7 Steps to an Improved Guest Experience

Taking a fresh approach to your admissions and attraction management processes can make a big difference in your overall guest experience.

As a leader in family and social entertainment, your top priority is to ensure guests have an unforgettable experience every time they visit. But that’s easier said than done. You don’t have time to manually manage every process when you’re as busy as you are. But you don’t have to. CenterEdge’s Admissions and Attractions Module, fully integrated into the rest of the Advantage Suite, can help you take your FEC to new heights by revolutionizing how you manage various aspects of guest interactions. Read on for seven steps to a better guest experience.

No. 1: Reconsider how you manage capacity. 

Managing capacity is a crucial component of your guest experience. By effectively controlling capacity, you can prevent overcrowding, safety issues, long wait times, and customer friction. The best point-of-sale systems are fully integrated so that admissions and attraction tickets are removed from inventory in real-time.

Online sales allow guests to purchase tickets in advance, assuring them of securing their spot and avoiding disappointment due to sold-out attractions or one-time events like concerts, Breakfasts with the Easter Bunny, etc. Not only that, but if you display color-coded capacity indicators like Advantage’s heat map, guests can view busier times and make a more informed decision about when to visit.

Consider what capacity needs you have for attractions, restaurants, party rooms, and your entire facility so that you can plan guest flow and attraction experience timing to meet their expectations and your overall profitability goals.

No. 2: Maximize throughput with smart scheduling.

Attraction scheduling can be a tricky part of your guest experience, so this is where automation comes in. A well-planned schedule can help you manage capacity and maximize profitability. For example, rather than having guests buy a ticket for your next laser tag or VR session, consider building set times to sell tickets into. Doing so will give guests a scheduled time to report back to join their session and offers the opportunity to enjoy other areas of your facility before their attraction session rather than waiting or watching for a session to start.

No. 3: Implement or reimagine your waiver process. 

A liability waiver is an important aspect of many entertainment venues. CenterEdge’s integrated liability waivers allow you to customize the language, expiration terms, and the attractions or experiences you require them for. Waivers can be required for individual attractions or your entire facility,  however you see fit. If you have had a waiver in place for a while, now is an excellent time to dust it off and review it carefully to ensure it includes everything you need.

The best waiver experiences are quick and friction-free. It’s a good idea to provide links to your waivers online, in confirmation emails, and in electronic invitations sent to party guests so they can be completed in advance and verified quickly when guests arrive.

Besides any liability benefits that waivers offer your facility, it’s also no secret that a waiver is a great tool to help you collect essential guest data so that you can understand visit and buying behaviors.

No. 4: Prepare the right access control measures. 

As you consider guest flow throughout your facility, you may need to implement a varied approach to access control. It’s important to know that validation at the gate, games, or attractions helps reduce theft and provides better reporting on usage.

Does it make sense for your facility to implement a self-scanned turnstile entrance, a game card swipe or tap at staffed (or unstaffed) attractions, a team member with handheld barcode scanners, hybrid tablet POS stations, or mobile access control devices to validate tickets or waivers? Consider how you would like to admit guests to your facility and what technology you may need to deploy in those areas.

No: 5: Build an efficient check-in process. 

Efficiency is the name of the game when it comes to improving your guests’ check-in process. Leverage the power of your data to help you prepare staff for your busiest times. Headcounts, sales reports, upcoming event reports, and real-time capacity management review are all useful tools to help you prepare to welcome guests.

Has your facility grown so that you’re consistently running into long wait times at check-in? Perhaps installing an additional fixed point of sale, kiosk, or hybrid tablet may help reduce bottlenecks at check-in.

No. 6: Offer a warm welcome. 

Guests should feel like you’ve been waiting all day for them to arrive. A few members of our team recently had the privilege of sponsoring and attending the first-ever national conference for our clients, the Five Star Parks and Attractions group, in Dayton, Ohio. It was held at the 200,000-square-foot family entertainment and events center, Scene 75 Dayton.

Every Scene 75 team member we encountered went out of their way to engage with attendees, truly making us feel like honored guests. Whether the team members were replenishing buffet items, cleaning tables, or simply walking past, they greeted us enthusiastically and genuinely. It was a real treat to see such guest experience A-Players in action. That’s the kind of welcome we should all aspire to provide our guests!

No. 7: Help them make the most of their visit. 

Besides greeting and engaging with guests throughout your facility, consider how else you can help improve their experience so they leave feeling great. Here’s another area where equipping staff with mobile tablets can help improve guests’ experiences.

By having staff readily available throughout the facility, they can be where guests need them to be, whether it’s to answer questions, reload game cards, or conduct sales transactions. Things like cocktail service in your lounge areas, laneside food and beverage, or a “personal shopper” assisting guests in your Redemption Store could be the perfect addition to your already outstanding experience. 

By taking a good, hard look at your overall admissions and attraction management experience, your family entertainment center can level up the fun and excitement, making every visit unforgettable for guests and efficient for your staff.