage foundation
  • A bonus scheme for all colleagues at 2%
  • Full Health & Fitness membership for you, a nominated adult and up to 4 juniors
  • Flexible working (including part time working, shift work and more)
  • An opportunity to purchase additional annual leave
  • Lots of opportunity to access ongoing personal learning and development
  • Access to our Company Pension scheme
  • Cashback plan for healthcare costs – up to £500 saving per year
  • Discounts of up to 50% on activities, centre shop and cafes
  • Extra perks including huge discounts and offers from shops, cinemas and much more.

If you meet the criteria and are ready to make the next step in your career then click apply. You will be redirected to our careers site where you can discover more about the role, read a full job description and apply directly to us.

Job insights from Breakroom

Receptionists

Receptionists are the first point of contact for visitors to hotels or businesses

What you’ll do as a receptionist:

  • Checking or signing people in
  • Deal with customers or guests
  • Helping customers with general questions
  • Manage and take bookings for rooms etc
  • Answer questions both in person and over the phone
  • Take payments and provide invoices

Is it right for you?

This job may involve:

  • Standing
  • Sitting
  • Dealing with customers
  • Using a computer
  • Anti-social hours
  • Wearing a uniform

Map

Reading, Berkshire

A map of the rough location for this vacancy

What employees say

Pay

    Needs improving
  • Most people aren’t paid a living wage

    Do Places Leisure pay receptionists enough to live on?

    Most people are not paid a living wage.

    How we know this

    80% of people say they are paid below the Real Living Wage for where they live.

    Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between January 2022 and December 2023.

    Why this matters

    Everyone should be paid enough to live on.

    The Real Living Wage is a voluntary rate employers can sign up to that is based on the real cost of living.

    The current rates are £12.00 per hour, and £13.15 per hour in London.

    Find out more in our explainer about the Real Living Wage.

  • Okay
  • Only some people are paid market rates

    Do Places Leisure pay receptionists market rates?

    Only some people are paid above average for their job.

    How we know this

    40% of people are paid below average for the type of work they do.

    Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between January 2022 and December 2023.

    Why this matters

    Pay can vary a lot between types of job. Employers should be ensuring that the rates their staff are paid are in line with similar roles elsewhere.

Hours and flexibility

    Okay
  • Only some people get a choice of shifts

    Do receptionists at Places Leisure get to choose the shifts they work?

    Some people don’t get enough choice over which shifts they work.

    How we know this

    60% report that their manager doesn’t give them enough choice over which shifts they work.

    Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between January 2022 and December 2023.

    Why this matters

    A good job is flexible around your personal life. This means you get a say in when you prefer to work.

  • Okay
  • Shifts can get changed at short notice

    Do Places Leisure managers change receptionists shifts at short notice?

    Some managers change people’s shifts at short notice.

    How we know this

    40% of people say their manager changes their shifts at the last minute.

    Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between January 2022 and December 2023.

    Why this matters

    If your manager is often changing your shifts at short notice that’s a sign of poor planning. At a good job you won’t be messed around at the last minute.

Workplace

    Okay
  • Some people are stressed

    Is it stressful for receptionists to work at Places Leisure?

    Some people feel stressed here.

    How we know this

    60% of people say they often feel stressed at work.

    Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between January 2022 and December 2023.

    Why this matters

    Work isn’t always easy, but if you’re frequently feel stressed, that’s not good.

    Your employer should support you with enough people and resources to get your job done without feeling overwhelmed.

  • Okay
  • Only some people recommend their team

    Do receptionists at Places Leisure recommend working with their team?

    Only some people recommend working with their team.

    How we know this

    60% of people report that they wouldn’t recommend working with their immediate team to a friend.

    Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between January 2022 and December 2023.

    Why this matters

    A good job means enjoying the place where you work.

    The people you work with every day really matter. They can be the difference between a terrible day and a great one.

    If you’d recommend your team to a friend, this shows that something’s going right.

  • Needs improving
  • Most people don’t get enough training

    Do receptionists get enough training when they start at Places Leisure?

    Most people did’t get enough training when they started.

    How we know this

    70% of people report they didn’t get enough training when they started working here.

    Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between January 2022 and December 2023.

    Why this matters

    A good job should give you good training when you start, not just drop you in at the deep end.

    This means that you’ll be happier and more productive from day one and shows that your employer values you.

    It’s also very important if your job involves anything that could be dangerous. Good training from the outset keeps you and your team safe.

  • Needs improving
  • Head office doesn’t understand what’s happening

    Do receptionists think Places Leisure head office understands what's happening where they work?

    Most people think head office doesn’t understand what’s happening where they work.

    How we know this

    70% of people think that this employer’s head office or owners don’t have a good understanding of what’s really happening where they work.

    Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between January 2022 and December 2023.

    Why this matters

    At a good job, the role of head office should be to support the people on the frontline serving customers.

    To do that properly, the company’s owners or head office need to have a good understanding of what’s really happening on the frontline. This is especially important when a company owns multiple locations.

Find out more about working at Places Leisure

What Places Leisure employees say about their job

  • Best thing

    Friendly place

    Worst thing

    Low paid, rude customers, slow process

    4.6

    Places Leisure Employee, September 2024

  • Best thing

    free accsess to gym

    Worst thing

    managers are rude and treat people like numbers and not people.

    4.5

    Places Leisure Lifeguard, June 2024

See more reviews
  • Best thing

    My colleagues are friendly

    Worst thing

    The stress, the lack of staff, the lack of resources, focus on building rather than the staff. When someone leaves they drop all do the responsibility onto a small team than employ more. Constantly cut budgets leaving all departments so fragile that if anyone calls in sick (which happens often) they whole system falls apart

    3.0

    Places Leisure Duty manager, July 2023

  • Best thing

    Flexible hours, positive environment

    Worst thing

    Lifeguards are overworked and treated like everyones servants. This means our actual set tasks dont get completed

    7.3

    Places Leisure Lifeguard, May 2023

  • Best thing

    The team

    Worst thing

    Pay and head office

    8.4

    Places Leisure Manager, September 2022

  • Best thing

    The people/team you work with

    Worst thing

    The management/lack of respect shown.

    6.7

    Places Leisure Employee, August 2022

  • Best thing

    People

    Worst thing

    Understaffed = Double workload

    7.3

    Places Leisure Lifeguard, February 2022

  • Best thing

    customers

    Worst thing

    high maintenance and stressful

    8.0

    Places Leisure Cleaner, December 2021

  • Best thing

    Friendly colleagues
    Free membership
    Socialable

    Worst thing

    Having too much to do so not taking breaks
    Running 4 different departments
    Phone always ringing
    Understaffed

    7.8

    Places Leisure Assistant manager, June 2021

  • Best thing

    Amazing management and the business is always trying to help you progress in life in whichever direction you want to head in within the sector. Co workers are great and everyone gets along

    Worst thing

    Lack of attention to lower income centres, the higher up management don’t seem too bothered about the state of the changing rooms despite an incredible amount of complaints. But there really isn’t many negatives, places leisure really do have your best interests at heart and do want to see you do well in life

    7.3

    Places Leisure Senior Lifeguard, November 2020

  • More reviews from Places Leisure employees

Similar jobs around Reading