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Frontline Staff
A hard reality for any park or attraction operator will always be the fact that the whole public perception of the venue is based on the one issue they have the least control over ...their staff!
An attraction’s reputation is only as good as its worst member of staff. Forget the simplest elements of guest care, whether it be ticket booth-courtesy, refreshment-hygiene or parking lot assistance, and you have failure – or worse.
For the operator, the responsibility of appropriate screening, training and supervision of what previously was seen as transient and disposable short-term labour-force has come home to roost.
The actual process of hiring staff is a minefield for venues. Tighter screening processes have been made necessary following cases of improper behaviour, sexual harassment against costumed staff and other criminal activities. Comprehensive access to employee backgrounds is essential in modern staff recruitment.
The past and current mental health and judgement of employees is now a major issue too. A recent suicide at a major Asian park, for example, could have been averted with more strenuous monitoring of employee behaviour.
One area of training that has received minimal coverage is interaction with disabled visitors. New international mobility legislation has made park operation even more complicated, and all venues must address the need for correct reception and ride accessibility.
Recently we have seen a number of rider safety incidents blamed on lax operation by staff, and the need for them to remain vigilant once they have left the training process is paramount. A Japanese amusement park, for example, witnessed a fatality after supervisional failings on the part of its staff, who were alleged to be using an unofficial operations manual. The park in question was prosecuted.
Working conditions need to be looked at too. A labour dispute fuelled by poor conditions at a prominent park in South East Asia seriously eroded the venue’s public image and drew more media concern on the way it was operated.
Finally, as new technology helps to reduce staffing on certain rides and attractions, we mustn’t think that the obligations on front-of-house staff decrease – they are more important now than ever. I’ll leave you with this question: Are your training and operations able to cope with whatever your guests may throw at you or your staff, or will something need to happen before you find out it can't?
An attraction’s reputation is only as good as its worst member of staff. Forget the simplest elements of guest care, whether it be ticket booth-courtesy, refreshment-hygiene or parking lot assistance, and you have failure – or worse.
For the operator, the responsibility of appropriate screening, training and supervision of what previously was seen as transient and disposable short-term labour-force has come home to roost.
The actual process of hiring staff is a minefield for venues. Tighter screening processes have been made necessary following cases of improper behaviour, sexual harassment against costumed staff and other criminal activities. Comprehensive access to employee backgrounds is essential in modern staff recruitment.
The past and current mental health and judgement of employees is now a major issue too. A recent suicide at a major Asian park, for example, could have been averted with more strenuous monitoring of employee behaviour.
One area of training that has received minimal coverage is interaction with disabled visitors. New international mobility legislation has made park operation even more complicated, and all venues must address the need for correct reception and ride accessibility.
Recently we have seen a number of rider safety incidents blamed on lax operation by staff, and the need for them to remain vigilant once they have left the training process is paramount. A Japanese amusement park, for example, witnessed a fatality after supervisional failings on the part of its staff, who were alleged to be using an unofficial operations manual. The park in question was prosecuted.
Working conditions need to be looked at too. A labour dispute fuelled by poor conditions at a prominent park in South East Asia seriously eroded the venue’s public image and drew more media concern on the way it was operated.
Finally, as new technology helps to reduce staffing on certain rides and attractions, we mustn’t think that the obligations on front-of-house staff decrease – they are more important now than ever. I’ll leave you with this question: Are your training and operations able to cope with whatever your guests may throw at you or your staff, or will something need to happen before you find out it can't?
Kevin Williams is founder and director of out-of-home leisure entertainment consultancy KWP Ltd and a popular speaker on the industry and its technology. He is also editor and publisher of The Stinger Report, a leading free industry e-newsletter.
