By: Holly Hampton
We all are lucky to work in a service industry, the service of entertainment!  From manufacturer to distributor to supplier to location venue, we all get to play a hand in providing fun to consumers of all ages.
Millennials, now the largest generation, are disrupting several industries, as they view life and what is important to them differently than previous societal norms.  This generation, like never before, is prioritizing experiences over objects.  Buying large expenditures like homes and cars are no longer top of mind after graduation. Trips, concerts, hikes, dining, and other experiences are where they are prioritizing their discretionary income spending.  This is great for us! They are looking for the product that we provide so we must be running that filter when designing games, attractions, picking menu items, designing the bathroom, and so on. Cookie-cutter locations and operations are no longer going to cut it.  Review your business and invest in the details, it will be worth it.  Not only does this generation place experiences over possessions but they want to take pictures of the experience and share them.
Some things to consider:
  • Review your menu and have some specialty, “instagramable” items. You likely be able to charge a premium for these items.
  • How old is your furniture? You may not have to spend a ton.  I recently went to a craft cocktail bar where the furniture is made out of wood pallets.  Ensure your furniture is not outdated.
  • When is the last time you painted and changed up your décor? The 90’s are calling and they want the teal wall colors and black and white tile back!
  • Create an attraction wall with a cool mural, water feature, branded décor, distressed wood planks, etc. Your customers will love snapping their photo in front of it and sharing where they are with other friends.
  • We have 5 senses, consider them all and research adding an aromatic fragrance to your business!
  • Craft up your drink menu! Consider highlighting specialty brewers monthly to get consumers back on a regular basis.  Hire a specialty craft cocktail bartender to keep your menu fresh and fun.
  • Don’t stop at alcohol, the coffee industry is over $5 billion in the US alone. Adding a coffee bar can attract more morning and day time business.
  • Ensure you are updating your game inventory annually and rotate your game room regularly to provide a new look for customers, this small tactic will make a difference.
  • What does your parking lot look like? Make sure the first part of your business your customers experience is clean and well maintained.
  • Make it easy to recycle! Be sure to show your customers you care about the one thing we all share, planet earth.
  • Invest in your people! Ensure you have a top-notch customer experience (service) manager and build a culture where your employees will enjoy coming to work and are rewarded fairly, happy employees create happy customers!
There are hundreds of things to consider, be sure to consider your target market and brand first.  Also, ask your employees for their opinions, they are likely experience crusaders.  Finally, this is a journey –  don’t try to tackle it all at once!