Auction House Porter

**About us**

**Chilcotts, Auctioneers & Valuers is a friendly, professional, and busy Auction House based in Honiton, Devon.**

We are a family firm, founded with an ethos of delivering friendly and professional customer care, with openness and transparency. We care about our team and aim to make the working environment pleasant and happy.

This is a really fascinating and varied job - no two days are ever the same. We help people of all ages and circumstances to sell a wide range of Antiques, Fine Art, Silver, Jewellery and Collectors items. The buyers are based locally, nationally and internationally. The working day is always interesting and lively; you will be working with a friendly and enthusiastic team. As a small company each one of the team is hugely important to the success of the business.

**Auction House Porter / Saleroom Assistant**

Working as part of a team, you will be involved with every aspect of the Auction process from unloading vans, helping vendors carry in items in for sale, assisting with photography, setting up auctions and assisting at public view, to helping buyers collect their lots after a sale, including packing and posting. You will need to be able to drive the company van in order to collect furniture and other items for sale.

**Duties will include**:

- Listening to customers’ enquiries and requirements, and helping accordingly.
- Goods in: unloading vehicles and carrying items, including furniture, into the saleroom; occasionally collecting furniture and other items for sale.
- Paperwork admin: carefully reading through vendor receipt forms and accurately labelling up items with customer reference numbers, ticking off items line by line and then filing the paperwork appropriately.
- Using the auction software programme to look up information, and to enter data accurately onto the system (training will be given).
- Stock control: putting items into their correct designated places ready for photography and cataloguing. After the sale - managing sold lots awaiting buyer collection or P&P, and unsold lots for either re-offering or vendor collection.
- Photography: working with our photographer carrying items in and out of to the photo bay.
- Setting out lots for sale, which includes moving furniture, ensuring that they are accessible and displayed attractively; stock checking to ensure all lots are out on display and that you know where they are.
- Assisting the public on viewing days - answering queries, being aware of security issues.
- Goods out: helping buyers and couriers, to carry lots to their cars/vans, including furniture. Carefully wrapping and packing items for posting.

**Skills, aptitude and experience required**:

- A friendly, helpful disposition with experience in customer service and working as part of a small team or in a small independent company.
- Possess personal energy, and are fit and strong with manual handling experience; able to lift and carry furniture.
- Have a good memory with attention to detail, especially in stock-checking.
- Are computer literate.
- Have practical skills to solve issues such as moving heavy objects, hanging awkward items etc., and have good spatial awareness.
- Must have a clean driving licence.

The starting salary is £11:50 per hour, rising to £12:00 after three month's probationary period; working an average of 22.5 hours per week - usually Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Company pension and 5.6 weeks of holiday after probationary period. Lunch is provided on auction day, teas, coffees and refreshments.

**Job Type**: Part-time

**Salary**: £11.50-£12.00 per hour

Expected hours: 15 - 30 per week

**Benefits**:

- Company pension

Schedule:

- 8 hour shift
- Monday to Friday
- Weekend availability

Application question(s):

- How far to you live from Honiton?

**Experience**:

- auction house portering: 1 year (preferred)

Licence/Certification:

- driving license (required)

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 29/03/2024
Expected start date: 08/04/2024