Are you worth it?
If you were to ask any one of your guests after their visit if it was “worth it,” what do you think they would say?
First, let’s determine what “worth it” actually refers to. Was it worth their time to visit? Worth the money they spent? Worth taking time off from work or worth pulling the kids out of school? Worth the gas money they spent getting to and from your venue?
The “worth it” meter should drive many of your decisions when it comes designing and delivering your guest experience. When setting your price for admissions, packages, passes, food and beverage, and all other ancillary purchases, will the cost to the guest dwell on their mind after they leave? Does the price even matter if your guests are so committed?
When Brandon Willey joined The Guest Experience Show, he talked about the importance of providing meaningful value in everything that we do, for every guest that walks through the door. It must make a positive impact on your life. If you provide an hour or two of entertainment for families on the weekends, you cannot take for granted the emotion that resonates with your guests long beyond their visit. When it goes right, they leave with a sense of joy and fulfillment; when it goes wrong, the result is regret and frustration.
Ranking high on the “worth it” meter starts with showing appreciation for every guest as an individual, recognizing that they do not need to visit your establishment. Making it worth it involves exceeding expectations and “over-delivering” your guest experience.
Consider what guests will anticipate prior to their arrival, and what they will reflect on when driving home (Also, check out what Mat Duerden has to say about anticipation and reflection as it relates to the overall experience). Take a look at all the inputs that went into making the decision to visit you: the expectation of an excellent experience, the limitless alternative options that guests have, and everything else that factors into the decision to visit. Consider the following questions that guests may ask, whether consciously or subconsciously:
- Will this venue provide the best experience for my entire family?
- Can we do this somewhere else cheaper?
- Is there something similar that’s closer to home instead?
- Is this the best way to spend our weekend?
- Will it be as good as people say it is?
- Will we be glad we visited?
These might not be questions that you think about on a daily basis, especially when interacting with and serving guests is part of your regular routine. However, when you consider that every guest gets to decide where you rank on the “worth it” meter (and their perception is their reality), the experience that you provide should reflect that you strive to deliver meaningful value and a make a positive impact on their life, that results in guests saying that you are absolutely worth it, regardless of the price they paid and all other inputs that went into their decision to visit.
