Preparing for a Vacation

Easier said than done, right?

I have always been told that "One resounding way to know how well you manage is to see how the park functions when you're away." Well, while those sentiments may be true in many ways, they don't ALWAYS ring true.

The truth is, you can train your Managers and Shift Leaders to perfection (And I mean to know what will happen and what could happen, and inevitably the Universe will throw you a Curve Ball!) You will have prepped the staff with an extra floater per shift, written out a detailed map for what groups and parties are coming, when and how best to handle them and you even make a "Standard Operating Procedures Manual" with every hiccup your business has seen in the last 10 years and how to solve it... and THEN the Universe let's a blizzard hit Charleston, SC (Not really, but that's what it feels like...)

So how do we enjoy Vacation? The easy answer is, I don't really know... BUT, I will tell you how I deal with it...

1) Be prepared! No Manager, Owner or Consultant can be upset with you (for good reason at least) if you are as prepared as anyone possibly can be. Prepare for anything and everything you can think of and rely on the strong management team you have trained to do what they can to hold everything together until you return. And know that the company isn't going to die after 1 or 2 weeks (But 3 might be pushing it :-) )

2) Empower your Team! Empowerment will save you a lot of trouble in the long run! If your managers feel comfortable taking care of the day to day workings of the park, they will manage the ship much better when you're away. (And if you are a kind, understanding and well respected manager - they will WANT to keep the facility pristine for your return because they will want you to come back from a relaxing vacation to roses and candy - not destruction and turmoil.)

3) Remember: Most of the things that arise are not going to decimate the business... Your ICEE machines randomly fails... not the end of the world... Your Dippin Dots cooler goes out and you lose all of the product... That stinks, but it's not the end all, be all... Your Fire Marshall comes and gets upset about a sprinkler head problem... He will wait for you to return... (Ours does at least...)

4) Encourage the Owner to stop in more often - It's great to have an Owner who all of the employees know, but who isn't there everyday for one very good reason... when they arrive on the scene, everyone stiffens up and stays on task. "The owner's here!" They whisper to one another as they clean their stations and tidy up the floors and bathrooms... That kind of owner should come in a few extra times while you're gone... It will help :-)

5) Lastly, leave an encouraging letter or email for your managers reminding them of what you'd like to see and what you'd like to have done before you return. This isn't a to-do list that you fire someone over, but a way to remind them that you aren't just gone, but you're expecting something to be different when you return. Maybe you want to see that change in Redemption you've been waiting on, or the benches out front that need to be mended. Maybe its the cleaning check lists that need to be updated or the Jump Castles need to be detail cleaned... These are easy, but they tell you things were getting done while you were away... And as the proverb says, "The attention of the worker bee is heightened by how hard he works..."

Brian Lee

A Manager who's about to go on Vacation...

5 Star Reviews- My Golden Rule

The Five Star Review:

My Golden Rule

There are a lot of people who use the Review Map from places like Yelp, TripAdvisor and Facebook to decide whether they are going to come to your store. So as a business, you need to be paying attention to this. However, you shouldn't let it ruin your life if someone gives you a 3-Star, 2-Star or heaven forbid a 1-Star Review...

Let's talk about the importance of Reviews, first and foremost. Reviews on the web are necessary for two main reasons. Reason one, as I mentioned above, potential customers use reviews to decide whether the trip to your facility is really worth the drive and the money. They will typically read an average of three reviews and they will read them in an assortment of ways. Some people read 1 Great, 1 Mediocre and 1 Terrible review. Some people read three to five most recent posts (sometimes ignoring the ones without any detail or remarks). Some people just look at the Star rating and figure, 3+ or 4+ stars is enough for them. But no matter how they check out your facility pre-visit... they use the ratings to do so.

The second reason your Reviews are so important is because they raise your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) which is what search engines like Google use to raise you on their search sites, (THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!! AND FREE...) If you want to hear more about SEO, Private Message me on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FECMGR and I will post specifically on SEO for Marketing.

Basically, the more good reviews you have (along with a mixture of other things like website traffic, words per page, updating etc.) the higher you go when people are searching for things like "Fun Things to do in the city near you..." or "Family Fun Spots". So, if you are getting 5-star reviews on the regular... you may be able to save a few bucks on Google Adwords if not canceling that subscription all together (like we did).

So WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT BAD REVIEWS? Take them with a grain of salt. Some people are just never satisfied... And remember "take it with a grain of salt" doesn't mean ignore it... it means look deeper for the truth that might be there. Salt purifies... so purify the review before ingesting it... (And yes... there may be some truth there... don't be too proud to see it...) But then, let it go...

And WHAT SHOULD WE BE DOING AS BUSINESS OWNERS/MANAGERS? Well... The Golden Rule is "Do unto others what you would have others do unto you." So, when you go somewhere, leave an honest review (good or bad)... especially for the places you love to go! Leave a Review! If every business manager and owner left reviews at all of the places they went... everyone would benefit from everything reviews have to offer!  

Too good to review? Then don't cry when no one is reviewing you...

Just Another Manager

Brian Lee

Timing is Everything!

In any business, timing is KEY! It is tantamount to all things! And the people who can manage time will undoubtedly succeed over those who can not...

Think about... Knowing when to buy and when to sell... when to stop and when to go... When to push and when to pull... When to fight and when to concede... 

Timing is EVERYTHING!

Today, we began our full throttle assault on getting ready for Spring Break and for the Summer (Our busiest times of the year!) What does that mean, well... today I had to make the hard choice to drain a pond even though the weekend is coming, because there isn't any better time than now to get it done. The weather is right, the staffing is right, no groups next week... And it HAS to be done before April.

Why Do I Do What I Do?

 Yeah, that's me... looking professional...

And this is me being less professional...

Hi... I'm Brian Lee and I LOVE to manage Fun Parks because of three very simple, but profound reasons.

1) It keeps me young... I just turned 30 last year and I have been managing at Fun Parks for almost a decade... (But it feels like yesterday...) This job is new and fresh everyday, because everyday that you work has a new challenge... NO, a new ADVENTURE to embark upon. We get customers that want to fight us... we get customers who cry on our shoulders... we get celebrities like Darius Rucker to come in to play... we get put in magazines... We have to let go of an employee or manager that just aren't working out... We lose an amazing employee to follow new dreams and goals...We find out one of our staff members lost a sibling or a parent or a child... we have to deal with a customer breaking a leg at Go-Karts or an employee breaking a leg at the Rock Wall... These things all ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO ME (Thank goodness it wasn't all at once LOL) And some people would let these things turn their hair gray, but not me... I enjoy my work being filled with all aspects of life... THAT keeps me young...

2) It challenges me! If you had asked me what I hate about my job (even just a month ago) I would have said, all the changes... but really, those changes were a challenge that I had to rise against. I had to figure out how to prepare my managers and our staff. I had to figure out where I could cut money so that money could be used. I had to trim almost 8% off our labor. I had to prep for Fire Suppression Inspections, Go-Kart and Bumper Car Inspections and Fire Marshall visits. I have to decide when to hire and when to fire and not to fire; when to hire and not to hire... At the park I'm at now, I had the privileged of doing most of the company foundations from scratch (including Handbooks, Procedure Manuals and Safety Manuals)...  What a blast...

3) It lets me grow young people... This is the best part... if for no other reason than this, I get to mold the next generation with knowledge, understanding, compassion, wisdom and general work habits... not so they'll stay at the park forever, but so they'll enter the world ready... It means so much to me to know that they'll look back and remember what was done for them... And I got to be a part of it...

Why do you do what you do?

Brian Lee

Just another Manager

Facebook.com/FECMGR

All Things Redemption

All Things Redemption!

I am going to try to make these bullets, but if you have questions or want clarification... just ask :-)

How to Structure a Redemption Area:

1) Say it with me... "Something for everyone." If you don't have a little something for everyone, you will miss customers. People will play to play, but if they have something to play for, they will inevitably play more. 

2) Merchandise your wall to be easy on the eye. Ie. Put like things together, or things that have similar color patterns. Use the items that light up to draw your attention to other prizes, etc.

3) Make it easy for the Customer to see, but also easy on the employee to suggestive sell.

4) Make your pricing high enough to maintain a good profit margin (We mark up 300% on bin items, 200% on small wall items and 150% on large wall items and electronics.) Things have to be attainable to be desirable...

5) Have a plan for ordering and for restocking. A plan is in place so that when the leader of the department is gone, someone else can slide in without too much disruption...

How to Buy for a Redemption Area:

1) Spend less money on high quality stuff. (If you are only buying from one dealer, I promise you are overspending on something... I promise!
2) Do your own ordering. If you have a company doing it for you, they will send you the crap they're trying to get rid off along with the good stuff... don't hold other companies junk...
3) Set a budget and stick with it. We allow our Redemption leader 15% of Arcade sales (based on last year) to buy for Redemption. Anything more than that has to be approved. This makes them WANT to buy quality items cheaper, so they can buy more! (Checks and Balances are GOOD!)
4) Always sell items at retail value to start with. If you get a Playstation 4 for $50 but they are retail for $500, don't mark it as 150% over $50... you mark it as 150% over $500... You paid for the savings in the department heads salary.
5) PLAN your buying... the last thing you want is to be the last one to order just to realize you missed out on the HOTTEST ITEM ON THE MARKET... (Been there before...) Also, plan buying based on what's coming out, not what is out... plan ahead for success!

How to Stock a Redemption Area:

1) Always keep your Redemption area FULL!
2) When you do run out of something, or sell more than you thought you would, make it LOOK like you still have a full Redemption Area. (Moving things forward on the pegs and push bin items to the front of the bins, or pull the bin all together...)
3) Plan what will replace each item if you are making a change, and don't get bogged down with giving away two $5 toys that have been discontinued. Leaving them on the shelf will lose you more money than what it cost you to make some little kids day...
4) Use an inventory sheet or a par sheet for ordering (If you need one, I can send you ours. It will save you SO MUCH TIME!!)
5) Use a little labor to keep your Redemption Area "shoppable" meaning, nothing should ever be turned backwards, it should all be easily seen. Keep ticket values displayed properly and make sure your staff is trained on the best ways to maintain a quality looking area.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have questions or need clarification!

Brian Lee
Just Some Manager trying to help
Facebook.com/FECMGR

The "F" in FEC

The Lee Family

2016 Family Vacation

Family is an important part of our society... heck, it's an important part of us. There are 2,500+ Dating sites (in the US) where singles go to find the one person in the world they want to begin a family with. There are 62,000 Non-Profits, geared specifically towards families, that made up almost 30 billion dollars in charitable giving in 2016. And let's face it, no matter what our personal views are, a majority in America puts emphasis on 'FAMILY'.

So what does that mean for a Family Entertainment Center? Well, it means that we need to understand the dynamics of this group and be cautious in our decision making. To be clear, I don't believe we let the 'Family' completely dictate us... but they should influence our thinking.

Here are some things we do in our park to make sure families are happy with their experience as a whole...

1) We turn off the 'Flag Girls' on our racing games and Big Buck Hunter HD. No one even notices that the girls aren't there, but I promise a mother would notice if they were. (I know from experience in fact LOL)

2) We train our staff to know 2 or 3 games that are geared towards each age group. (Or, if we don't have games for that age, how we accommodate that as a park. Recently, we got rid of our 'Children's' games and used that space for more racing, and crane games. Now, when a mom comes in, I tell them that kids 0-3 usually don't need much money on a card to really enjoy the Arcade because they just love to see all the flashing lights. The moms are always thankful that they can actually bring the toddler in and we don't mind them sitting at the Cruisin Blast and watching the cars fly by... that same mom will continue to come as the child grows up and she will bring her older kids too... It's all about our response (Plan a response)

3) We find ways of drawing on 'Family' time like we draw on Corporate outings and groups! Use families to increase revenue in the slow season by offering them something that sounds great to them, but is also worth while for your company. Maybe a Family Pack with 4 Go-Karts, 4 Unlimited Putt-Putt Golf and $40 in arcade for $80. (That's just $20 per person for about 2 hours of fun!)

Don't get stuck, however, thinking only about the little kids... you have to do something to make teens and dads want to come too (because lets face it, they need to be included for it to be a FAMILY outing). So dim the lights in the arcade... have TVs playing sports, let dads putt-putt for free when the family plays (because that won't cost you anything, but it could mean the world to his kids...).

Make sure you are living up to your name as a FAMILY Entertainment Center... It could make all the difference...


Brian Lee
General Manager
Charleston Fun Park
GM@charlestonfunpark.com
Join us at  Facebook.com/FECMGR

Managing Teens

Managing Teens

I think most Family Entertainment Centers are run by a large majority of teenagers, or at least that's what I have become accustom to. Usually around 65% or more are teens with the other 35% as adults (probably of which 90% of the adults are in management roles of some shape or form). 

Which is why I think this blog is so important... Managing teens is just another way of saying 'Managing' when it comes to FECs, and managing is key to success! So here are a few things I've learned in the last decade working with teens in different capacities.

1) They want to Learn! Teenagers today are not degenerates. To the contrary, they want to be the opposite of degenerates, they want to be productive and useful. They are just learning how to spread their wings and are on the verge of leaping from the nest... and we need to encourage them in that transition of life. So teach them. One of our 4 C's is 'Coaching' because we don't want to discipline our staff (because discipline is a negative word) - we want to coach them! If they think we are trying to harm them by punishing them, then they will shut down, but if they know you are only getting on their case to correct them so that they will be better workers and better people... they will do anything you ask without grudge or complaint. It also makes for a very positive feeling environment... and positivity begets positivity...

2) They want to be Organized! Help them in this! The responsibility of any manager of teens is to give them the tools to be organized individuals who can then function more orderly throughout life... (And all of them are different, so different approaches are necessary). I have some employees who don't have a 'cleaning' bone in their body, but one of our 4 C's is constant 'Cleanliness' in which our management staff instructs them to clean up wherever they are. If the bathroom is in disarray when you take a restroom break, then clean it up... If there is trash on the floor, pick it up... I heard from a mom a few months back that her son wouldn't clean his room for anything... now he walks through the house picking up and straightening up randomly as he passes through... They want organization but don't know how to get there... show them... Order is the conquering agent of Chaos...

3) They want to Succeed! This is the most important part of teen employees... the one thing you should latch on to and instruct your other managers to do likewise... Help them be successful! Set them up to succeed and give them the tools needed to get there... I will intentionally mark the dusty top of a game to see if it gets cleaned on Friday night. If it doesn't, I coach the person cleaning (that's a no brainer). But if it DOES get cleaned, we must also (and always) honor them for doing a great job! If you plan to punish, but don't plan to encourage - you aren't a manager, you're a tyrant... We need to encourage good behavior just as much if not MORE than we discourage bad behavior... because let's face it, they want our approval as managers more than we may ever know... Help them become good workers so that when they leave, they become active citizens in society...

As a final thought - When your employees leave, they should want to come back to see you... not because you became their friends, but because of the respect they have for what you and your managers did for them...

I'd love to hear your thoughts on Managing Teens and stories are always great... they teach others who might not be bold enough to ask!

Brian

Running a Fun Park (The Struggle is Real)

I want this blog to inspire and to challenge me.

I want this blog to help me to understand.

I want this blog to be a bridge between you (the reader) and I (the writer).

I want this blog to make us better at what we do...

The Struggle is Real

If you haven't ever been in charge before, it has its definite advantages and disadvantages. Sure, you make the schedule, it's 'your way or the highway' and the buck stops at YOU. But on the other hand, when you make the schedule it also means you have to fill the schedule when no one else can. When it's your way or the highway, it also means that if you point the highway going south, but you were meaning to go north... it's all on you... When the buck stops at you, it also means that the weight of all decision making is on your shoulders. 

I like to keep blogs brief - so I want to share 3 of my struggles with you.

1) The Repeating loop of Stress that comes from LABOR. I try to keep our park running at an overall Labor of about 15% (including salary managers and all). In order to do that, I work 3 shifts a week, as well as Friday and Saturday. I am often on the floor working on the weekend, and I use the week to do bills, payroll, scheduling, park walks and maintenance. I get EXHAUSTED because a lot of times I am working 45-65 hours a week, but this is what has to be done to maintain a low Labor Cost (and to me, it's worth it because of the benefits that come. (I can explain what those are if you're interested.)

2) The Repeating loop of Stress that comes from State and Local regulatory systems... We are just getting into our slow season, which for a manager means Fire Marshall Inspection, DEHEC, Sprinkler System Inspection and Go-Kart Inspection. All of that along with my day to day work can be a lot, but its also renovation season to fix up the park from the Holidays and ready for the Spring and Summer. This is then compounded by the fact that (for us) our town can be the worst to deal with. They want the most absurd things from us (which I think is just because we aren't a multi-billion dollar corporation... I guess that's why there aren't many locally owned companies in this particular town.)

3) It is so hard to keep up with the industry because things are ALWAYS changing. Did you hear that people are retrofitting their Key Masters to hold Yeezy shoes? They are apparently revolutionizing the Key Master Market... Did you hear that the best giant plush for the Xtreme Big One is Giant Pikachu? He made our company nearly $5,000 (on less than $400 worth of Product) in less than a month. Did you know that the Ticket Time Crane is coming out with a second edition that in beta testing is out doing the first edition by almost 30%. We can learn so much from one another. Let's talk and be active with one another in what we are doing to succeed... that way we don't have to struggle through the easy stuff :-)

I hope this was interesting! Comment away! And Hit us up on Facebook to Use our Open Forum

www.facebook.com/FECMGR

Brian Lee

General Manager

Charleston Fun Park