* OPTIONAL: Intern Property or Bookings Manager

This Section is Optional to read for Interns!

Intern Property & Bookings Managers

Kate was a great Senior Intern in 2015!
Kate was a great Intern Manager in 2015!

Certain interns, through their work and their conduct, can earn the trust of Directors and are promoted to the more senior position of Intern Property or Bookings Manager.

Though an Intern Property or Bookings Manager is still an internship, there are extra benefits, responsibilities and a small stipend!

As well, the education opportunities are much more in-depth as you will be learning from a Director perspective how to manage the community and the visitors, volunteers, and guests who wish to stay with us.

A) Intern Property Manager (IPM)

An Intern Property Manager acts as the eyes and ears of the Community Director. They have the overview of the Community Facilities, Lodgings, and Land and know how to apportion work and communicate with the interns about the projects they need to do on the property.

  • 1) Private Office Space. The IPM has priority use of the Intern Office sleeping space. This allows them personal, responsible use of the Jungle Cottage when it is not booked. However, for this benefit, they are responsible for ensuring that the Jungle Cottage is at a HOTEL level of cleanliness. They can do the cleaning or make sure it is spotless after designating a volunteer to clean it.
  • 2) Deep Focus Role. When we have more than 6 Interns the Property Manager will usually get the first priority to work on Deep Focus projects.
  • 3) Manager Authority.  The IPM is accountable to and works with the Director to keep the community running smoothly. They have authority to enforce compliance with Hedonisia Community Guidelines. However, they also have humbleness and agree not to behave like a 'tyrant manager'!
  • 4) New Intern Training 'gaps'. While every Intern Manager plays a role in new Intern training, especially on Shadow Days, it is the responsibility of the Intern Property Manager to fill in any gaps in training. As the 'senior' person on the property, the IPM ensures that new trainees follow the Intern Daily Checklist.
  • 5) Manage Interns. As IPM you learn to manage the other interns in the team. You are responsible for communicating with them during the Morning and Afternoon for Body and Heart Work needed for the long-term health of the community. The Director will still be in communication with the interns for the evening brain work sections of the shift.
  • 6) Low Work Hours! 5 days a week two times a day. We are averaging half hour for each period that you work with the Intern on duty to decide on property maintenance tasks. Sometimes you will work less than half hour sometimes more. If you have an outside job you can prearrange jobs with interns.
  • $400 monthly stipend. An IPM is paid for the 20 hours extra work a month above the 2 days per week that a regular intern manager does. Though time worked is spread out, that breaks down to $20 an hour for each extra hour to a maximum of $400.
  • Flexible Hours. If IPM gets an outside job, they can work as many hours as they wish and are paid accordingly!
  • 7) A good IPM also leads by example! An IPM still works the normal 2 days a week they are on duty they conduct themselves in an exemplary manner following the community guidelines. They work with volunteers rather than just telling them what to do.

B) Intern Hospitality & Bookings Manager

Once fully trained, an Intern Bookings Manager works only about one hour a day during their Intern shift. They are not working extra time, simply doing an important job as part of their intern shift which they receive $10 per shift for. It is not much but in our area of Hawaii, the cost of living is lower. And your lodgings are already paid as an intern!

This position is ideal for the intern who wishes to learn about hospitality, ecotourism, communication, accounting, customer and public relations and the filtering process that goes into managing an intentional community!

Here are some of the duties that an Intern Hospitality Manager will be responsible for:

  1. Filter Authority. To decide which guest and volunteer applicants are allowed and in what capacity.
  2. Bookings Spreadsheet Accuracy. When booking a guest, be sure the calendar is clearly filled out so that Community Director and other interns can understand all booking details.
  3. Confirm reservation details, process credit cards, send confirmation emails, schedule pick-ups and arrange drivers.
  4. 3rd Party Referral Sites. Check and process bookings that come through sites like HostelWorld or HostelBookers, and respond to inquires through volunteer sites like GoAbroad or Idealist.
  5. Email Inquiries: Managers must also check bookings via email, reply to inquiries, send price quotes, send confirmation emails, and forward emails to appropriate parties.
  6. Bookkeeping & Accounting: Interns are responsible for entering cash payments and receipt expenditures into the google online spreadsheet accounting system.

At the end of the month, the Intern Hospitality Manager consults with the Director about the totals for the cash received and deposits made. Once they are in agreement only then will the Director close out the month, save a copy and open a new month. The Anchor Manager should NOT make copies of the month for the protection of customer data.

Credit Card Responsibilities:

Hedonisia Credit Card. As a person is in a position of trust, an Intern Property or Bookings Manager receives a Hedonisia Credit Card for needed business purchases:

  1. Personal payments. When using the business card and purchasing personal items from a shop like Walmart or Longs always use the divider to separate personal stuff from business stuff and tell the cash teller. It complicates our accounting when personal payments go through on the business card.
  2. Buying Tampons & other Personal Items as Business Purchases. Though we describe ourselves as a 'feminist community' and we have a tray in the eco-toilet we never buy tampons for women. NO hotel or hostel does this. Personal items like this are not business expenses.
  3. Business Supplies. We always buy the cheaper stuff from Walmart or Target. If you are buying supplies check the Hedonisia Community Supplies Spreadsheet for our list of relatively Eco-friendly and affordable suppliers.
  4. Authorized Purchases. When making approved large purchases (for example, building supplies at Home Depot), make sure you shop on the day we agreed upon. We only authorize extra money on the card for the exact date of purchase and then we reduce the spending limit afterward.

Performance Bonus!

If either the Intern Property or Bookings Manager is able to stay for the complete duration from Director's departure to his return they are eligible for a performance bonus. The bonus is based on:

  • a) Intern Property Manager communication with Directors.
  • b) Ability to deal with community problems and turn them from 'Shit to Sugar'!
  • c) Ability to follow directions and receive feedback.
  • d) New ideas and input on community operations
  • e) Size of Hedonisia eco-community net profit during the period they were managing.
  • f) Being there when the Director leaves and for at least two weeks after his return.