Audience Services Representative

POSITION OVERVIEW:

The Audience Services Representative will primarily serve as a frontline customer service representative to membership level donors to PBS News, produced at WETA headquarters, as well as to WETA members, viewers, and listeners.

Primary duties include problem-solving questions and concerns from donors, viewers and listeners. Primary subjects for calls and emails include PBS News fundraising programs; supporter benefits, and questions and requests related to PBS News’ television programs, including PBS News Hour. Position will also assist with audience support and fundraising for WETA. Maximize opportunities to retain or increase current donor giving and recruit new supporters. Strike an overall balance in advocacy for PBS News’ best interest with the needs and best interests of their donors, and the best interests of WETA.

To excel in this role, the Audience Services Representative should always have a customer-centric and positive attitude. Staff are expected to work in the office at least two days a week and from home the remaining weekdays. Access to high-speed Internet in the home is required for this position.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Answer and respond to donor audience telephone lines and respond to email correspondence.
• Perform research and follow-up work to solve donor/audience problems regarding contributions, supporter benefits, thank you gifts, address changes, tax record information and PBS News and WETA’s entire range of television programs, and in the case of WETA, radio programs.
• Provide customer service help in support of PBS News and WETA’s fundraising initiatives.
• De-escalate situations involving dissatisfied donors, offering patient assistance and support.
• Record all donor and audience interactions in CRM to assure accurate reflection and analysis of audience feedback. Enter account updates into CRM, such as contact information changes, pledge management and contact preferences.
• Market PBS News donor program, including explaining the differences between PBS News and WETA membership programs, encourage donations and sustaining pledges to inbound callers, when appropriate.
• Check, complete and follow-through on ticklers, special questions or premium delivery as needed.
• Assist with training of new staff as needed.
• Perform related special projects or other duties as assigned.

ADDITIONAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Outgoing, upbeat personality with strong desire to assist and educate the general public.
• Ability to handle occasionally high volume of calls and emails and work quickly under pressure.
• Experience downloading and using video streaming apps; basic understanding of how sign in and search processes work with video streaming services.
• Strong research, Internet and typing skills; experience with Microsoft applications (especially Word and Outlook).
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills; excellent listening skills and ability to demonstrate compassion, professionalism, enthusiasm, and cheerfulness even with the most challenging callers. 
• Organized, detail-oriented self-starter who can work independently and as part of a team; ability to juggle multiple tasks and solve unanticipated problems quickly and efficiently.
• Database/data entry experience preferred, though not essential.
• Able to work from home with access to high-speed Internet.
• Strong ability to multitask and change focus based on caller needs. Good time management skills. Can promptly respond to incoming emails and quickly resolve caller issues.

EDUCATION:

• AA (2-Year College)

LOCATION:

WETA and NewsHour Productions are Washington, DC established media and news organizations. We are a largely local workforce based out of the Campbell Place office in Arlington, VA. WETA and NewsHour Productions value employee flexibility when possible. Most positions based in our Arlington, VA office will be onsite or hybrid, depending upon the role.

COMPANY OVERVIEW:

WETA, the flagship public media station in the nation’s capital, produces and distributes content that informs, inspires, and enriches lives.

As the second-largest producing station for the public media system, WETA creates programming to explore history, arts, and culture, partnering with acclaimed filmmakers such as Ken Burns and Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. National WETA productions include The American Revolution and Finding Your Roots, among many others. WETA is also home to PBS News, the primary daily, breaking, and special news producer for PBS. Its broadcast productions include PBS News Hour, Washington Week with The Atlantic, Horizons from PBS News, and Compass Points from PBS News, as well as specials, documentaries, and a robust footprint across digital platforms.

Locally, WETA serves audiences across Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland, through television, radio, and digital platforms. Audiences access WETA on broadcast channels WETA PBS, WETA UK, WETA Metro, WETA World, and WETA PBS Kids, and digitally through the free streaming platform WETA+. Listeners tune into WETA Classical, the exclusive home for classical music in the Greater Washington area, via radio, online, and the WETA Classical app. Benefits | WETA

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY:

WETA and NewsHour Productions are equal opportunity employers committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and internships. WETA and NewsHour Productions make hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.