Best Practices for Emergency Preparedness “Be Prepared!” – Boy Scouts Motto It was a clear day in March and the Team Members had just finished a round of the capsule answering guest questions and pointing out landmarks. It was business as usual on this run of the SkyTower and there were a wide variety of guests ranging from 3 – 73, one of whom was VERY pregnant. The capsule started its decent and then…BANG!!! With a loud noise and a jolt, the two-level observation capsule slammed to a stop 240 feet in the air. Everyone screamed except for the two Team Members on board who, after their initial surprise, gathered […]

How cell phones can bring families together when they visit Last month, after enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with my family, we decided to spend the evening at one of our local theme parks. As we walked through the park I was amazed to see how many people had their cell phones out and were so absorbed in their own little cyber-world that they were not enjoying the park (or time with their family and friends). I couldn’t help but wonder why people would spend money on admission to the park, and then not even look up from their phones…and then, as we were waiting for a show, I realized that my […]

Best Practices for Keeping Cool in a Pinch “Fast is slow and slow is fast” – John Maxwell Irma was nervous. She could not locate the guest’s reservation. She had searched everywhere…the ticketing system, the pre-printed will call tickets, and even the VIP List. “Are you certain that the tickets were booked in your name?” she asked as calmly as possible. “Of course,” the guest said, starting to sound a bit agitated, “Why, can’t you find them?” Irma said nothing as she pounded madly on the keyboard. Just moments later Irma was finally able to find the reservation, but the damage had already been done; the guest left a complaint […]

Four Leadership styles for getting things done I’ve never considered myself a “follower”; while I don’t mind taking direction from others, I do like to understand the “why” behind the “what” I’m being asked to do. I find it is much easier to accomplish the desired result if I understand the reasons behind what I have been told to do. This is true not only in business, but in my personal life as well; many years ago, when my 18 year old son was just a baby I took him in to see the pediatrician to help figure out why he was constantly crying. I made an appointment with a […]

Four Ways to Find your Facility's Sweet Spot I love Oreos. When I eat them, I’m often caught doing what I’ve been doing since I was a kid – that is eating the creamy center first – essentially, eating my Oreo from the inside out. Why? Because while I like the chocolate cookie, it’s the creamy center that makes the treat. That’s where I find the most satisfaction and the most enjoyment. In our attractions world, our facilities have their own “creamy centers” – that is, the areas and activities that people love. At any of Disney’s Magic Kingdom parks, the “creamy center” are attractions like Space Mountain, Pirates of […]

Honesty. Trust. Integrity. …Salesmanship?” How these corporate values can work in harmony. “Words from the thread on which we string our experiences” – Aldous Huxley Honesty, trust, and integrity; as corporate values go these are very important and we all want these to be cornerstones of our culture. But at the frontgate we should also consider including another cornerstone; Salesmanship. We can certainly all think of examples where sales people were at odds with the first three values noted above, but can salesmanship coexist within an environment of honest selling, integrity, and trustworthiness? The answer is absolutely, YES! The definition of Salesmanship is “the skills and methods used in selling […]

How to break free of "Order Taking" and do more! Bad habits are HARD to break! Have you ever tried to quit smoking or to stop overeating? It is not an easy thing to do – and many people who do try ultimately fail. After a few days, a week, or maybe even a month, people who try to break a habit end up right back where they started…unless they find the right motivation and follow through to successfully break their bad habit for good. Below are six steps that will help to break a bad habit: 1. Decide that the habit is wrong 2. Associate Pain with the old […]

Why performance improvement is so important in the ticket window Coaches hep us to do what we do better. They observe, evaluate, and provide feedback to help us improve. For example, in baseball a coach might observe a batter’s stance, swing, focus, and follow through. They will evaluate and then make recommendations for adjustments that will improve the players performance level. Coaches are not just for sports teams; they can also be an effective solution for improving the performance of your Front Gate Team. Sales agents often simply process orders and catch sales given to them by guests rather than engaging with the guests to find the best product for […]

Seven Spectacular ways to Bundle Value with Admission When was the last time you visited a fast food restaurant like McDonald’s or Burger King? What were they promoting and how were they promoting it? They were promoting their packages and combos, right? When looking at Consumer Psychology, people love to have options…but they can become overwhelmed quickly. This is the beauty of bundling, it allows you to offer more value and options to your guests without overwhelming them in the process. At the Front Gate, Online, and through third-party resellers, we can bundle Admission – which all guests need – with a variety of other options that will add value, […]

The Evolution of Access Control For nearly a century the traditional turnstile with a rotating arm was the standard piece of access control hardware for sporting events, concert venues, and gated attractions. Attendants would staff each access point, verify that each guest had a valid ticket, and then grant access to attendees. There was no advanced technology involved-it was a manual process that left plenty of room for human error (and human deception). It could also create “choke points” and long lines for visitors at peak times. When upgrading the technology at our venues, it is easy to think about our newest attraction or our ticketing system, but even with […]