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Though an escape room business may have some repeat customers, most will be brand new players. So you’ll be needing a way of continuously bringing them to your door. And though there are many ways to publicize your business, more especially so with the advent of social media, there’s only one that comes up with the results. And that’s word of mouth.
Imagine if every previous player was now working for you as a salesperson. Constantly harping on about the fabulous experience they had. And you don’t even have to pay them! Let’s have a look in greater detail at how to achieve fantastic player numbers for your escape room game.
One of the best and most effective ways of selling anything is via referrals. Essentially, you have created such a good experience, that those who’ve played will go on to become missionaries for your cause. Free salespeople, if you like. Not only do you gain more customers, but the method of capturing them has cost you nothing. What’s not to love!
These referrals are called online reviews in the world of internet social media marketing. And they matter. A lot! It’s one of the only metrics anyone can use to see how a business is graded on factors like cost, value, and overall player experience. Good honest reviews will boost a business like no other type of advertising. And bad reviews can kill a business stone dead. In monetary terms, the difference between a good and a bad review could be tens of thousands of dollars.
For the sake of your business, you want all feedback to be absolutely honest. Anything less, and you’ll have no idea what you might need to change. Because of the relative newness of the whole escape room industry, it has relied a great deal on this new form of internet marketing. Many escape room businesses report that reviews account for over 50% of new business.
Let’s have a look at the reasons you want to be collecting reviews.
If it wasn’t for the internet, then where would you advertise your escape room business? So, as you’re going to be making use of this form of advertising, then good reviews are a simple but effective means of connecting with your audience. Great reviews also bring traffic to your web site, leading to customers who might not have considered an escape room game, now being tempted to take part.
The internet can be used to promote businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re a small one-man and or an international chain, the reviews will still count towards moving new customers in your direction. The reviewer doesn’t care about the size of the business, only whether they had a good time, though it was value for money, how the staff treated them, and would they recommend it to a friend or acquaintance.
Proving a track record of constantly providing the best possible experience will always go a long way in the eyes of potential customers. Also, it’ll increase the awareness of local business owners around your location. It’s often the case that if one business is doing well, then there’s a benefit for many businesses around. Maybe the players want to visit the local pub or restaurant after a game. As they say, a rising tide should lift all boats. If you own an upstanding and valued business, then you’ll have the whole local community at your side.
The more positive reviews you have, the more love you’ll get from Google. It’ll create a nice feedback loop, as the more positive a number of received feedbacks, the greater emphasis you’ll gain from the internet search engines. Your business ranking will steadily be climbing. This will increase your visibility on the front page of search. And so lead to a lot more customers.
First things first. Please take the time and sign up for all social networks and relevant websites.
Facebook,Twitter, Instagram,Tripadvisor, Pinterest, and Yelp. Once you’ve signed up, it’s time to start collecting those reviews.
As your goal is to get as many reviews as possible, it makes sense to make the review leaving process as easy as possible. So don’t go overboard with the Captcha. Likewise don’t force customers to make a registration. As most reviews will be left by mobile, make sure that leaving a review is as easy as an SMS. Overall, you want the whole review process to be as simple and as straightforward as possible.
Remember to create escape room communities. You can use a Facebook Page for this. Be sure to post interesting and relevant topics there.
After every game, there must be a debrief. The debrief is an essential part of the whole feedback factor. It will allow you to ask questions as well as setting you up for better feedback. One of the main points about asking the players about the game as soon as it’s complete, but before they leave is that it can negate any criticism later down the road. Customers are much more likely to complain there and then. This gives you the chance to answer these questions and smooth any ruffled feathers. If you get only positive feedback from a whole team of players, then ask them to leave that as feedback. Because they’ll all be feeling positive and on a slight “high” after completing the room you have a greater chance of them posting it.
Escape Rooms are a highly satisfying experience, especially for someone playing for the first time.
We would suggest staying well away from the celebrity endorsement. That’s because the value of the review is only as good as the reviewer is trustworthy. A perfect stranger will leave a better performing review than that coming from a celebrity. The problem here is that there’s always a tiny voice in the back of many people’s minds, that the celebrity has received some form of favor or payment, thus making them less trustworthy.
After some time, the number of reviews will start rising. So, where should you put them? The first thing is to divide them into the good and the bad. All positive reviews should, as a matter of course be going to your employees as a means of letting them know they’re doing a great job. At the same time, these reviews need to go on the front page of all your web properties. It’s important that all new visitors can see them straight away, so please don’t hide them. You should wear them as a badge of pride….you’re doing a great job and you’re happy to have potential customers see that fact. This leads us to the negative comments.
If you’re running your business in a hands-on manner, then negative comments either are simple from unhappy customers who are just unhappy in themselves, or from real customers who are wanting to help you improve. Please remain calm as you read them. Don’t be disappointed. Yes, there will be some that are illogically unfair. And some will be nit-picks which they have chosen to make into a huge song and dance. But be sure to take every negative customer comment seriously. It doesn’t take many for your reputation to take a nosedive.
When you receive a negative review, don’t file it away to deal with at a later date. React to it immediately. Try and walk in the shoes of that customer. And then look at what the business can do to avoid a repeat of the behavior or actions that caused the initial complaint. If they have posted their complaint on social media, then please take the time to respond in a friendly and informal manner. Apologize and suggest how things will be different from now on. If the problem was a personal one, then try to find a resolution off line or in private. Whatever you do, never argue with a customer, never be condescending or haughty. Always remain respectful and kind. No matter how frustrating the situation might be. There’s never a need to air the dirty laundry for everyone to see.
If the proportion of bad to good reviews is growing negatively, then your business has a problem. Find it before you’re toast. One other point is that you should instruct your staff as to how they should deal with “difficult” customers. Many of the negative reviews we have seen on escape room game’s websites were just a matter of the game master paying more attention or failing to explain everything clearly.
Treat the customer with respect at all times. Be courteous and helpful. Train your staff to understand that the business is only as good as the service it offers.
