Office Administrator – Full Time
Location: Wags & Whiskers Pet Hotel & Spa, Highbridge, Somerset, TA9 3QA
Pay: £12.71 per hour
Contract: Permanent, full time
Hours: 40 paid hours per week
Working pattern: Monday to Friday, 9:30 am–6:00 pm
Break: 30-minute unpaid break from 1:30–2:00 pm
About the Role
Wags & Whiskers Pet Hotel & Spa is a licensed dog boarding and daycare facility based at Brent Farm in Highbridge.
We are recruiting an experienced and dependable Office Administrator to manage our reception, customer communication, bookings and day-to-day administrative processes.
A central part of the position is managing customer arrivals and departures so that our Shift Leaders and animal-care team can remain focused on the dogs and the delivery of scheduled services.
This is an on-site position in a busy animal-care environment. Applicants must be comfortable working around dogs, although professional dog-handling experience is not required.
Key Responsibilities
Customer Check-Ins and Check-Outs
- Prepare for scheduled customer arrivals and departures.
- Welcome customers and complete boarding and daycare check-ins and check-outs.
- Confirm booking details, feeding instructions, medication, emergency contacts and collection arrangements.
- Check that required vaccination records and customer information have been received.
- Record customer instructions accurately and communicate relevant information to the animal-care team.
- Process payments and issue invoices or receipts.
- Manage customer belongings, food, medication and documentation during arrival and departure.
- Maintain an organised reception area and ensure customers are attended to promptly.
Bookings and Customer Communication
- Answer incoming telephone calls and respond to emails professionally.
- Process booking requests, amendments and cancellations.
- Manage boarding, daycare and service reservations using our booking system.
- Confirm arrival and collection times with customers.
- Respond to routine questions and refer animal-welfare or operational concerns to the appropriate Shift Leader or manager.
- Follow up on outstanding information, vaccination records, forms and payments.
- Maintain clear and professional communication with customers throughout the booking process.
Administration and Records
- Create and maintain accurate customer and animal records.
- Record feeding instructions, medication requirements, behavioural information and special requests.
- Prepare daily arrival, departure and service schedules for the operational team.
- Maintain organised digital and paper records.
- Assist with invoicing, payment processing and chasing outstanding balances.
- Process paperwork and general business correspondence.
- Order office and operational supplies when authorised.
- Report booking conflicts, customer concerns, shortages or administrative issues to management.
- Support the management team with general administrative duties.
Operational Coordination
- Provide accurate daily handovers to Shift Leaders and animal-care staff.
- Inform the operational team promptly of booking changes, early arrivals, late collections or special requirements.
- Help ensure that customer-facing activity does not interrupt the animal-care team unnecessarily.
- Maintain confidentiality when handling customer, employee and business information.
- Follow company procedures and data-protection requirements.
Essential Requirements
- Minimum of two years’ previous experience in administration, office support, reception or a comparable role.
- Experience handling telephone calls, emails, records and customer enquiries.
- Strong organisational and time-management skills.
- Clear and professional written and verbal communication.
- Confidence using email, booking systems and standard office software.
- Ability to process information accurately and maintain detailed records.
- Confidence handling payments, invoices and outstanding account follow-ups.
- Ability to prioritise tasks and manage interruptions in a busy environment.
- Professional, reliable and trustworthy approach.
- Ability to work independently and use initiative.
- Comfortable working around dogs of different breeds and sizes.
- Full UK driving licence and reliable personal transport.
- Right to work in the United Kingdom.
- Reliable availability for the stated Monday-to-Friday schedule.
Desirable Experience
- Previous administration or reception experience in a veterinary, animal-care, hospitality or customer-service environment.
- Experience using booking or customer-management software.
- Experience processing card payments, invoices and customer accounts.
- Experience coordinating customer appointments, arrivals or departures.
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office or Google Workspace.
Location and Travel
Applicants must be able to travel reliably to Wags & Whiskers Pet Hotel & Spa, TA9 3QA, for a 9:30 am start.
Successful applicants must either:
- Already live within approximately 30 minutes of the hotel; or
- Have a genuine plan to relocate within that distance before starting work.
Accommodation options can be discussed with candidates who are considering relocation.
What We Offer
- Permanent full-time contract
- 40 paid hours per week
- Fixed Monday-to-Friday working pattern
- Company pension, subject to eligibility
- Employee discount
- Free on-site parking
- Training on our booking system and operational procedures
- Accommodation options can be discussed for candidates considering relocation
Application Requirements
Please ensure your application clearly states:
- Your administrative or office experience
- The booking, payment and office systems you have used
- Your current postcode and expected journey time to TA9 3QA
- Your notice period and earliest potential start date
- Whether you can reliably work Monday to Friday from 9:30 am–6:00 pm
Employment references and evidence of the right to work in the United Kingdom will be requested before appointment.
Work location: In person
Pay: £12.71 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Highbridge TA9 3QA: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Application question(s):
- Can you reliably work Monday to Friday from 9:30 am–6:00 pm?
- Excluding temporary contracts, redundancies and internal promotions, have you changed employers more than twice during the last 12 months?
Experience:
- administrative, office or reception: 2 years (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
