If you're a tour or activity operator, then you know that tour guides are essential to the success of your business.
They are the ones who interact with customers and give them a memorable experience. That's why it's important to manage your tour guides effectively. In this blog post, we will discuss some tips for doing just that!
What Is Tour Guide Management?
Tour guide management is the process of organizing, scheduling, and supervising tour guides.
It involves ensuring they are properly trained and have the necessary tour guide skills to provide a great customer experience.
Additionally, it ensures that tour guides are following company policies and procedures.
Why Is Tour Guide Management Important?
There are several reasons why it is important for a great tour experience.
First, it helps to ensure the safety of both tour guides and customers. Second, it helps tour operators run their businesses smoothly and efficiently. Third, it helps to create a positive company image and reputation. All of these contribute to growing tour bookings and keeping happy customers.
How to Effectively Manage Your Tour Guides
Now that we've discussed why it is so important, let's talk about how to do it effectively.
Here are some tips:
Clearly communicate expectations to tour guides
Regular communication is vital. Think about what you want tour guides to do and then communicate those expectations clearly. Be sure to provide training so that they know how to meet your expectations.
Doing this is important because it will help tour guides understand what is expected of them. Additionally, it will help to prevent misunderstandings and miscommunications down the road.
Schedule shifts wisely
When creating tour guide schedules, be sure to consider things like customer demand and tour guide availability. You'll also want to take into account the skills of each tour guide.
For example, if you have a tour guide who is especially good with kids, you may consider scheduling them for family-friendly tours.
You can also organize tour guides by assigning them specific days and times to work.
This will help you or your tour director, if you have one, keep track of who is working and when, and it will also make it easier for tour guides to plan their schedules.
Make it easier for them to keep track of your guests' information
Tour guides will be interacting with customers and collect important information from them. It's important to make it as easy as possible for tour guides to keep track of this information.
One way to do this is by using a tour operator online booking system with features for managing tour guides. Look for a function that allows tour guides to input information easily and access it from their mobile devices. This will help ensure that tour guides have the information they need when they need it.
Assign customer categories to your clients
You can make tour guide management even easier by assigning customer categories to your tour groups. This will help tour guides know what type of tour to give and how to best cater to the needs of each group.
For example, you may want to assign a "first-time visitors" category to customers who are new to the area. This will help tour guides know that they need to provide more information and be extra helpful.
Below is an infographic of a good tour guide management:
Key Takeaways
Tour guide management is essential for any tour or activity operator.
By clearly communicating expectations, scheduling tour guide shifts wisely, and making it easier for tour guides to keep track of customer information, you can ensure that your tour guides are providing a great experience for your customers.
Grow your Business with TicketingHub's Booking System
If you're looking for the best tour operator software to help with tour guide management and growing direct bookings, be sure to check out TicketingHub.
TicketingHub is designed to help tour guides manage their tours and provide a great experience for customers.
Here are just a few of the reasons why you should choose TicketingHub:
- Lightweight booking widget that matches your brand
- A wide range of automation tools
- A dedicated team of experts
- Fast integration to your website
- 24/7 top-notch customer support
Ticketinghub features to help you thrive
- Keep track of your guests and their information in real-time
- Reconcile employee shifts and schedules
- Automate guide assignments
- Manage customer expectations with categories
Read these before choosing a tour booking software:
- 10 Key Features Tour Operators Need in a Tour Booking Software for Distillery Tours
- How to Find the Best Online Booking System for Tours and Activities
- 3 Steps: How to Select Your Tour Booking Software Right
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