Escape spaces are becoming increasingly popular all over the world. Customers pay to be locked in a room for an hour – and they absolutely love it.
So should you sit back and just let your business run? Not so fast.
There is one thing that can ruin even the most amazing escape game… Poor customer service.
Maybe your team lacks training.
Maybe they have the wrong attitude.
Maybe you’re failing to keep your best employees.
Or maybe you’ve always hired the wrong people.
Don’t worry.
Today I’m giving 21 Human Resource tips on how to avoid all these mistakes.
1: MAKE A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO CHOOSE THE BEST
HIRING PEOPLE
Don’t hire everyone who seems to fit more or less well. Go in search of the best talent out there. Because it pays off. 81% of customers are actually more likely to hire again at
to join an escape game if they found the customer service excellent.
On the other hand, 95% will switch to another provider or fill out a complaint if they are disappointed with customer service.
Are you feeling the pressure now?
You should!
2: HIRE EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE SUBSCRIBED TO MAGAZINES…
… or just wear a brand of sneakers. Or who have been doing the same kind of sport for a long time. It’s the consistency you’re looking for.
High sales are expensive and take a lot of time, so the basic attitude of people who are looking for stability rather than constant change is a good start.
3: SEARCH FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE – NOT NECESSARILY WITH ESCAPE GAMES
It can be tempting to hire someone as enthusiastic about your business as you are – but you’d better not.
You are looking for a Game Master.
A host who has to be player-oriented.
Focus on the candidates with previous experience in customer service, hotel management or as event hosts.
4: ASK THE CANDIDATES TO TEACH YOU A SKILL.
Just suggest: “Teach me something as if I don’t know anything about it” and see how he/she handles it.
As a Game Master you have to be able to explain the rules at the beginning and to lead the meeting or feedback at the end.
And if the candidate is not successful, you have at least learned something new!
5: HIRE EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT PEOPLE
It is important that your Game Master knows how to react if a team does not successfully complete the Escape Room.
If your customers don’t solve the puzzle in time, they still want to be satisfied – and it’s the employee’s job to find the right strategy to cheer them up.
At the interview, try to give hypothetical situations and ask how the candidate would proceed.
6: SELL THE JOB
In the end, a good Game Master needs some skills: several languages, emotional intelligence, a pleasant personality and great social skills.
These people often already have several job offers.
It is important that you mention all the motivation points both in the job advertisements and in the interview. One of the positive points for working in a Live Escape Room is the following:
7: SATISFIED CUSTOMERS
The difference between working in customer service in a call center and in an escape room is the average customer satisfaction.
While you’re calling the call center, it’s mostly about something not working. People who come to play Escape Dreams are curious, motivated and ready for a unique group experience.
Usually, after they leave the Escape Game, their level of happiness will be even higher – enhanced by adrenaline and a sense of fulfillment.
What could be more rewarding for a customer service representative than an atmosphere saturated with endorphins?
8: NO EXPERIENCE IS JUST ‘OK
Escape rooms are relatively new, so there are only a few people with relevant experience in this industry. But the industry is growing and demand is growing!
The industry is growing and the demand for Game Masters will increase.
And you are the one who can provide the candidate with this unique, long-term valuable experience.
9: GIVE A FREE ESCAPE GAME TO GOOD CANDIDATES
… if they have never tried your Escape Rooms before.
Not only will they understand what experience visitors have… They will associate your Escape Game with fun and joy.
They will be prepared to love their work.
10: MENTION THE POSSIBILITIES OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
People are looking for development.
Now you could think: “There are no huge development opportunities in the Escape Room business”.
BUT: From Game Master you can become Location Manager and then – who knows? – maybe once a partner.
Okay, you have your dream team together. What now? 11: forget 8
11: FORGET 8-HOUR SHIFTS
An Escape Game usually takes one hour, so if you have 7 games today – you need staff for ± 7 hours, but if you only have 3 games – for ± 3 hours.
You also need people on weekends and for the late shifts.
So, what do you do?
You have options.
First of all, if you are not fully booked all the time – try a flexible working week.
This way you can pay your employees on a fixed monthly salary, but they can work 20 hours this week and 40 hours the next week.
This method has advantages and disadvantages, so make sure you and your employees both benefit.
Another option is that their employees work part-time.
Hire people for your live escape game who need flexible schedules.
These can be students, teens or people who have a passionate hobby that takes a considerable amount of time each day.
12: USE FOR YOUR MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY
If you want to hire young flexible people, it is very likely that they have grown up with the new media.
So use the technology – it makes your life easier.
Use an app that gives you flexible scheduling and instant employee notifications.
13: GIVE THE NEW EMPLOYEES INTENSIVE TRAINING.
Why? You think to yourself: “I can explain all tasks in one hour! You think to yourself: “But I can explain all the tasks in one hour!
Sure, it’s not about molecular biology. But if you are looking for a loyal and committed employee, you also have to offer something.
Happy employees = happy customers.
Your team feels confident and satisfied when they know exactly what to do in every situation.
People are more loyal and committed when they feel that management is thinking of them.
Get your team to pay more attention to the customers – by being a role model.
In the end, the training for the Game Master isn’t really that difficult. Just follow these 3 steps:
1. product training – tell them everything about the setup, administration, technical side and your customer service ideas.
2nd Shadowing – let the new employee follow his team leader for a few days.
3rd trial – turn the script over. Now let the team leader watch the employee. The beginner gets the chance to work autonomously in the Escape Room. The mentor can give feedback or help with a topic whenever necessary.
14: LET YOUR EMPLOYEES SPEAK WITH STRANGERS
So you hired your new employee based on his emotional intelligence.
Are you not quite sure?
Don’t worry, that can be trained.
Encourage your employee to spend time with other people.
Let him have a little small talk in public transport or with a barista – that’s a good start.
15: START SMALL COMPETITIONS
Let your employees fight for the amount of happy faces just for the fun of it.
But please don’t take it too seriously!
It’s a fun motivational booster, not a gladiator battlefield.
16: GO TO YOUR COMPETITORS FOR TEAMBUILDING
You know that HR managers organize team building events or other corporate events in Escape Rooms to analyze who is better at problem solving and leadership and use this information for potential promotions?
Why not do the same?
And you can get so much more out of it!
Here’s the plan:
Collect your team and visit a competitor’s escape room.
Explain that the purpose is to have fun and learn something new.
Play the Escape Game.
The next day you schedule half an hour before the start of the normal shift.
Let your team exchange opinions.
What did they like about the location?
What was positive about the customer service?
How did they feel?
What could have been better
What could be avoided?
Listen carefully.
You will probably get some business ideas and get to know your own employees better – who was more cooperative?
Who was attentive to details?
Who was more stress-resistant?
Be careful to reflect and analyze.
Repeat the visits from time to time.
17: GET PERSONAL.
… but only up to the point where you personally recognize your co-workers.
With a small team, you can schedule small meetings with anyone from time to time (1-2 times a month is enough) when your employees ask for feedback, concerns, etc. or praise for good performance.
Remember when you get feedback – you have to react to it.
Again, you are a role model for your employees – so if you want them to respond to customer concerns, you should do the same with your staff.
18: BE POSITIVE IN YOUR FEEDBACK.
The recognition that your employees are doing something right is psychologically more effective than focusing on negative points.
Sure, sometimes negative factors cannot be avoided.
Make sure that the negative points do not predominate.
19: HAPPY OR NOT?
You probably saw these buttons in the store around the corner:
The idea is simple – you have tables with a lot of smileys and questions like “How did you like the customer service on our Escape Game today?
Place the smileys somewhere where it’s hard to miss.
It’s a more efficient customer satisfaction survey.
Use it.
What do you get from these smiley faces?
You get continuous feedback for the customer service of your Escape Room.
You can monitor trends and fluctuations.
The capture rate is 30-40%.
Your employees are motivated because they get positive feedback immediately (who cares if an anonymous customer complains to Tripadvisor more than 2 months later?).
If someone uses a sad smiley, your employee can react on the spot and fix the situation.
20: THE BEST PRODUCT
HR research shows that these people are motivated who believe in what they are doing.
Customer service employees do good work when they know why they are doing it.
Do you have a vision and a purpose?
Have you communicated it to your employees?
Are you confident that you have the best Escape Room (in the city, in the region or in relation to a particular aspect)?
If you answered “yes” to all three of these questions – good work.
21: ACTIVATE THE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS
It’s sad when your best colleague leaves your escape room.
Not only because he or she was nice, but because you have to start the search again and go through the whole process again.
So why suffer?
Use your employee’s contacts.
We tend to hang out with people with similar interests and mindsets, so there is a good chance that someone within your team will know someone who would fit in well with the job.
If an employee recommends a suitable candidate – reward him or her with a nice motivating bonus.
Result:
Time / costs saved in candidate search – check
New employee hired – check
Old employees motivated – check