by Martin Palicki, Publisher
I recently took my parents to the Wisconsin Dells for a little family getaway. (Who can resist a genuine Wisconsin supper club?) My dad wanted to go to one of the themed entertainment experiences there, and I was all too happy to share a bit of “my world” with them.
The technical aspects of the experience were great! It was everything its marketing had promised it to be, and my parents and I walked away happy our time was well spent.
All three of us couldn’t help but comment afterwards that even though the core experience was positive, the employees that sold and took our tickets, took us through the pre-show and to our seats, could not have been more disinterested in their jobs. None of them were ostensibly rude or inconsiderate; it just was very clear that they each were there to collect a paycheck, didn’t particularly care what our individual experiences were like, and generally seemed like they were anxious for their next break.
Without a doubt, hiring amazing ambassadors for your brand and experience is tremendously difficult, especially in the current labor market. But savvy operators know that a themed experience, no matter how impressive it inherently is, will never be better than its weakest employee.
Though we as an industry tend to highlight the latest and greatest technology that helps define spectacular experiences, we don’t spend nearly as much time making sure that the folks who provide the operational power are adequately supported for their roles.
On the flip side, we don’t often enough congratulate the people who do provide that amazing guest experience. When Star Wars: Galactic Starcuiser opened – even with its impressive gameplay and tech prowess – I commented in my review on the people-power of the experience, and the fundamental role actors and crew played in making the attraction operate effectively.
More than some algorithm that tracks people’s interests and spending patterns, front line employees, performers, operators, etc. are the ones who can most directly impact an operation’s bottom line, encouraging repeat visitation by creating positive experiences that people want to enjoy again and again.
