5 Ways to Drive Customer Satisfaction at Your FEC

As a busy owner of a Family Entertainment Center, driving customer satisfaction might be one of the last things on your mind.

Don't worry if you're feeling overwhelmed. Improving your customer experience and satisfaction is easier (and more fun) than you might think.

Plus, when customer satisfaction rises, so does employee retention! It truly becomes a win-win situation for everyone!

5 Ways to Drive Customer Satisfaction at Your Family Entertainment Center

According to CustomerThermometer, “The average American tells 15 people when they’ve had a poor customer service experience."

And if that wasn’t bad enough, “89% of consumers have switched to doing business with a competitor following a poor customer experience” (Harris Interactive).

That’s rough!

Imagine a birthday party walking through your doors and all of the parents and children have a negative experience. That's a lot of adults (multiplied by the 15 people they each tell) who will hear about their bad experiences. And the chances of them returning are only about 11%!

This is of course the opposite of what you want as a business owner. You want happy, satisfied customers. So, let’s talk about how we can make that happen!

1. Prepare for Success

If you want to give your guests a memorable experience, it all starts before they walk through the door. Daily huddles with your team are an excellent way to start the day and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Aside from meeting daily, checklists can help you prepare for success, especially when it comes to birthday parties and special events.

We created a free guide to make check-listing even easier for you! In the first issue of our Event Planning Checklist, we share the following checklists:

• Guest Communication – what to confirm, what to collect, what to look for, and special requests. This will make the process of gathering waivers and deposits simple and seamless.
• Organization – this checklist will guide you on what to log in to your party booking software, and what needs to be prepared in advance, along with staff check-ins and scheduling.
• Health & Safety – customer satisfaction isn’t just about having fun—it’s also about having a safe experience in a clean facility. This checklist will guide you on exactly how to make that happen!
• Inventory – do you have everything you need for your incoming parties to make them a success? Ensure that you do this with this checklist!
• Entertainment – another key to customer satisfaction is curing custom entertainment experiences for your guests. This checklist will give you some ideas on how to do that. Plus, provide an idea of an entertainment piece you can add to your online storefront to up-sell!
• Event Management & Staffing – last but certainly not least is this checklist. It’s focused on making sure that you have the right people in the right places at the right times!

Get more info here or click on the image below to download your complimentary copy of these checklists!

2. Create an Unforgettable Experience

It’s important to make sure that your guests feel special from the moment they walk through the door.

Think about a few companies that make YOU feel special when you walk through their doors. Ever been to Cold Stone Creamery or Moe’s? They’re infamous for the way they greet customers when they walk through the door. “Welcome to Moe’s!” is a greeting I look forward to hearing when visiting my local store for a burrito.

What can you do to create an unforgettable experience for your guests?

Here are some things to consider:

Your Welcome Greeting

A simple “Welcome to [your facility name]!” with a smile will go a long way when customers first walk through your doors. You might even consider a catchy greeting related to what your facility offers.

Here’s an example. Let’s say you’re a bounce facility. Your staff could say, “Ready to bounce into some fun today!?” when customers walk through the door.

Be creative! Be clever! And be unforgettable!

Your Check-In Phrases

Having specific check-in phrases your staff uses throughout a guest's experience is another step you can take to make them feel special and drive customer satisfaction.

Again, even simple phrases like, “Are you having a great time?!” can often go a long way.

Make a list of check-in phrases that your team can use to “check in” with customers.

Your Entertainment

Having an engaging atmosphere is critical to your customers having a great time at your facility. Are the lights too dim or bright? Is the music too loud or too quiet? Is there any music at all? What type of music are you playing?

Consider the types of folks that walk through your doors and cater to what they enjoy. Don’t know what they enjoy? Ask! Surveying your customers is the best way to get great feedback.

Want to learn more from an expert on the Impact of the Atmosphere on the Guest Experience? Watch our webinar with Adam Melrose of FEC Music >>>

Your Closing Statements

Making customers feel special when they leave your facility is just as important as how they feel when they enter and throughout their time.

Create a list of closing statements that your staff can use as guests exit. Be sure to consider including statements that ask for feedback, share special offers, and invite them back!

3. Use Checklists to Make Your Parties Rock

Making sure your parties are a hit is a big part of driving customer satisfaction. Implementing the ideas in the above section is certainly a great place to get started. You won’t want to stop there!

Use checklists to make sure that your parties go off without a hitch. Just like our Event Planning Checklist for “the Before,” we also have a complimentary checklist to use during your event.

Get it here or click on the image below to download your copy!

4. Nurture Your Staff

Your staff is the backbone of your business. Don’t forget to nurture your staff. After all, when you treat them right and provide them with proper training, they’ll help to drive that customer satisfaction that you’re aiming for!

Here are three articles that will help you train and nurture your staff effectively:

1. Preparing for Holidays at Your FEC: 5 Tips to Train Your Staff
2. 5 Tips on How to Train Your Staff to Deal with Customer Conflict
3. 3 Team Meeting Ideas to Uplift Your Staff

5. Follow-Up & Offer Value

Now that you’ve prepared for success by utilizing checklists, focused on curating an awesome experience, and prepared your staff for success, it’s time to consider how you’ll follow up with your guests and continue to add value.

Remember to use the closing statements you prepared above to make your guests feel just as special leaving as they did when they walked through the door.

If you lead captured your guests using your online booking module, point-of-sale system, digital waivers, your Wi-Fi login system, or even through an in-house form, you’ll have everything you need to send a follow-up email.

Of course, the more specific information you can grab, the better! Knowing the birthdays of both parents and their children allows you to send personalized messages to your guests after they have left. You can use birthday information to not only wish your guests a happy birthday but also to include special offers.

But before you send any promotions, ask for feedback! Use customer surveys to learn how you can improve your business and better serve your customers.

Did You Like This Article? Leave a Comment Below!

Remember, at the end of the day, your business is dependent on your customers! I hope the advice provided here is useful as you work to drive customer satisfaction and build a successful business. Leave a comment below if you liked this article!