Elements and Performance Criteria

Information could be accessed and kept up-to-date in a number of ways, including:
staff noticeboards
leaflets and brochures
team meetings
internal newsletters
discussions with colleagues

Customers with special needs may include:
those with a disability
those with special or cultural needs
first-time patrons
parents with young children
unaccompanied children
aged people
school groups
infants
pregnant women
VIPs
Groups

Customers with special needs may require:
wheelchair access
immobility access
special car parking
hearing assistance
translation assistance
special seating

Requests for information may cover:
opening hours
pricing of tickets, programs and promotional merchandise
performance/session/event start/finish times
intermission time
directions both within and outside the venue
seating arrangements
general facilities at the venue
location food and beverage outlets
location of merchandising stand/store
availability and cost of programmes
location of bathrooms
location and access to car parking facilities
facilities for those with special needs
special-access requirements, eg wheelchair access
changes to schedules/venues/programs
details of current and future performances/sessions/events
details of future performances/sessions/events
lost property arrangements
cloakroom arrangements
correct entrance to auditorium
exit point for the venue

Appropriate personnel may include:
reception
box office
ushers
food/beverage counter staff
supervisor
front-of-house manager
management
police
security personnel

Underpinning skills and knowledge

Assessment must include evidence of the following knowledge and skills:

sources of information on venues and facilities
information systems used by venues
layout of the venue and location of all facilities
product knowledge of venue performances/sessions/event times
understanding of the type and style of performances/sessions/events in current progress
broad knowledge of future events at the venue where appropriate
special facilities and services available to people with special needs
procedures for dealing with people with special needs
customer service standards for greeting patrons
venue safety and security issues, procedures and regulations as they affect the provision of venue information
literacy skills sufficient to interpret venue information

Linkages to other units

This unit has strong linkages to the following units, and combined training and/or assessment is recommended:

CUEFOH04B Usher patrons
CUEFOH10A Monitor entry to a venue

Critical aspects of evidence

The following evidence is critical to the judgement of competence in this unit:

ability to access appropriate information on venue facilities, and all operational aspects of the performance/session/event, eg start/finish times
ability to provide accurate information and advice on facilities which matches customer needs and requests
provision of special assistance to those people who have special needs

Method and context of assessment

The assessment context must provide for:

practical demonstration of skills within an operational venue environment, eg a cinema, live theatre, conference centre
interaction with and involvement of a customer group to whom information and assistance can be provided
demonstration of information provision for wide variety of venue facilities and services to meet varying customer needs

Assessment may incorporate a range of methods to assess practical skills and the application of essential underpinning knowledge, and might include:

direct observation of the candidate providing information and assistance to customers within a venue
direct observation of the candidate providing services to those with special needs
case studies to assess ability to match information to customer needs/requests
review of information manuals or notes kept by the candidate
written or oral questions and tests to assess knowledge of information sources and actual knowledge of venue facilities and services
review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate
Assessment methods should closely reflect workplace demands and the needs of particular groups (eg people with disabilities, and people who may have literacy or numeracy difficulties such as speakers of languages other than English, remote communities and those with interrupted schooling).

Resource requirements

Assessment of this unit requires access to:

a venue where performances/cinema sessions/events take place
typical industry information storage systems for venue and performance/session/event information

Communicating ideas and information
Keeping a personal file of venue information (1)

Collecting analysing and organising information
Providing directions for patrons (1)

Planning and organising activities
Organising access for disabled patrons (1)

Working with others and in teams
Sharing information with colleagues (1)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
Calculating performance times (1)

Solving problems
Dealing with a complaint (1)

Using technology
Using information systems (1)