When this you see, remember me

by Jill Bartholomew
Homewood-Flossmoor Park District

When you walk into a park district facility, is your first impression formed by a welcome sight or a lobby which has cobwebs, worn out or dirty carpets, burned out lightbulbs, magazines strewn across the counter, and the smell of stale cigarettes?

Everyone has encountered this kind of experience. However, those of us who work in facilities where the public visits every day also have the ability to control the environment. So, why don't we?

Every week we visit other buildings and while some experiences are pleasant, others are distasteful at best. Some examples include: You enter the grocery store and an automatic floor grid opens the door when you step on it. A nice touch. The entrance to your favorite grocery store has numerous signs tacked to a bulletin board listing garage sale locations and lost animals. Once inside the door, the bakers are usually baking some divine creation which entices you to purchase something you had never planned to purchase. These are examples of good marketing strategies.

Down the street, the gas station promotes self-service. But, as one enters the building to pay for the gas, one can see faded road maps in the rack, and an old chrome chair for the unlucky person who must wait while his car is being repaired. Then there is the sound of the mechanic working in the nearby garage. The attendant is never there to collect your money

"Some facilities are top-notch...others look tired and worn out. It is our job to keep people coming back and to make our facilities places where visitors want to Take Time For Fun."

and so you wait at the greasy counter for the mechanic to come out from under the car. Next, you are sorry you did not have the exact change because you know he is going to have to count out your change with his grimy hands.

Then there is the automated bank area where you drive your car up to a machine. A tube is waiting to take your money and swallow it. As the metal door closes, you realize there are people watching you from behind the bullet-proof glass waiting to take care of your deposit. Suddenly, a mysterious voice says, "Thank you." A contest should be held that doubles your money if you guessed correctly which one of the tellers processed your drop.

These bank lobbies are really outside drive-through lanes with lights indicating if the station is opened or closed. Nothing catchy to attract your attention or interesting enough to urge you to purchase anything.

As in all of the above mentioned places of business, there are many people passing through the doors daily. The same is true of all of our recreational facilities. So, when was the last time you really scrutinized your lobby entrance?

Some facilities are top-notch with care taken in everything. Others look tired and worn out. It is our job to keep people coming back and to make our facilities a place where visitors want to "Take Time For Fun.'' The first impression should be

a good one and we all know service is the name of the game. Service is the personal part of our lobbies and counters. The lobbies and entrances should also have a fine appearance.

When walking into a facility, what do our customers see? Are the hours posted for the building's operation? Are there registration forms available than can be filled out while customers are waiting? Are the bulletin boards boasting upcoming attractions? Does the place seem to welcome the public? Does it have that home-like atmosphere, inviting visitors to come in?

Recently, while visiting a shabby facility, it occurred to me that it has to be most embarrassing working there much less greeting the public. The person behind the glass did not smile and was sitting at a desk which was totally cluttered. The window blinds looked like someone must have gotten caught in them and has obviously lost the fight. The lobby chairs had stuffing coming out of them and the out-of-date fliers on the wall were curled where the tape had yellowed. The only surviving plant had a cigarette butt stuck in the dirt. Believe me, very few people would want to participate in anything after seeing the reception area.

It would have taken so little effort to liven up this place. A few new chairs, maybe some music playing in the background, removing the dead plant and cleaning up the surviving plant, would add a lot to the area. Removing the blinds and up dating the bulletin board with fliers boasting current, seasonal information, and a cheerful, friendly greeting would be obvious solutions to making visitors feel welcome. This all could be done at such little cost. One wonders if the manager uses the back door and never sees the entrance.

Another facility was visually beautiful and enticed patrons to visit it often. You felt proud to be a part of it. The glass doors always seem to be fingerprint clean. The floor mats at the entrance are well taken care of and the maintenance staff is actually seen at all times of the day. They were busy vacuuming and picking up litter from the lounge tables and dusting the television screen. The clientele did not seem to mind even though it is a very busy place with a country club atmosphere.

The ideal recreational facility entrances should have clean windows, recreational

"Next time you walk into the building where you work, pretend you are visiting it for the first time. Take a minute to look at your entrance. Does it look inviting? Would you return to this facility?"

brochures and magazines about our profession, along with current activities from different departments that cross sell to other departments.

Current plaques should adorn the walls promoting the districts' accomplishments or who the current tournament winners are. Information should contain pertinent facts to help promote our daily work. We must also remember that some customers only enter some of our buildings at registration time.

With seasonal facilities, the parking lot is often the lobby entrance just like the drive-through bank. These areas are also part of our clients' impressions of us.

How often have you visited an outdoor concession stand where the garbage containers are overflowing and the hot dog wrappers are blowing up against the fence? The facility staff should have a list of housekeeping activities which they are responsible for hourly. A lifeguard is just as capable of locker room duty as is the cashier or maintenance person. Walt Disney didn't only design great facilities, he also created a whole world of magic including disposing of the mess. A good appearance can help sell a facility.

At some districts, the summer pool staff agreements include pool maintenance as part of each person's job with hourly times assigned. The staff learns how to pull out weeds and water flowers along the pool deck areas and keep the lounge chairs neatly arranged. The out-of-doors becomes our lobby on display and should be well maintained. You want your customers to like the environment so much that they come back and visit often. We are the public's country club.

During the winter, snow removal and the spreading of salt and sand becomes a high priority. Those same safety materials, however, become a nuisance to our lobbies. These same wonderful people who run vacuums and scrub toilets are, again, usually the ones who get to clean up our salt tracks and mop up our people-puddles. Custodians are truly our unsung heroes.

In your seasonal staff training, you should always train your full- and part-time staff members that the most important person in the organization is the maintenance person. He truly does have all of the keys. Listen to him and invite him into your discussions on how to improve your lobby image. After all, he is probably the one who will help you keep your entrance looking sharp.

Next time you walk into the building where you work, pretend you are visiting it for the first time. Take a minute to look at your entrance. Does it look inviting? Listen to the music and the voices of the persons who are answering the phones and working with the public. Would you return to this facility to partake in your favorite leisure pursuits? Is it the friendliest place in town? The answers should be yes.