Gameroom
We All Speak the Same Language

by Michael Getlan

Prof. Maximillian Smiley, professional smileologist (& clown), Ph.D., Smileology

We all speak the same language, whatever part of the world we come from. It’s the language of our emotions, of smiles and laughter. That’s what the amusement business is all about. It’s our daily business to create the good feelings that lead to smiles and laughter.

People want and need to smile and laugh, and they will pay someone to help them get into that state of mind. That’s the business part of the amusement business.

Communication

We need to explain to our respective staff and cast members that the reason they must greet guests with a smile and go out of their way to make them feel special is to create the desire to return to your park again. It is the expectation of happiness and the memory of previous experiences that drives a person back to your park or family entertainment center. And your staff members should know that the ultimate goal of their continuous interactions with your guests is good, enjoyable communication.

Some truths may be self-evident, but it never hurts to point them out. Smiles are universal. Everyone smiles the same way and everyone understands smiling. That’s why we train our staff members to greet guests with a smile. It is rarely misinterpreted and usually receives a smile in return. Surprisingly enough, these ideas must be pointed out and consistently re-enforced in training.

Communication is the core of any staff member’s interaction with a guest. Solving problems, processing a sale, or taking an order is all about creating that enjoyable interaction that everyone craves. That’s why it’s not as much what you say as how you say it. Only approximately 7 to 10 percent of all communication is based on the verbal content, because the attitude says it all.

Performance

That’s why it is so important to reaffirm with our staff members that they have to think of themselves as performers on stage when dealing with any guest. The metaphor of live performance is highly useful, as it contains so many elements that parallel the daily work involved in guest service in our industry.

In live performance, there are no second chances, no replays, and the interactions with guests are decisive. Training your staff with this idea in mind is helpful. It conveys an attitude that can carry a staff member though a difficult interaction. And live performance is, at its core, about communication.

And just as rehearsal can so be important to a performance, training techniques such as role playing can be a key to creating effective communication skills. Role playing allows the staff member to make mistakes before going head to head with a guest. It allows the practice of key phrases and actions that make communication flow more smoothly, phrases like “Thank you” and “You’re welcome,” and actions like smiling!

That is why cast or staff members need to understand that their performances cannot be dependent on whether they are having a good or bad day. The job is communication and the creation of an outstanding experience.

The Right Frame of Mind

Clearly it is an advantage to hire the right people. People who like people and can keep themselves calm when dealing with  guests and their problems. People who smile during the interview process. It makes the process of training easier.

But the right frame of mind can be taught as well. It is a skill. It is easier when staff members start out with the frame of mind to be polite, cooperative, and helpful. It is easier when staff starts out smiling. But role playing and rehearsal can let staff practice these skills and will even help those people who start out with the right frame of mind by reinforcing these good habits.

And it’s important to reinforce this core concept that we all speak the same language. Laughter transcends race, national origin, sex, and every other characteristic because it’s about being human.

So get on this wave length! Get out there and teach this information! Demonstrate this behavior in front of your staff members! And smile a little more! And laugh a little more! And smile even more!

Then you can laugh all the way to the bank! Ha, ha, ha! Heh, heh, heh!

Professor Maximillian Smiley, when he is not cheering up children, works at Amusement Consultants Ltd. as the Director of Enthusiasm and Opportunity in the guise of Michael Getlan.