Skills Wanted by a Betting Shop

MoradoJess

Hi, hoping someone can help with this. I'm applying for a position working in a betting shop and one of the application sections asks for details of any previous experiences, personal qualities and aptitudes that make you a suitable candidate for the post.

I've never worked in this industry so I don't know what they're looking for, I'm assuming customer service is a big one but after that I'm clueless. Normally I'd just read on the job description what they're looking for but the job hasn't been listed online so I can't find one.

Does anyone have experience of this and know what sort of things they're looking for?

ohreally

MoradoJess wrote: »

Normally I'd just read on the job description what they're looking for but the job hasn't been listed online so I can't find one

One quality may be lateral thinking. An example - try other bookmakers and look for a person spec for a similar role.

Aside from that, I'd imagine a strong focus on maximising the customer experience through personal engagement. Recognising betting behaviour issues and complying with company policy (this is a big issue with bookies -allegedly- nowadays).

Do a little digging to route out what they are looking for.

tanith

Sporting knowledge would be an advantage, maybe some knowledge of the different betting scenarios, discretion and tact .

Babbawah

She was probably the one that got away but I have fond memories of an ex-girlfriend who 'manned' the counter of a local bookies / gangster money laundering facility.

Tip No' 468 : Never date a woman who could beat you in a fight.

Tip No' 469 : Never date a woman who could not only beat you in fight but can also can run faster than you :-)

Have you given any thought to popping into your local bookies (lots to chose from) & having the 'craic' with whoever's behind the counter?

mgdavid

add to the list:
being fast and accurate in taking & settling bets and dispensing cash
ability to be friendly with the regular customers yet able to keep them at arms-length (otherwise they start pressing for favours).

Annisele

I might be wide of the mark here, but I wonder if they're trying to filter out the people who wouldn't dream of entering a betting shop?

One of my previous employers had a question on its application form "Have you ever been inside a betting shop?" We didn't ever interview anybody who answered "no" - we reckoned those people either didn't want the job, were too lazy to go to the shop and walk through the door, or had some sort of religious or moral objection to betting.

It was pretty effective at filtering out the timewasters/the people who had to apply because the jobcentre made them. Before we had the question, quite a lot of the people we interviewed wanted to tell us how evil betting was. Afterwards, that was *much* rarer.

JReacher1

The main skills you'll need will be good at maths so you can answer people's questions of what money they'll win on certain bets. E.g things like £5 placed at 11/2.

You'll also need computer skills as its all computerised these days.

Lastly good customer service skills as you're working in a shop, also be comfortable handling large sums of money.

GothicStirling

- Numeracy
- Literacy
- Experience of retail/administration
- IT
- Cash handling
- Customer Service
- Conflict Resolution
- Knowledge of Gaming Laws and GamCare would be beneficial
- Organisation
- Attention to detail
- Honesty (especially with money.)

the_donchichio

I suppose being calm under pressure would be one the odds are most punters that frequent the betting shops have lost a considerable amount of money at the end so things could quite easily become sour

And maths, sporting knowledge ( for the banter), cust service skills etc

kloana

Knowing how to, and being able to give examples of, dealing with difficult customers, resolving conflict, etc.

Working in a bookies is not a bed of roses. You will encounter problematic, even aggressive and abusive customers. People who've had too much to drink, have lost too much money, want to argue about odds, etc. This is not to tar all bookies' clientele by any means at all, but you'll need to show that you have a thick skin and a calm head.

dacouch

Judging by the bookmakers near me you will need the following skills

Play with your phone
Watch Eastenders on tv
Insult customers about the quality of their handwriting
No understand the basics of placing or settling a bet
Be surly
Be able to fob a customer off to ring head office if they produce winning betting slips from bets placed more than a month ago
Take a long time looking up prices so that the event starts before they have accepted the slip.
Be able to tell the customers they have to leave the shop and / or cannot make any more transaction 30 minutes before the shop shuts.
Pay the customer out a largish win in the smallest denomination notes possible to make it easier for them to cash up.
Ignore customers