Give Your Visitor Experience its Greatest Show

You’re in the business of making people happy and getting the basics right to support the main attraction can lead to the standing ovation you all deserve.

The great news is that the basics don’t have to be boring and there’s no need to break the budget with the latest high-tech fad or by sending the team off for trapeze lessons. Here are some tips and ideas to put the crowd-pleasing, feel-good factor into the routine elements of your visitor experience this season.

Find out how to:

• Tackle the hecklers... Trash
• Become the Ringmaster of Waiting Lines

In out-of-home leisure and entertainment, the big top begins and ends where visitors arrive and leave the entire grounds. That includes parking lots, sidewalks and streets which lead to the main entrance too.

It’s commonly cited that we form our first impression of another person within 7 seconds of meeting them. In fact, 55%^* of that first impression is determined by visual cues – so the extra 45% really does have to work hard!

The first impression is critical to shaping the visitor experience that follows and tackling those annoying, let’s call them ‘hecklers’, will definitely set their journey with you off on the right foot.

Tackling the Heckler... Trash

Just like hecklers, trash and overflowing garbage cans are eye-catching and attention-grabbing for all the wrong reasons.

Always aim to ensure you have plenty of trash receptacles placed in readily accessible areas for your visitors to use to deposit their waste. Indoor trash cans are ideal for siting near to waiting lines, restrooms and by the entrance and exit to encourage your guests to trash their waste responsibly.

Outdoor garbage cans should be placed in the parking lots and near to food vendors, to help keep your premisies clean and tidy at all times. A container with a larger capacity such as the Canyon™ Trash Can is an ideal solution and is designed to suit any external environment.

Personalize your Trash Cans

As well as ensuring your garbage containers look smart, sanitary and are well positioned around the area, have you thought about adding a creative touch?

It could be brightly colored decals, clear messaging or branding to attract attention and ensure all trash is disposed of correctly without any excuses.

Find out more about how to personalize your trash cans.

A well-designed garbage container should work with and enhance its surroundings. If you find you are hiding them from view, it may be time to look at a new design that you will want to bring out of the wings.

Take a look as some of our trash can designs for inspiration.

Add the Fun Factor

A great way of encouraging younger visitors to dispose of their trash in a responsible way, is with a cute, novelty character.

Animal-shaped trash cans are fun and attractive while also providing a helpful distraction where you might need it.

The Froggo™ Animal-Shaped Trash Can is bound to catch the eye and raise a smile, even on the rainiest of days!

View more of our animal shaped trash cans here.

Turn Your Trash Into Gold

More of us now expect to see separate recycling containers to dispose of our single-use plastic bottles, aluminum cans and more when we are out and about.

Providing highly visible recycling containers and recycling stations for different waste streams will definitely give you gold stars in the minds of your customers. Helping them to dispose of their recyclable waste responsibly will make them feel good – and demonstrate that you care about the environment too!

Your big top needs to be a litter-free eco-friendly zone, so educate and remind visitors to look out for and use the trash and recycling containers.

The versatile and compact Nexus® 13G recycling containers can be sited on their own or side-by-side to form a recycling station to suit your waste segregation needs.

You're Going to Need a Bigger Bin

If outdoor trash cans are filling up too fast and overflowing, especially in areas of high footfall, there are now solutions available which house up to 80 gallons of trash.

The Glasdon Jubilee™ 80G Trash Can is designed to look like a standard garbage container but can cleverly conceal a large capacity wheeled liner, making manual handling of large quantities of waste much safer for your team.

Become the Ringmaster of Waiting Lines

Lines are sometimes unavoidable at peak times and so the way to keep your audience with you is to employ techniques which bring the waiting time into the customer journey.

We've got some handy tips and advice to help you make your waiting lines more customer-friendly.

Illusion and Distraction

Disney are undoubtedly the forefathers of effective waiting line designs, but even without a Disney budget and the space for hidden themed switchback lines, you can make your visitor waiting line a happier place to be.

• Use TV screens or place activities along the line to provide entertainment. You can even create an opportunity to promote any deals or bonus activities on offer.
• Provide free “Wi-Fi” access so visitors can easily fill any ‘empty time’ themselves. Why not link this to your promotions? Could your guests participate in a competition or activity on their mobile while they wait?

Connect Through Empathy

Give your customers the all-star treatment by making their experience as enjoyable and stress-free as possible.

• Reduce anxiety by providing clear and simple information about wait lengths. Under promise and over deliver by giving longer than expected wait times, so their actual wait is shorter than they expected.
• Look out for visitors who may require further assistance or the use of accessible facilities. Provide additional signage and have a member of your team on hand ready to help if needed.

Your All-Star Cast

The personal touch goes a long way and a smiling, helpful and naturally enthusiastic team are the key.

• Do you have a mascot or historical character linked to your main attraction? If so, provide photo opportunities with this character to create a buzz and break up the empty time.
• Build rapport by providing visitors with helpful information. This could include providing program times or recommending ‘star attractions’ that customers should make time for during their visit.

So, here’s to your next blockbuster season and crowds of very happy customers too.