Tasting Room Manager (Wine Jobs: Wine Retail & Sommelier)

  Peju Province Winery

  Rutherford, California

Peju Winery believes that each employee makes a significant contribution to the Winery’s success. This job description is designed to outline primary duties, qualifications and job scope. However, it is not meant to limit you nor the Winery to only the work identified within this document. Peju Winery expects that you will offer your services where and when they are necessary to ensure the success of the Winery, and to maximize your own skill level.

The Tasting Room Manager is responsible for creating, implementing and managing to a strategic plan for the Tasting Room, which ensures consistent delivery of exceptional guest services; drives retail sales growth; and, builds a strong brand image, through leadership, management, mentoring and training. This position is responsible for the Tasting Room P&L, including operating costs, profitability, inventory management, staffing and non-wine sales (merchandise). The position works closely with Events, Wine Club and Marketing to develop and implement plans, which drive revenue, and build the Peju brand image to achieve brand loyalty.

ORGANIZATIONAL

 Accountable for all TR activities and performance.

 Provides leadership in all aspects of guest sales and guest hospitality.

 Creates, monitors, and communicates individual and team sales goals and metrics.

 Communicates a consistent PEJU brand message and ensures all staff also communicates a consistent PEJU brand image.

 Inspires others in a positive, genuine, and professional manner, while driving individual and group accountability and profitability.

 Acts as a role model to ensure all tasting room staff act as brand ambassadors and demonstrate consistently outstanding guest services.

 Spends a minimum of 70% of time on the floor and selling.

 Conducts weekly sales meetings to discuss sales goals and performance, plans to meet monthly goals, operations, company and policy changes, and sales/operational training. Documents meetings with agenda and follow up on notes.

 Recruits, hires, trains, supervises and evaluates Tasting Room staff. Provide daily coaching as needed to improve and develop individual and group sales performance.

 Bi-weekly completes and submits accurate and on time attendance data to payroll (includes all 'request for time off' paperwork).

 Conducts mandatory morning lineup with the TR staff, prior to opening the TR, to discuss the day’s sales goals and events.

 Participates in training for sexual harassment and discrimination; develops a plan to ensure proper practices are in place in TR; and, monitors practices for adherence to Federal and State law. (Govt. Code sec. 12940)

 Works with the Events Manager to plan, develop and execute special events to increase sales in the TR.

 Supervises the Merchandise Manager and all merchandise functions.

 Performs all office work before and after the tasting room business hours.

 Follows, implements, and creates company policies regarding operations, organization, and administration of the TR. Updates the TR manual to ensure procedures are current to eliminate redundancy. 

OPERATIONS

 Responsible for conducting sales training to ensure all sales personnel are connecting with their guests, asking for the sale, discussing the benefits of wine club and collecting contact information every time, every day.

 Meets with each sales person no less than monthly to review performance to goals, monitor progress, change course or celebrate successes, and track improvements.

 Tracks daily and weekly sales performance and develop ways to ensure monthly team goals are met.

 Creates and posts the TR schedule 45 days in advance (requires weekly posting) to ensure sales floor is staffed according to procedure. All holidays/weekends require 100% staff participation.

 Creates, implements, monitors, and reports sales activities for the staff to perform during the slow season. This may include: Napa Valley outreach, Customer calls, cross training in other departments (phones and shipping),

and assisting the phone team.

 During November and December, coordinate a special schedule with the direct phone team to ensure the phones are properly staffed by sales personnel.

 Responsible for conducting and tracking ongoing staff training to ensure: exemplary hospitality standards, product knowledge, consistent brand messaging (including accurate family stories), and sales techniques to drive revenue growth.

 Maintains an “All Hands on Deck” procedure from 4:00pm to 6:00 pm daily for all tasting room employees.

 Ensures all guest “issues” are resolved the same day or until the guest is completely satisfied. Analyze the

issues and implement solutions to reduce future occurrences.

 Provides guests with information regarding Peju programs including: private events, wine club events, private label program, and other offerings.

 Ensures guests are greeted within 5 seconds of walking in the front door. Collect and analyze guest data: “where did they hear about Peju”, “are they wine club members”, have they visited the winery before, etc. To eliminate the wait, offer tours when practical, provide information about the three different tasting areas and encourage guests to see all three, explain merchandise is located throughout the building, mention the ever changing art gallery and offer to answer any questions.

 Notifies family members and the DSM when trade or VIP customers visit the winery.

 Follows open and closing procedures daily. Ensure the checklist is completed and submitted daily. Ensure all shipping orders and WC forms, and all other orders are completed or corrected for accuracy before the end of the day. Ensure building is locked at the end of the night and alarm is set.

 Ensures dress code policy is enforced.

 Ensure the cleanliness and organization of the tasting room, TR office, and front grounds, including all merchandise and counters are re-stocked daily.

 Ensures all reservations are accurate, updated, printed, and communicated to staff to ensure the guest experience is effective and satisfying.

 Works in conjunction with the Marketing Manager and DSM to develop and promote company image, products and programs in the TR. Contributes new ideas to sell Peju products through the internet, phone, wine club or other channels.

 Ensures the tasting room staff is following all legal requirements in the serving of alcohol (check ID’s for underage customers), and attends updated certification training every two years. (Section 23356.1; Rule 53)

FINANCIAL/INVENTORY CONTROL

 Reviews P&L’s monthly and consistently seek ways to reduce operating costs, including labor, and grow sales.

 Ensures proper cash handling procedures are followed, recorded, and counted accurately. Ensure security of assets including: keys, safe, and cash is maintained at all times.

 Monitors pour costs, number of bottles poured daily, American Express, discounts, shipping charges, wine club sign ups, address collections and conversion rates meet monthly targets.

 Monitors Tasting Room wine allocations. Ensure wine is sold within a 12-month cycle or according to company sales and inventory plan.

 Monitors and ensure staff implements inventory control procedures including: sales register receipt process, BTR’s, no charge slips, and transfers.

 Participates in monthly inventory count with Controller. Provide recommendations to improve the process and implement changes with tasting room staff.

 Delegates and train TR staff when necessary (i.e. to assist with inventory).

 Turns in monthly reports to the Finance Department by the third business day after month end.

 All other duties as needed and assigned.

JOB REQUIREMENTS/QUALIFICATIONS:

 Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.

 College level supervision and managerial courses, preferably with emphasis on sales and marketing or equivalent experience.

 One to two years’ experience managing retail operations at the store level.

 Five years’ experience leading sales teams to peak performance levels, and proven history of consistently increasing sales year over year.

 Outstanding team builder, motivator and mentor.

 Knowledge of wines and wine production.

 Excellent oral and written communication skills.

 Self-confidence, with the ability to connect with guests from all walks of life and income levels.

 Fearless, while gracious, in the pursuit of asking for the sale.

 Above average ability to empathize with and recognize a guest’s most subtle buying signals.

 Genuine, honest and credible in meeting the guest wherever he or she is on the buying continuum, and connecting with the guest in such a way so as to eliminate the fear of making a buying mistake.

 Without ego in making others feel important.

 Ability to multi task and simultaneously meet deadlines.

 Creative and professional problems solver.

 Ability to gain proficiency on AMS order processing system within 3 months of hire.

 Detail oriented with ability to consistently produce accurate results.

 Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications including Word and Exce

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