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Preparing for Sports Tourism Events – Customer Service

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Customer Service: Preparing for Sports Tourism Events

When a major event is coming up at your sports tourism facility, there will be many details to plan for. From concessions inventory to staffing needs, you must be prepared to make the most of the influx of customers. The best way to ensure a safe, enjoyable and profitable event is by delivering friendly and well-trained customer service for your guests.
In the first of our two-part blog series, today the team at Sports Facility Advisory will discuss how to prepare for crowds during your sports tourism event.

Be Prepared with Refreshments and Concessions

Whether you are selling sports drinks or offering free orange wedges, you will want to be prepared for the large crowds during your sports tourism event. Selling refreshments is a great way to maximize revenue when your facility is at peak attendance. Plan ahead and make sure you have the right inventory at the right price to make the most of your expanded customer base.
If you are not planning on selling refreshments, you can still create a lot of value by offering free bottles of water or other promotional merchandise. Friendly customer service and small freebies will lead to happy customers and great word of mouth advertising. It may not be profitable to do a giveaway like this at every event, but it can go a long way towards increasing your brand awareness.

Coordinate with Leagues and Team Managers

Whether your sports tourism event is an NCAA basketball tournament or a little league baseball tournament, it is crucial to coordinate with all league representatives and team managers. Often, it will be the league reps and the team managers who ultimately choose your facility and finance your payment. So, ensure that you have a dedicated staff member who is closely coordinating with them and providing top notch customer service to meet any needs they may have.
All of the athletes and guests who attend your event are customers, but the leagues and managers who choose your facility should be considered customers as well. Make sure that you provide excellent customer service to league reps and managers — as well as the athletes and audience members.

Hire Additional Staff Members

Friendly and helpful customer service is the best way to ensure that every event-goer leaves with a positive experience. Those positive experiences will translate into positive online reviews and great word of mouth advertising. You simply can’t buy better advertising than rave reviews and personal referrals, all within one of your most valuable targeted customer bases.
Plan to have extra staff members on hand to make sure there is always a friendly face ready to help. Whether providing customer service, handling security, officiating games, or giving out free water bottles and promotional merchandise, extra staff will make your event feel well-planned and make your facility feel comfortable, safe and properly appointed.

Prepare for Sports Tourism with Sports Facility Advisory

Whether you are preparing for your first sports tourism event or you are an experienced event planner, there is always room for improvement in customer service and revenue growth. The team at Sports Facility Advisory offers a comprehensive suite of services to optimize operations at your facility. Reach out to our team today to learn more. Give us a call at (727) 474-3845 or contact us online.

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