Fenella Machin

I am the Co-Founder of muse-manage.co.uk, providing both remote and in-person administrative support to my clients. Working freelance, specialisms include: inbox management; diary management; appointments & meeting scheduling; website creation & management; social media management & engagement; content creation; invoicing and event production and coordination. I use both WhatsApp and email to communicate with clients.

While studying at RWCMD, I subsidised my studies working as a member of the FOH team at the Orange Tree Theatre. Since graduating, I've been back in the building much more frequently. Responsibilities in FOH & Box Office include: ticket sales; telephone and inbox management; arranging complimentary and discounted tickets for artists; welcoming patrons to the theatre and ensuring they have a safe and enjoyable time. DM responsibilities include: leading team briefings before every shift; being an escalation point for customer enquiries and complaints; being responsible for the safety of staff and patrons, especially regarding emergency and evacuation procedures; inducting new team members; opening and locking up the building.

I received a permanent promotion to SCSA with a specialism in ticketing, which involved Duty Managing. Responsibilities included overseeing the security of the building, including opening, locking up and being responsible for evacuation of customers and colleagues in the event of an emergency; sufficiently training and inducting new team members; leading briefing before every shift; leading FOH through events held at the theatre for sponsors, donors, creatives and visiting groups; being responsible for role allocation on shift and team management. As a Ticketing Specialist I was primarily responsible for all House Seat bookings; uploading new seasons of shows onto Spektrix; delivering Spektrix training to the CSA team; handling group bookings; ticketing exclusive performances such as Press, schools and access; assisting the Head of Ticketing as required.

Responsibilities as a member of the team included welcoming all visitors to the theatre; responding positively and effectively to all internal and external enquiries in person, by telephone and email; providing accurate information to customers- including travel, venue and access information; being fully trained in evacuation and emergency procedures; safe preparation and serving of food and drinks at the bar, cafe and private functions; selling merchandise; keeping FOH spaces clean and presentable. After working at the Donmar for a month, I received a temporary uplift promotion to Senior Customer Service Assistant. Responsibilities extended to being an escalation point for any customer complaints; deputising and supporting the FOH manager as required; cashing up and supporting CSAs as required.

I was made a front-line responder when the country went into government mandated lockdown. Roles varied depending on public need and central government guidelines. Key responsibilities included liaising with local foodbanks to monitor and subsidise supply and demand; organising large deliveries from multiple supermarkets every week; delivering large stock to foodbanks twice weekly; supplying vulnerable constituents with emergency food packages; re-housing homeless individuals in cabin initiative; coordinating 'Meals on Wheels' delivery service to those vulnerable and isolating, and often delivering myself; manning a COVID-19 hotline. During the final lockdown in 2021, I was solely responsible for the coordination of over 1000 local volunteers and ensured all surgeries, schools and vaccination/asymptomatic testing centres had the work force to successfully carry out the vaccine rollout in the Borough.