customer service representative

call center representative

Medieval Times

When hired was told that there would quickly be room for advancement since I had managerial experience and consistent hours. Now I learned many people were told  they would be groomed for the same position and the manger has stopped talking about it a few months in. As far as work hours everyone is getting called off of shifts day of and hours cut majorly. I and many of my coworkers were working nearly 40 hours now its gone down to 10-20 hours. I was told it was because they want to be able to easily call people in. So they under schedule now and expect people to answer their phones and come in on days off? This is difficult for people like myself that depend on a steady income. Work policies are very inconstant with other castles which really hindered employees that were trained at opening from coaches from other castles. The policies are now being changed by a manager that is not the retail manager. Some of the polices seem like they could be good changes but its almost confusing. The retail manager is kind but now there is just too many mangers with things constantly changing. In the beginning we were told we would be given lunch on days there were triple shows, we did once and now we get overpriced food trucks and NO LUNCH BREAK just a break that cannot be more than 20 minutes. I think people under 18 are given lunch breaks though. Retail Employees are pushed heavily to make sale goals and almost shamed when they are unable to make goals. The job started out great but has quickly started to go downhill with the treatment of employees. Coworkers are overall kind. Be careful of the food servers they have harsher working considerations and even stricter leads/managers which causes most of them to be crabby. Be prepared for this job to make you cry some days. Photo department is full of amazing people but managed poorly which causes them unnecessary stress. Only bar and servers are allowed tips so if you get one as a retail employee you have to reject it or give it to a server or bar employee who are already taking home more money than you. Retail is paid $12 an hour and servers get $8.50 before tips. One benefit is that you get free tickets after you finish training and for your birthday. You also do not have to do laundry since you are required to wear a uniform that is kept by the wardrobe department, Although if you are a girl you may be dismayed to hear you have to wear a corset and buy yourself oblique black tights or knee high socks guys do not have to buy anything besides the standard black nonslip shoes like everyone else. Working here ended up being disappointing because you hear about how some of the other castles are like giant families. It really is just like any other poorly managed retail job. Hopefully this gives anyone and idea of what working here will be like, It is not for everyone.

I worked at this establishment for a few years. Our department went through two managers, who were both wonderful and supportive people. One was a little more assertive than the other, but it wasn't a deal-breaker.

Everyone in the department, for the most part, got along, but there was, of course, the occasional quarrel between employees - some of which required the intervention of upper management.

The only major advice I could give is to make sure you don't get written up - literally anything, and everything, can lead to a write-up, if you don't play your cards right.

The workplace culture, as far as the bar, was a mostly lax environment. However, there were still those, who, on a semi-regular basis, would take themselves way too seriously, and stress themselves out way too much, which sometimes left a negative impact on the department for a period of time.

The most enjoyable part of the job? 

The coworkers. As far as the bar, there were very few people that I outright disliked. Most had great attitudes,  were on the same page, and were very supportive of each other.

The hardest part of the job? 

The hours. Pretty much from October to mid-April, you're lucky to get 20 hours a week. For example, from Labor Day to November, you see a drop-off from being open 7 days a week, to being open 2-3 days a week.

On the converse side, the summer months (from mid-April to October) are absolutely insane. Shifts begin at 1pm, and end at 10:30pm at the earliest. You are expected to work at least 4 of these 'doubles' during the week, in addition to the possible matinee during the week, which runs from 9am to 1pm. So, there are days when you could potentially be looking at a 9am to 10:30pm workday, with maybe an hour 'break' (where you're on the clock, but all your opening duties are done) from 2:00 to 3:00.

Summer is the time to make your money for the year, because you're surely not getting anymore, during the rest of the year. Definitely be prepared to have a side-hustle through the winter, if you wanna stay afloat, financially.

Management employs humiliation, belittlement, and abuse as a means of keeping everyone in line. If you work here, and you are either sick, injured, or just stretched way too thin(it is a very very physically demanding job. And they will push you passed your limit.) You will be ridiculed and embarrassed intentionally in front of your coworkers. 

They do offer training to advance to become a knight. However, you will have to practically beg to be trained every single day. They will drag their feet on training for a minimum of 8 months and tell you it's taking so long because you just "don't want it enough." (it's their favorite mantra) take the initiative too much and you will be disciplined for simply doing what you've been told. It is for this reason that most knights in training wind up leaving before their training is complete. Those who stick with it and see it through to the very end, are made to believe that their knighthood with medieval times is all they will ever be good at. This ensures they are afraid to leave. The training is more of a mean-spirited initiation, but the ridicule is not temporary. Guys of 8-9 years experience as a knight face it every day. The guys that truly love their job as a knight, truly believe the fantasy. They don't have the perspective that they are actors. They behave and talk as if they are actually knights in armor fighting for a country. 


Politely giving two weeks notice will result in two weeks of hour cuts and even more ridicule + no rehire status. 

So! Long story short, are you looking for a job with minimal pay, manipulative and spiteful, management? Are you prepared to give it your all for a bare minimum of a year to be promoted and be treated as if you "just don't want it enough"? You found it! Welcome to Medieval Times! Enjoy the tournament!

The horses are 100% the reason anyone actually sticks it out as a stable hand employee. Training is (on paper) comprehensive and thorough, but there is a lack of guidance and follow through once you have completed the required tasks and have demonstrated through a verbal “exam”that upon your supervisor’s approval that you are prepared for “certification”, which is basically a contract that says you understand the bare minimum of what is required to be working with animals in a high risk environment alongside other staff members with various backgrounds and skill levels (or lack thereof). 

Management in the office was fantastic and helpful and always available to assist with administrative/payroll related matters but in the event that they are sought out for reasons other than business as usual (such as making a complaint / report about something that happened, requesting intervention/oversight on decisions made relative to your duties that cause interference or conflict, bringing attention to circumstances of misconduct / mismanagement) only to be dismissed flat out or made to think that there is going to be someone “looking into it” only to never have a follow up and later be confronted by the subject of the submitted complaint and subjected to interactions with said person without any resolution or adjustments made which subsequently results in feeling as if you’ve put yourself in a position where you are being challenged and intimidated until the point of reacting inappropriately and being terminated or becoming so fed up that you quit without notice. 

I love working at the company because they are very flexible with school schedules if you are a college student, and have a reasonable pay. It is fun but can be very stressful when working at the call center. In my opinion it is too micro-managed, they stress when you are a minute late clocking in or from break, don't want you clocking in then going to put your lunch away or your coat up and some of the supervisors don't adequately deal with some of the problems we are facing during a specific call. Instead they brush it off and send it to the managers of the specific castles who almost never give the guest the call back. Then the guest has to call us back already more angry and upset than they were before the issue. 
Also, it is not always reliable. Some representatives are sent home early or even taken off the schedule completely during slow seasons, so it is not a steady source of income. Some of the representatives also want benefits, but the company limits your hours to just enough so that you actually do not qualify to have benefits. For example, a new hire comes in, they are looking to have at least 30 hours to be considered "full-time", however management only schedules them 19-25 hours a week to avoid letting them have the average of 30 hours to qualify. 
All in all though, good part time job for beginners.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Performing in the show with my fellow knights and friends.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Management was extremely fickle and played favorites constantly. You could be in their good graces one day, and their enemy the next if you didn't play their games. They ran the California location like a bunch of gossiping high schoolers from the top down, which led to some incredibly unsavory people in positions of power, while other fell to the wayside. Tldr; toxic management ruined an otherwise fantastic job.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Day to day it is ok. Each department gets along well enough, and lower level workers in their respective departments are mostly friendly and make the job enjoyable. Management culture is incredibly fake, with the general manager trying to pull the "we're a family card" to get away with  mistreatment of employees, and punishing those who don't play along. Toxicity in management slowly eats away at the enjoyment of the job, meaning it's best just to keep your head down if you want to succeed.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
For knights, you arrive at work, wash horses, maybe get some practice in on weekdays, and then do performances in the evenings. On weekends, it's prep horses on arrival, and the shows all day until closing and cleanup.

Working at Medieval Times was by far my best work experience. Management is awesome, and the people who work there just love to have fun while providing guests with a unique experience that will never be forgotten. I was a bartender in Dallas, and I typically worked 5 days a week. During the week, normally there was only one show a night, so I worked from about 2 or 3 until 9:30 or 10. Weekends were kind of hectic because there were either 2 or 3 shows a night, so I worked from 10:30-10:30 or 11. They were incredibly long days, but with the fun atmosphere and the fast-paced work, it didn't drag on. My compensation was 5 dollars an hour plus tips, and people typically tip very well. The hardest part of the job was keeping in character and having a good attitude for the entire shift. My favorite part of the job was the work environment. My managers were incredible people who genuinely enjoyed their jobs, and made sure that everyone was being treated fairly by other co-workers as well as guests. I highly recommend working at Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament. You will make amazing friends, unforgettable memories, and great connections for the future.

The best part of the job is the ability to sell items without feeling too sketchy about the sales. There are items every person can afford from a $2 banner to a $28 glowing sword. Good, enthusiastic environment, and it gives many people the ability to self-advocate or an introduction to sales environments in a nontraditional way.

The worst part of the job is the rampant abuse and the management turning a blind eye to it. It happens regularly from customers, and since the predominantly sixteen to nineteen year-old employees are told they cannot say the word "no" (meant in the context of sales) they tend to talk around the scenario, which mixes poorly with drunk men.

If your management is worthwhile, they will see scenarios as they unfold and take action. All too often, they let the scenario play out, then attempt to be the shoulder you cry on afterwards. Very little action was also taken against employees for disturbing behavior. When complaints about the lack of action were brought up, much pearl-clutching happened.

Most days, as long as you treat the job as a temporary position and choose to have fun with the setting (calling people "my Lord", selling glowing props to kids, etc.) it will be a good stepping stone to a better paying position. 

The company has a very high turn over rate, and they take this as a fact of nature, rather than a problem that must be addressed or solved. They don't respect the amount of work any employee does, their level of commitment, or dedication, only what makes them more money at that moment. They will insult and punish employees for not following the company's culture by withholding benefits and purposely giving very bad hours. They refuse to fire people they know who need to be fired in order to avoid paying for unemployment. They enjoy openly insulting employees, and the work-life balance is non existent. They give only 1 day off per week, Monday, and its impossible to sustain any form of a social, or family, life as a result. If you are not excited to be there, every day, despite the low pay and high amount of physical danger in the job, the management will retaliate against you. I do not recommend anyone works with this company, at all, whatsoever. Almost everyone I know wants to quit, or already has, or has plans to do so.

They won't pay you well, management is lacking, corporate only thinks up ways to make more money rather than improve guest/employee experience.

Corporate says "add more shows to make money, but don't hire a lot of people, to save money" which means, you'll be stuck doing lots of work for very little pay. Everywhere you look, things could be improved, but thanks to bureaucratic gridlock between middle-management and corporate, nothing gets done.

They're trying to promote an anti-bullying educational matinee for school field trips during the day, already got plenty of negative feedback from both guests and employees.Does taking your 8th grade End-Of-The-Year field trip to a lame anti-bullying show sound like fun to you? I'd rather go to Liberty Science Center or The Smithsonian Institute - fun and educational. Medieval Times already had a fun and educational show about the Middle Ages that the kids and teachers loved and corporate yanked it. Not smart. Left this place for a job that at least has a few good minds working together at the corporate level.

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Customer service representative 1 salary reported	$13.66 per hour
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