Customer Experience & Operations Assistant

Job title: Customer Experience & Operations Assistant Type of employment: Part-Time Shift Schedule: Monday–Friday, Time is TBD. We are seeking a proactive, organized, and customer-focused Customer Experience & Operations Assistant to support the daily operations of a small catering and events business. This role will focus on customer communication, administrative follow-through, process documentation, and light marketing research to help improve the customer experience and support business growth. The ideal candidate has experience in hospitality, catering, events, food service, or another customer-facing service industry. This person should be comfortable communicating with customers through email, keeping trackers and spreadsheets updated, creating simple SOPs and checklists, and proactively helping the business owner stay organized. About the Company: The company is an independently owned franchise specializing in beautifully curated grazing boards, charcuterie boxes, and catering experiences for corporate events, celebrations, and everyday occasions. The company is committed to delivering exceptional customer experiences while building strong relationships within the local community and business network. Objective of this role: Reduce workload for the owner by owning recurring admin and support tasks Maintain organized systems for task management, reporting, and data entry Improve customer experience through responsive, high-quality service and feedback handling Identify inefficiencies and implement simple process improvements Responsibilities: Administrative Support Manage daily administrative tasks, documentation, and coordination needs Support scheduling, file organization, and internal communications as needed Assist with email management, including monitoring inboxes, responding to routine inquiries, and drafting professional correspondence Organization & Task Management Maintain task lists, trackers, and priorities to keep work moving and deadlines met Follow up on open items and close loops without being reminded Marketing Research & Business Development Support Conduct market research to identify potential catering opportunities, partnerships, and local business prospects Research target markets, competitors, and community events that may generate new leads Maintain and update prospect lists and outreach trackers Customer Service & Feedback Respond to customer inquiries professionally and promptly Gather, log, and escalate customer feedback; propose solutions to improve the customer experience Data Entry & Reporting Keep records accurate through consistent data entry and updates Maintain basic reporting trackers and summaries for visibility Organize customer, sales, and operational data to support decision-making Process Improvement & Problem-Solving Identify workflow gaps and propose improvements (templates, checklists, streamlined processes) Solve problems independently and escalate when needed with context and recommendations Support continuous improvement initiatives to increase efficiency and service quality Required skills and qualifications: Experience in hospitality, catering, events, food service, or a related customer-focused industry Strong written and verbal communication skills Excellent organizational and time-management abilities Strong customer service and relationship-building skills Ability to work independently and proactively without constant supervision Experience supporting small business owners, operators, or franchise environments Strong attention to detail and follow-through Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel and spreadsheets Experience creating SOPs, checklists, and process documentation Comfortable conducting research and organizing information Problem-solving mindset with a find a way forward attitude Preferred skills and qualifications: Familiarity with customer review management and reputation-building initiatives Experience supporting email marketing campaigns Canva experience for basic marketing and design support CapCut experience for basic content editing Experience with CRM systems, prospect tracking, or outreach management Previous virtual assistant, operations coordinator, or administrative support experience