Employment

Current Openings

Harp and Hammered Dulcimer Sales

$22-$25/hour starting wage, DOE

Dusty Strings has been building harps and hammered dulcimers in Seattle for 46 years. We're a locally-owned small business with an international reputation for the quality of our instruments and for our human-centered customer service. We are looking for a musical instrument enthusiast to join the sales and service team at our workshop in Interbay. This is an in-person position, about 32-40 hours per week.

In many ways, this is more of an education and customer service role than a traditional sales role. Our day to day communication is by phone and email with long-distance prospective customers, though there are occasional trips to display our instruments at festivals and interact with people in person. Your job is to be a listener first and to understand where your customer is coming from so that you can answer both their direct questions and the questions they may not have thought to ask. The ultimate goal is to facilitate a happy match between musician and instrument. To do that, we try to engage with each prospective harp or dulcimer owner to help them decide whether a Dusty Strings instrument is likely to suit them, and to support them so they feel informed and confident in their choice.

You'll be working side by side with our friendly office team as well as the production crew who make our harps, hammered dulcimers, strings, and accessories. Aside from instrument matchmaking, you'll be learning about the technical aspects of our instruments and accessories so that you can help customers troubleshoot. There could also be opportunities for writing, website maintenance, and/or graphic design, depending on the your skills, experience, and interest. For someone who is engaged in what we do, there is always more to learn and more ways to expand your role.

Core responsibilities:

• Respond to phone and email inquiries about our harps or hammered dulcimers to answer questions and guide potential customers through the decision-making process
• Be an enthusiastic educator, guide, and cheerleader for people who are brand new to this world and don't know where to start asking questions
• Work closely with the instrument production schedule to know what's available and when
• Take orders for instruments, strings, and accessories from customers and wholesale dealers
• Maintain familiarity with what each dealer carries and serve as their primary contact
• Represent Dusty Strings at one or two festivals per year and help with related logistics (involves travel)

As an office mate in a small company, you'll share in miscellaneous tasks such as:

• Providing general customer service and support (e.g. talking a customer through their first time changing a harp string)
• Assisting the team as a whole (e.g. helping to receive a large delivery)
• Covering for a teammate who is on vacation (e.g. typing invoices and creating shipping paperwork)

Helpful traits for this position:

• Knowledge and love of music and musical instruments
• Enthusiasm for connecting with experienced and beginning musicians on the phone and by email
• Instinct to listen first and then to educate and support by addressing questions the customer may not know to ask
• Open mind and interest in learning both the products and philosophies of Dusty Strings
• Ability to communicate by phone and email in a clear, complete, and friendly manner, including translating technical/mechanical/industry speak into words that a newbie can grasp

Bonus traits:

• Experience with social media and email lists
• Experience with Photoshop and InDesign
• Experience with wholesaling/retailing relationships

Using the links below, please submit four items: a fully-completed office application form, your resume, a cover letter telling us what skills and experience you have that relate to this position, and proof of COVID-19 vaccination barring medical or religious exemption. No phone calls and no in-person visits, please.

Applications

We are happy to take applications for any position, even when we have no current openings. We like knowing who's interested and what their skills are. If you'd like to put an application on file with us, you can download one from the links below and submit it to us along with your resume and a cover letter explaining your interest and applicable experience.