Dealing with Park Visitors Who Misbehave

"The customer is rarely right, but they're always the customer."

Phil Gaines joins to discuss the surge in misbehavior among park visitors after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are a number of factors that could have caused this increase. One is the increase in new visitors who were not familiar with the park's rules and regulations. Like many places, there also seemed to be a lack of customer service focus among staff. Both of those combined creates the inherent difficulty in managing large crowds.

This episode gives great reminders as to the importance of educating visitors about park etiquette. I love Phil's proactive approach to addressing potential issues. What ways are you addressing the concerns with visitor behavior before they have a chance to escalate?

In this episode, we discuss:

• factors behind increased misbehavior in parks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• the significance of educating visitors about park rules and regulations.

• responsibilities of park leaders in ensuring clean facilities and a positive visitor experience.

• how to embrace a ranger-first mentality and proactive approach to address misbehavior in park settings.

• how to separate personal emotions from work and concentrate on finding solutions

Instead of letting misbehavior among visitors ruin the park experience, take a proactive approach that could change the game for parks everywhere. Take a listen to this episode for ideas on how to take back control of the experience in parks.

Resources

www.parkleaders.com

https://parkleaders.com/about/

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Episode Highlights

00:02:21 - Increase in Misbehavior in Parks

00:06:08 - Tips for Dealing with Bad Behavior

00:10:25 - Importance of Presence

00:13:08 - Handling Bad Behavior

00:14:43 - Ranger First Mentality

00:16:21 - Advantages of Non-Law Enforcement for Education

00:19:06 - Don't Take It Personal

00:21:19 - Customer Expectations