CenterEdge Software Blog

Keep your team healthy and high-performing with these tips.  

With all of the challenges in hiring and maintaining front-line staff today, cultivating a strong work culture is more important than ever. While some factors may be beyond your control, you can still set your business up for success by being the kind of employer that people want to work for.

Today, we're sharing a few no-cost ways to keep morale high, so you don't have to worry about unnecessary attrition on top of everything else. May the odds be ever in your favor. 

Settle in with a pumpkin-spice latte and move your business forward with these tips.  

I'm not saying I'm ready to say goodbye to summer, but the recent cooler temperatures are bringing to mind the very real fact that fall is nearly here.

In years past, have you noticed that that latter part of the year seems to fly by in a rush of work and obligations? With all that the holiday season entails, many FEC owners have shared that there never seems to be enough time to take full advantage of one of the most profitable times of the year. 

That's why we put together a quick list of five steps to take now that can help you plan for a strong finish to 2021.

Your birthday party experience can be a guest's first exposure to your business, so it's essential that you deliver on your promises. 

Birthday parties are great offerings for your business and can bring in an entirely new audience. But those brand new guests (and their parents) are making decisions about not just parties at your facility, but also your entire experience, from the moment they first engage with you. 

That's why it's essential that you develop a party experience that you can deliver again and again at the right level. Here are a few steps to help you do just that. 

Poor leadership habits and traits can negatively impact your team, your guests, and your bottom line. 

Great leaders often share many of the same characteristics and habits, and there's no shortage of lists of personality and leadership traits that we can all strive to develop. But sometimes, those tricky bad habits can sneak into our behaviors and hinder our ability to be the best bosses or teammates. But they're not always easy to recognize.

That's why we put together this quick list of 10 things great leaders never do to help you identify any derailing behaviors that are keeping you from being the leader you want to be. 

A well-structured new hire onboarding program can help your facility build a strong team culture and an impressive guest experience. 

Staffing is a major issue affecting many family entertainment venues these days. But when you do manage to hire new staff, failing to onboard them properly can not only derail your guest experience but also your employee engagement.

You have one shot to make a first impression with your guests -  and your new team member(s). That's why we wanted to revisit this important topic to help you build or strengthen your onboarding process and start new team members off on the right foot. 

Kathy Barton, Guest Services Manager of ZooMontana, shares how faster guest transactions, more personalized member experiences, and time to focus on what matters most helps ZooMontana rise to every new challenge.

Nearly every amusement park or entertainment venue has to work through the challenges of scaling up as the business begins to grow. Knowing when to invest in new attractions, facility upgrades, and new management tools can be tricky.

We recently sat down with Kathy Barton, ZooMontana's Guest Services Manager, who shared their recent experience upgrading to CenterEdge, and the surprising benefits they’ve seen as a result. Here’s what she had to say:

Use these steps to successfully use storytelling in training and coaching sessions.

It has been terrific getting back together at recent industry events and educational sessions like Bowl Expo and Amusement Expo. Many of the educational sessions at the events were nothing short of inspiring, with funny and relevant stories shared all around. 

You’ve no doubt heard of the benefits of storytelling in marketing, brand management, and sales. It’s also an extremely effective tool to use when training your staff. Today, we’re sharing an example of masterful storytelling from a marketing conference I attended, delivered by Meghan Gardner, Chief Executive Officer of Guardian Adventures. Guardian Adventures, a consulting firm that develops unique educational programs for various industries and ages, uses storytelling to build immersive and exciting sessions that stick.

Today’s blog was written by CenterEdge Trainer, Alex Buenrostro, with input from two FEC industry veterans from our training team, Andy Rye and Matthew Mayer. 

By Alex Buenrostro

There has been a recent influx of onboarding new FEC and amusement team members and that includes a lot of new supervisors and managers. We’ve been getting a lot of questions about onboarding new managers and the skills they need to be able to run effective shifts and oversee operations. So we put together this getting started guide to help new managers build a strong foundation. And as always, we’re here to help.

Avoid extra stress by following these time management tips. 

As a busy operator, you are often pulled in many directions, which can lead to overwhelm, burnout, and inefficiency. But when you’re running the business, every inefficiency can cost you more than just time. Poor time management skills can lead to excessive rework, employee turnover, poor guest service, and reduced revenue and profitability. 

In short, you can’t afford it, and you don’t have to. That’s why we’re sharing seven easy-to-implement tips to help you build stronger time management practices that will help you operate smarter and more efficiently. 

Give your team purpose through a clear company mission and values. 

Some people believe that company mission or vision statements and core values are corporate jargon without a real place in business, but nothing could be further from the truth.

But just like every other aspect of your business, you must be intentional about creating the guiding principles that give your business the focus and direction necessary to build a strong culture and winning brand.

Read on for three ways they can help drive your business forward, with a few tips and resources to get them right.