Tour Guide

Compensation Hourly Wages $20/hour plus tips and review bonus opportunities Hired at a training rate of $19/hour and moved to $20/hour once passed out of a 2-4 week training timeline We provide paid training including first aid/CPR certifications We also offer FREE rentals for staff, their family and friends Summary Rowing Dock is the premier paddling destination on Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas. We offer kayak, canoe and stand up paddleboard rentals in addition to regular weekly guided tours and water-based activities for groups. Our team is the heart of our operation, and the reason customers call "the dock" their favorite place in Austin.

If you love being outdoors and on the water, you like working in a friendly and engaging environment, and you think sharing stories about the history and ecology of Austin with others sounds fun, the Tour Guide position might just be the job for you. The Role: Rowing Dock Tour Guides are responsible for leading small to medium sized groups of novice paddlers on water-based tours on Lady Bird Lake. Guides are responsible for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all guests while providing an excellent, informative and entertaining customer experience.

The guide role has many responsibilities including but not limited to the following: Equipment Preparation: Showing up before the tour to prep all of the boats and equipment needed Guest Check-In: Verifying ticket purchases, waiver completion, and reviewing safety requirements Basic Paddle Instruction: Giving all guests basic paddling tips and making sure each guest is comfortably able to paddle along with the group for the duration of the tour Story Telling: Presenting information about Austin's history and ecology in an engaging and informative manner by following Rowing Dock's curated guided tour material. Entertaining: Keeping customers engaged for the duration of the tour by incorporating fun and relatable twists into the guided tour content and providing "dad jokes" along the way. Guest Safety: While on the water, guides are responsible for keeping an eye on all paddlers and ensuring they are well hydrated, comfortable and have all the supplies and support needed to complete the tour.

Weather Evaluation: Evaluate weather conditions and be ready to enact a plan to change the course of the tour as needed for the safety of customers and staff. Time Management: Guided tours are advertised for specific distances and time frames. Guides must be able to set the correct pace to keep the guests moving and on schedule, ensuring the tour covers all points and returns to the dock on time.

Clean Up: Guides are responsible for helping guests off the water and cleaning up after each tour. This may include unlocking/locking up equipment after the dock is closed for regular rentals. Encouraging Online Reviews: A great tour guide should easily be able to encourage guests to share positive feedback about their experience via review sites.

Additional compensation is offered to guides who receive positive reviews online. Working Conditions This job is 100% outdoors and guides will experience a variety of hot, sunny, windy, wet and cold weather conditions while exerting physical energy. Guides may paddle up to 5 miles round trip.

Who You Are: You're a storyteller- you like sharing stories someone has told you and researching interesting new things to share with others You appreciate an incredible customer service experience and will work hard to make it a reality You are naturally welcoming and hospitable You have patience and the desire to help new paddlers learn the joys of paddlesport You have a strong presence - you can speak loudly, confidently and can captivate an audience You are organized and can keep larger groups of people together and on a time-sensitive schedule You are an efficient decision maker - you can make timely and sound decisions when met with adversity Requirements Must have some weekend and evening availability Must have your own reliable transportation Must be punctual and have consistent availability Must be at least 18 years of age Must have personal watercraft/paddling experience Must have experience leading groups, guiding, teaching or equivalent relevant experience Must have or be willing to complete first aid/CPR and basic water safety training Background in tourism, biology, ecology and/or Austin specific history is a plus Shifts Guides can expect 2 - 4 shifts a week during the off-season (October-April) and have the ability to work as many as 8 shifts a week in peak season (May-September) Shifts are approximately 4 hours in length View all jobs at this company