Title of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve Docent Manual
Tallgrass Prairie Preserve Visitor's Center

Section-D: Docent Procedures

Visitor’s Center Gift Shop Daily Procedure

  1. OPENING:
    1. Retrieve the key as instructed during training or reorientation. The chain should contain three keys, one for the Visitor’s Center, one for the headquarters building, and one for the storm cellar in the men’s public restroom.
    2. Duty hours are from March through mid-December 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please plan to arrive by 9:30-9:45 so that you can count the cash drawer and fill out daily papers before the gift shop opens at 10 a.m. You may come earlier and stay longer at your discretion, especially in summer; any extra time is appreciated.
    3. Unlock the Visitor’s Center door, enter, and then lock the door again behind you until you have completed the opening procedures for the center.
    4. There are three things you need from the docent drawer, the first three tabs in the filing cabinet:
      1. Cash Sales Summary,
      2. Docent Log,
      3. Dated Envelope.
    5. Retrieve the key to the cash drawer as instructed during training or reorientation. Open the cash drawer and count the contents. Use the CASH Sales Summary form and record the opening Cash Balance. Take out a Docent Log Form and write the names of the working docents in the appropriate place. Keep a tally of visitors on this sheet.
    6. Put on your nametag and a docent vest that can be found hanging on the door inside the bathroom.
    7. Check the bulletin board for messages or new instructions. Check the air conditioning or heating level is set for your comfort.
    8. When all the docents who are working that day have arrived, decide who will be responsible for the following activities:
      1. Maintaining a count of the visitors and completing the Log Form,
      2. Completing the Gift Shop Sales summary and counting the cash,
      3. Locking cash box and doors when shop is closed for tours and at the end of the day.
      Decide who wants to be in charge of the register drawer, and who would like to greet visitors on the porch and discuss The Nature Conservancy and the Preserve with them before they enter the shop. Plan to switch assignments at lunch. If three docents are working, one might take a shift at the breezeway and veranda of the headquarters to talk with visitors who stop there. Assist each other as appropriate.
    9. Sweep off the porch. If no visitors need help when you first arrive, please take a minute to check the veranda at the headquarters, sweep the porch, and water flowers, if needed.
    10. Turn on all interior lights and table lamp. Select a CD to put into the player, and place the case in the stand on the tape player that says, Now Playing.
    11. Unlock the door and open blinds. You are now officially open.
    12. If you encounter any problems or have questions of any kind pertaining to your shift at the gift shop such as merchandise information, using the credit card machine, etc. then please call Ann before leaving for the day. If she doesn’t answer the phone, please leave a message.
  2. SALES:
    1. Sales Tickets—Fill out a yellow TGP Gift Shop Sales Ticket for each customer’s purchases. These tickets are for OUR use; they are pre-numbered and must be accounted for each day. DO NOT destroy or give as a receipt. If a customer requests a receipt, use one of the small sales receipts books. All voided tickets must be kept as well.
    2. Sales Tax—Sales tax is already included in the sales price marked on merchandise.
    3. Checks and Credit Cards—We accept checks for the amount of the purchase only. Note the customer driver’s license number and State on the check. Follow steps on credit card machine when processing a credit card. We accept VISA, MasterCard and American Express only. See posted procedures near the machine.
    4. Requests to charge Merchandise—Tulsa and the Pawhuska Nature Conservancy staff are permitted to sign a yellow sales ticket for merchandise to be charged to office accounts. They are not allowed to charge for personal purchases. Nature Conservancy personnel from other locations should pay with cash.
    5. Discounts—A discount on merchandise is no longer offered to anyone, effective with the start of the 2005 season.
    6. Book Sales—Books have inventory numbers. Use these numbers on your yellow slip to help with inventory control. Pull sticker off the book and place on the yellow ticket. If a number can not be found for that book, look up the title in the book list notebook located on the windowsill by the check-out desk. Write both title and book number on the ticket.
    7. Phone Sales and mail order sales are not accepted because of the extra burden it imposes on staff.
    8. Stocking Merchandise—As merchandise is sold, try to replace it from stored inventory. All inventory in the shop is ready for sale upon arrival.
  3. HEADQUARTERS TOURS:
    • Tours may be given of the headquarters dining room when requested during the day. Be sure to lock the visitors center door if no docent remains behind. At the headquarters, take a minute to explain the history of the site while on the veranda. Inside the building, tours are limited to the dining room only. Please observe the chains and do not allow visitors to enter the kitchen, living room or bedrooms. Lock dining room door after every tour.
  4. CLOSING:
    1. Complete the Docent Log Form, noting number of visitors, any groups that visited and any other comments about the day. Place the completed Log Form in the dated envelope.
    2. Complete the CASH Sales Summary. Total the yellow CASH tickets (not credit card sales), and record the total on the form. This total will be EQUAL to the day’s cash sales total. Keep the adding machine tape and include it with the daily Sales Summary.
    3. Complete the TGP Gift Shop Credit Card Sales Summary. Separate all yellow tickets that were credit card sales. Total these tickets and record the amount on the colored sheet labeled Credit Card Sales Summary. PLEASE FOLLOW THESE NEXT STEPS CAREFULLY on the credit card machine:
      1. Press: REPORT (pink button on top row).
      2. Press: 3.
      3. Press: ENTER (green button-bottom right). Machine will print BATCH TOTALS.
      4. Press: SETTLE (left of REPORT button).
      5. Press: ENTER Machine will ask for password.
      6. Press: 0000 (four zeroes).
      7. Press: ENTER Machine will ask if the Report is correct.
      8. Press: ENTER (to answer yes) Machine will print BATCH REPORT,
        Machine will ask if the TOTAL is correct        .
      9. Press: ENTER Machine will ask if RETURN TOTALS = 0.00
      10. Press: ENTER Machine will print SETTLEMENT STATUS SETTLEMENT is complete.
      11. Repeat steps 1 through 10 if another credit card sale is made after the settlement.
    4. At the end of the day, place in the dated envelope:
      1. All completed and voided cash sales tickets.
      2. Cash Sales Summary Sheet.
      3. Credit Card Sales Summary Sheet and closing tape.
      4. Cash equal to cash sales for the day.
      5. Checks.
      6. Docent Log Form.
      7. Closing Checklist signed by the closing docent.
      Place the envelope in the safe in the gift-shop office.
    5. The shop manager will be responsible for making certain that the total amount of cash in the register each day remains at $125.00.
    6. Lock the cash drawer. Return the cash drawer key as described during training and reorientation.
    7. Return your nametag to the board and your vest to the hanger on the bathroom door. Make sure that the CD player is off (press the TAPE button), coffeepot is unplugged, and return the AC/Heat levels to 80 for AC or 68 for Heat. Please take trash with you, if possible. We do not have trash service at the Preserve.
    8. Turn off all the lights and close blinds. LOCK the door (BOTH locks). Confirm that the door is LOCKED. Check dining room door at the Headquarters to make sure that it is also locked.
    9. Return the key ring as decribed during training and reorientation.
  5. CHECKLIST—The envelope with today’s date on it, to be placed in the safe in the gift shop office, should include:
    1. All yellow TGP Gift Shop Sales Tickets for the day, including voided ones, and the adding machine tape;
    2. The white CASH Sales Summary page;
    3. The completed colored Credit Card Sales Summary and report tape from the credit card machine;
    4. Cash;
    5. Checks.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US!!!
THE TALLGRASS PRAIRIE PRESERVE GIFT SHOP
WOULD NOT BE OPEN WITHOUT YOU.

Revised: 23 March 2014