security officer

guest service agent

presenter

The Henry Ford

The Henry Ford as a whole is amazing. Love the museum/village and have been visiting since elementary school, but the garage I work in has no organization, no repair order system in place for technicians like myself to know what complaints are made and for which vehicle. I have brought up my concerns about this to my supervisors and never get a satisfactory explanation. Messy parts storage and organization. Coworkers are not helpful in showing new hires the operation structure for what needs to be done that day. Basically I walk in everyday and have no idea what needs to be repaired since there’s no help from anyone to show how they set all this up. Management  unwilling to give answers to my concerns. Never worked in a shop as unorganized as this shop. Nonexistent record keeping is a huge issue for me. Lack of training and unwillingness from supervisors and coworkers to give you a walk through on how they do things is disappointing and frustrating.

Training is very thorough here. The management is very kind and open-minded. As a Guest Services Associate, you are assigned to various parts of the museum and village, so the work is varied and you gain expertise in many different types of customer service. Many of the jobs here are relatively simple and steady, and you pick them up quickly with the help of your teammates. The hardest job would probably be the Giant Screen Experience, which combines food service expertise with customer service. However, the Giant Screen Experience is still a relatively easy job. The pay has gone back up since the pandemic, and while not too high, is fairly consistent. Scheduling is flexible which makes this the perfect part-time job for college students and retirees looking for a stress-free gig. The Henry Ford is an inclusive environment dedicated to equity, and they accommodate for employees and guests with disabilities alike.

I started working in the catering kitchen at the museum. Most days were slow. It was only when a party or wedding was scheduled that it would be a little overwhelming. Then I started working in the kitchen of the Eagle Tavern and Taste of History. During the week days it is slow in the kitchen because most of the adults and kids are at work and school.  On the weekends it is very overwhelming even thought there are at least 2 to 4 other porters there. Not all of them are as quick paced as they should be, which makes me have to work harder. I don't feel that for this job we are paid enough, especially because we can be very hardworking. Others that I work with in the kitchen are sometimes inconsiderate, they can be very messy, so more work for us. Makes me feel like I'm suppose to clean up after everything they do when they also have to clean after themselves.

While the venue is a great place and the guests are fun, the management could care less about their employees. They will lie and tell you there is room for advancement, get you to work extra hours (unpaid) and then hire in new people and give them the promotions.Their true philosphy is that all their staff is expendable and easily replaced.

Management changes often and with each new manager, the rules change. The current director of their retail operations regularly lies to staff about promotions and raises. He takes no responsibility for any mistake and allows his management team free reign over their employees. His managers regularly yell, scream, throw things and bully their staff. Everyone who has complained gets their hours cut or gets laid off.

Work here so that you can put their 'prestigious' name on your resume and LEAVE.

When I first started almost 2 years ago, this was an exciting, top notch venue. When I was hired I was told staff was being paid a gratuity of 18% and $5.50 per hour but after about a year that changed to $20.00 per hour and no gratuity, hmmm. So going from $27.00 to $37.00 an hour, to $20.00 yeah they lost my trust.. Also it doesn't help when a manager tells a guest staff receives gratuity, when we don't.
Staff have a dress code and a phone policy but consistently some staff believe they don't have to follow these policy's. Not all staff are treated equally.
Each manager runs their functions differently, some are detail oriented some are very lax which creates inconsistency. The hardest part of this job is walking on the museum floor which are tile, and concrete under the wooden floors.
Orientation was fabulous !! 
Now it has just become a job.....
I will be leaving soon

They require too much work for too little pay. I was really excited when I first got hired in, but that quickly changed. Expect a lot of overtime during events. I would work anywhere from 12-14 hours during event days. My department took care of us and was really great to me, but the overall company doesn’t care about their employees in the slightest. We’re all replaceable and that was shown when a large amount of employees were laid off during the pandemic, departments downsized, positions erased. No communication whatsoever. Would not recommend. Like I said, my department and managers were amazing, I have no complaints about them. But the overall management outside of my department is incredibly flawed. 

I grew up coming here with my family and always thought it'd be a great place to work (from the outside at least). It's disheartening that many younger presenters (like myself) don't stay here for that long because of the low wages. I've been here less than 6 months and I'm already looking for another job. Some presenters have been there for quite awhile (15+ years) and often times joke that we (the younger presenters) can do much better job-wise. I love learning the history and meeting new people; I just wish I made more and there was hope for advancement. Despite receiving a low pay, this job has definitely helped me to come out of my shell. You're talking to people non-stop, further enhancing your people skills every minute of the day.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part of working in the Henry Ford museum is the manager, supervisors and coworkers are very helpful and approachable,  it has a flexible shift schedule. The salary is just fine.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
For me i don't have any problem working in the Henry Ford museum because as far as i know i only follow what is in my job description and i won't make everything complicated.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment and culture like is more on guest interactions, teamworks and self detailed methods. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
It is like steady but sometimes it is a busy day it depends on the seasons.

A typical day at work involved variety.  Employees move around between the village and museum, allowing all employees to become familiar with all areas of the complex.  I never minded the less stimulating jobs because all employees in my position shared the responsibility.  The most enjoyable aspect of the job is the opportunity to interact with the patrons.  The hardest part is satisfying an unhappy patron.  I learned about food service, handling money, and tools for deescalating difficult people or situations.

This place is one of the best work environments I have ever found.  The coworkers are wonderful, and the management simply makes it a joy to come to work every day.  A typical day for my position involves singing regularly scheduled shows and performing for visitors.  This job has taught me to think on my feet, and to work around problems whenever necessary.  The hardest part of the job can sometimes be maintaining the energy level necessary to really perform well, while the most enjoyable part of the job is getting to sing with a wonderful group of singers and coworkers.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Security officer 5 salaries reported	$16.30 per hour
Guest service agent 5 salaries reported	$14.20 per hour
Presenter 4 salaries reported	$15.25 per hour

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