It’s often the case with large facilities that they happen to be very well designed for supporting visitors with state-of-the-art amenities but, visitor experience does not match up to the hype and organization of the space. Despite the management’s best efforts to guarantee a 5-star rating from visitors for their venue, the outcome cannot be controlled.
So, read on to know the 5 professional ways through which large facilities can benefit by increasing visitor experience.
But first, let’s list down some large facilities that are most commonly spread across the globe.
Types of large facilities based on area covered and assets managed:
- Museums
- Medical Facilities
- Shopping Malls and Retail Campuses
- Zoos & Wildlife Parks
- Resorts and Theme Parks
- Educational Facilities
- Office Spaces
- Convention Centers
While at the museum…
Let’s take museums for instance. Museums are spread over large areas both horizontally and vertically to display the artifacts they have in their collection. There are also spaces dedicated for organizing an auction when the artifact in question has an extensive reputation.
However, despite the indoors being aptly decorated, well lit and deftly managed, there is no guarantee of visitors investing on what’s for sale. Added to that, there is no guarantee if visitors would actually visit the museum the next time or even recommend it to anyone.
What could be the problem? Addressing this context, Colin Mulberg has written an interesting article which brings to the surface certain issues in enhancing visitor experience at museums.
What about visitor experience in zoos or national parks?
A similar situation with slightly different consequences could occur in a large facility such as a zoo or a national park. Visitors usually enter with expectations which, when not met, leave alone surpassed, could send the popularity graph of the facility downhill.
What if due to mismanagement of time the visitors weren’t guided on some of the attractions the facility had to offer?
And in medical facilities…
In the case of extensive medical facilities, where-in visitors have a baffling time navigating through to departments of interest and spaces of liaison, there is no promise of a relaxed visitor experience. Adding to the pensiveness of the situation is the trouble one has to go through to locate a lab, a rest room or a coffee vending machine.
Let’s now look at the 5 professional ways using which large facilities can enhance visitor experience and generate higher revenue.
1) Deploying CCTV Technology
Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras placed strategically around the facility does help a great deal in monitoring the health of the infrastructure as well as personnel movements. There have been scores of cases where CCTV technology has helped management arrive at meaningful decisions based on the footage recorded. Customers have showered positive feedback on organizations which have helped them trace a missing object or locate a person using this technology. Hence, CCTV technology does enhance large facility management in a big way.
2) Use of Indoor Navigation Apps
Indoor Positioning and Navigation Apps come in very handy when enhancing visitor experience as they can combine various features into one single application. For a high-performance and collaborative workplace, smart phone applications need to go beyond basic features such as indoor navigation and wayfinding. The app needs to have features such as instant updates and notifications, emergency management, in-app communication, etc. For instance, the Attractions Indoor Positioning and Navigation app is one such unique application which helps in 360 degree management of a large facility. When visitors can effortlessly access a facility through this application it is bound to create a positive impact on them, motivating them to return to the place as often as possible. Except in the case of medical facilities, of course!
3) Training Staff on Etiquette
Training staff on behavioral aspects leading to professional expertise has been one of the most tried and tested methods since decades, and it still stays quite relevant to various business enterprises and organizations. It can be observed that organizations which have a healthy bottom line are the ones who invest optimally on training their staff in an effort to heighten customer experience. Shopping malls, resorts, theme parks, and other facilities which are host to constant visits from customers need their staff to be well trained and organized to generate better sales. However, despite the quality and frequency of training there is always room for human to errors to creep in which might harm visitor experience leading to a dip in revenues.
4) Infrastructure Treatment
Ensuring the infrastructure is in proper shape despite the wear and tear caused by regular usage is a vital part of space management within a large facility. Right from the colors used to the intensity of a room freshener can make or break an impression. While many business enterprises do invest a significant amount of their revenue in keeping their space functional and convenient for visitors to use, it is not always sure to bring in positive feedback due to various other reasons. Of course, having a swanky place which is well maintained and attended to will always be a welcome sight for visitors who are looking for a pleasant time at your facility.
5) Emergency Management
The prime responsibility of managers of a large facility is to ensure the safety and security of the visitors. While, large facilities do usually have a system in place for managing emergencies such as fire outbreaks, water logs, earthquakes, etc., communicating the same to visitors is also one of the key ways for obtaining positive feedback from visitors. Visitors always want to keep safety information handy in order to react in the most orderly way in the face of a natural disaster or unforeseen calamities.
Here is a table which indicates the priority accorded to each professional way with respect to the facility:
| Facility | CCTV | Indoor Navigation Apps | Staff Training | Infrastructure Treatment | Emergency Management |
| Museums | Moderate | High | Moderate | High | High |
| Medical Facilities | Moderate | High | High | High | High |
| Zoos & National Parks | Moderate | High | Moderate | Moderate | High |
| Educational Facilities | Moderate | Moderate | Marginal | High | High |
| Shopping Malls | High | High | High | High | High |
| Resorts & Theme Parks | Moderate | High | High | High | High |
| Office Spaces | Marginal | High | Marginal | High | High |
| Convention Centers | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | High | High |
| Warehouses | Moderate | High | Marginal | Moderate | High |
Based on the above table it can be observed that integrating technology (CCTV or indoor navigation apps) with necessities such as emergency management and indoor collaboration becomes an essential aspect of enhancing the visitor experience in large facilities.
A recent study conducted showcased interesting results where-in youth were able to experience the facility better and stayed there for a longer time when they used smart phones or mobile devices to navigate, when compared to those who did not use a device. Though the study focused on museums as its test arena, it is quite evident that technology can be successfully employed by any large business enterprise once it is customized to suit their operational goals.
Clearly, using upcoming technologies enabled on a smart phone does enhance visitor experience owing to its consistency in management and real-time information provided on the facility.
Also read our blog 7 Reasons why shopping malls, hospitals and huge facilities need indoor navigation apps [Navigation Technologies]