Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1431926
Ready for what, you ask? The holidays, of course! The busiest and most stress-filled six weeks of the year. As hectic as the holidays are, they can be even more special and enjoyable because of the quality time we get to spend with our families and friends. Unfortunately for many rink operators, the time spent with family and friends is very short due to extremely busy public skating sessions, large hockey tournaments and annual holiday skating shows. To reap the rewards of the holiday crowds at your rink requires a firm commitment to pre-planning, attention to detail and clear communication between management and frontline staff. Extraordinary service is a key ingredient to your customer's overall experience at all times of the year, but during the holidays it becomes critical. There will be many people who visit your rink in November and December for the first time, and possibly the last time, if their experience isn't positive. Tips to Help Differentiate Your Rink from the Competition • Assign staff members to greet customers at the front door and direct them to what they are looking for. ˚ Don't rely on signs, most people don't notice or read them. A friendly and knowledgeable person at the front door has much more impact than a sign. • Put an information table in the middle of your lobby, away from the cash registers, and staff it throughout the day. ˚ Putting program flyers, brochures and registration forms in holders on the wall is great, but if you really want people to sign up for your programs, then you need someone to sell them. As I said previously, a friendly and knowledgeable person will have more impact than a brochure. • Put procedures in place to minimize lines at your cash registers and skate rental counter. ˚ No one likes to stand in line; the faster customers get through your lines the better. • Schedule significantly more staff than you normally do. ˚ It is better to be safe than sorry. You can always send staff home early if things are slow, but it is usually too late to call more staff in after you realize that your staff is overwhelmed by a large crowd. I hope that your rink is very busy during the holidays. But more importantly, I hope that you find some time to sneak away from the rink and enjoy the holidays. It is always important to make sure that we take care of our customers and coworkers, because it is our job. However, taking care of you, your family and friends should always be a top priority! Try not to lose sight of the fact that we all work to live, not live to work. Best wishes to you and yours, — Jeff Theiler, Chief Operating Officer, United States Ice Rink Association Opening ADDRESS Welcome from Jeff Theiler THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE UNITED STATES ICE RINK ASSOCIATION NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 // VOL. 24, NO. 6 USICERINKS.COM // INFO@USICERINKS.COM C H A I R M A N Steve Farbman P R E S I D E N T James McEwen S E N I O R V I C E P R E S I D E N T David Jensen C O N T R O L L E R Mike Schwarz C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R Rob Johnson A RT D I R E C T O R Mike DeArmond S E N I O R D E S I G N E R Brandon Favre D E S I G N E R Kelsey Cherwinka A D S A L E S Bryan Nelson M A R K E T I N G & AC C O U N T M A NAG E R Jessica Disch E D I T O R S : Aaron Paitich, Jessi Pierce C O N T E N T M A NAG E R Elizabeth Boger A D C O O R D I NAT O R Samantha Cady RINK Magazine is the definitive business publication for professionals in the ice rink industry and is the leading source for information on facility management, operations and programming. PUBLISHING PARTNER 505 North Highway 169, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55441 P H : (763) 595-0808 FA X : (763) 595-0016 E - M A I L : info@touchpointmedia.com W E B S I T E : touchpointmedia.com Mission: "To advance the ice rink industry through membership, world-class education, training, resources and events." C H I E F O P E R AT I N G O F F I C E R Jeff Theiler D I R E C T O R , E D U CAT I O N John Monteleone O F F I C E A S S I S T A N T Tom Wacker P H : ( 719) 538-1149 FA X : (719) 538-7838 E - M A I L : info@usicerinks.com W E B S I T E : usicerinks.com A P R O G R A M O F E D I T O R Aaron Paitich M A NAG I N G E D I T O R Jessi Pierce C O N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R S Don Baldwin, Taylor Dean, Bob Erickson, T.C. Lewis, John Monteleone, Jessi Pierce, Jeff Theiler E D I T O R I A L B OA R D T.C. Lewis, John Monteleone, Craig Petersen, Jeff Theiler D E S I G N E R S Mike DeArmond, Brandon Favre, Kelsey Cherwinka 14 / NOVEMBER.DECEMBER.2021 USICERINKS.COM Are You Ready? PHOTOS: RINK ARCHIVES