We get calls in the office on a daily basis from irate guests who get the wrong tickets, or don’t understand what tickets they purchased.  When you close the sale, you should always give the guest the “Times & Information” brochure for whichever tickets they purchased.  Make sure you review what parks are included (many people get confused between Hollywood Studios and Universal Studios) and how long they have to use the tickets.  Remember, multi-day Disney and Sea World tickets must be used WITHIN 14 DAYS, and Universal tickets must be used WITHIN 7 DAYS.  Review the park hours with them and IF THEY ARE BUYING MAGIC KINGDOM TICKETS ON THE DAY OF A MNSSHP EVENT, MAKE SURE YOU LET THEM KNOW THE PARK CLOSES AT 6 PM.

 

DISNEY SEASONS – CHECK THE CALENDAR CLOSELY WHEN SELLING ONE DAY TICKETS

When selling ONE DAY DISNEY TICKETS, be sure to ask your guests “What day will you be visiting the park?”.  We will be in REGULAR SEASON from tomorrow, 9/1 through Monday, 9/4, and then every Friday through Sunday in September.  Besides this Monday, every Monday through Thursday will be VALUE SEASON during the month of September.

 

MICKEY’S NOT SO SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY (MNSSHP)

The dates for upcoming MNSSHP are 8/31, 9/3, 9/7, 9/9, 9/11, 9/14, 9/16 and 9/18.  Don’t forget that with our tickets, guests can enter the Magic Kingdom as early as 4 pm.  This is a great alternative if you have guests wanting to visit the Magic Kingdom on these dated if they’re getting a late start.  The park will be less crowded, there will be Trick or Treat stations located throughout the park, and 25 of the major rides and shows will be operating.  Also, for every pay period (2 weeks), we will be giving a $20 bonus for every 10 tickets sold!

 

UPRGRADABLE DISNEY TICKETS

Sometimes we have guests that one to add additional features to their tickets.  Here is a reminder about the policies for Disney:  Tickets MUST be upgraded before leaving the park on the final day.  There must be entitlements remaining on them in order for them to be upgraded.  THE SPECIAL FREE HOPPER TICKETS ARE NOT UPGRADABLE AT ALL.  No additional days or features can be added.  TIMESHARE TICKETS ARE NOT UPGRADABLE AT ALL.  Once they use their tickets, no additional days or features can be added to the tickets.  CONVENTION TICKETS ARE UPGRADABLE.  Additional days or features CAN be added as long as there is a day remaining on the ticket.

 

DISNEY HOSPITALITY DAYS TRAINING

The new Disney Hospitality Days program is here!  All of you must attend one of the 3 training sessions on either Tuesday, 9/11 or Wednesday, 9/12.  We already have too many people requesting the PM shift off on 9/11, so please choose a different time to attend.  The link to rsvp is:  www.disneyurl.com/hospitalitydays.  Your hospitality passes will be given to you at the end of the session.  If any of you have entitlements left on your current passes, YOU NEED TO USE THEM NOW, BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET YOUR NEW PASSES, YOUR CURRENT PASSES WILL BE TURNED OFF. 

 

SEA WORLD BUY ONE GET ONE 1/2 OFF

This offer is available only ONLINE on Sea World’s website and is not available at the gate.  It will continue through Sunday, September 9th.  You should only be selling this offer if a guest mentions it and you have to do a price match.  Otherwise sell the tickets at regular price.  Please see the previous e-mails through When to Work explaining how to sell them.

 

RAINY DAYS

As a good Concierge, you should look at the weather forecast daily and let your guests know that in Orlando, it rains every day.  They should plan accordingly.  Let them know which parks and attractions are the most indoors and that they don’t have to let rain stop them from going to the parks.  Many times the parks will be less crowded and most of the rides will still be operating unless there is lightning.  Please let them know that once our tickets are scanned, they are non-refundable and they need to check with each park regarding their rain policies.

 

LEGOLAND FREE PARKING HAS BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3RD

Besides being the HIGHEST commission ticket that we sell, another good reason to sell Legoland is the the FREE PARKING has been extended through Monday, September 3rd.  Please be sure to mention Legoland to all of your guests!

 

AGS SEA WORLD TRADESHOW

So far, we have 84 employees signed up.  That means about 60 of you have not signed up yet.  All of you MUST attend this event!  It’s a great way to learn about our vendors, plus there’s food, drinks, prizes and fun!  You can spend 30 minutes there or an hour or two, BUT YOU WILL NOT BE THERE FOR 5 HOURS.  So there is no need to request time off.  Please plan on coming before or after your shift.  Encourage all of your work friends to attend as well – Front Desk, OPC’s, Bellmen, Restaurant workers, etc.  RSVP at ags2018.eventbrite.com.

 

EMPLOYEE NOTES

Happy Birthday to Teresita G. on 9/2, Felipe L. on 9/10, Robert M. on 9/6, Melissa R. on 9/10, and Johayleen R. on 9/9!

 

We can’t stress how important it is to be proactive and ENGAGE with guests.  What does this mean?  When you have no one at your desk, you should be actively engaging with your guests in the lobby and/or breakfast area.  Pass out stickers to the kids.  Engage in a conversation with them!  Let them know you are the Concierge and you are there to help them!  Offer them coupons for area restaurants and park maps.  I will give you an example of how well this works.  The sales at Embassy Suites has been below budget for quite some time.  So we started putting Lori there.  Lori is constantly walking around the lobby talking to guests, passing out candy to the kids, and engaging in conversations with them.  Since she’s been there, the GM has gotten a lot of great comments, our sales have increased and Lori’s CHECK has increased.  She is the perfect example of what all of you need to do to get the same results.  Try it!

 

MICKEY’S NOT SO SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY (MNSSHP)

Friday, August 17th marks the FIRST night for MNSSHP.  For those of you who weren’t here in previous years, this is a specially ticketed after hours event that we sell at the Magic Kingdom.  The event usually starts at 7 pm, but guests with our tickets can enter as early as 4 pm.  There is trick-or-treating for the kids with candy stations throughout the park, a special Boo to You Halloween parade, and the Hallowishes Fireworks show.  Costumes on kids are allowed, but please check the webpage for restrictions.  Remember to check your Magic Kingdom hours because if there is a MNSSHP event, the park opens 1 hour earlier, BUT CLOSES AT 6 PM!  Here is more information about new stuff for 2018 as well as what attractions are open during the event:

A New Spin on Spooky
New in 2018, delight in twists and treats at some beloved attractions! Discover a fresh spin on the Mad Tea Party, featuring new lighting and effects. On Pirates of the Caribbean, join some rookie pirates in their search for “Gunpowder Pete.” And on Space Mountain, hurtle through deep space with a new soundtrack.

Attractions Open During the Event
Enjoy access to dozens of beloved attractions during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, including:

Main Street, U.S.A.

• Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom

Adventureland

• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Swiss Family Treehouse

Frontierland

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Splash Mountain

Liberty Square

• Haunted Mansion

Fantasyland

• Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
• “It’s a small world”
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Mad Tea Party
• Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Storybook Circus

• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• The Barnstormer

Tomorrowland

• Astro Orbiter
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Space Mountain
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover

 

PLEASE BE VERY THOROUGH WHEN EXPLAINING TICKETS – READ THEM OUT LOUD AS YOU PASS THEM OVER

Guys, we continue to have guest issues because the tickets are not being explained well.  When selling Disney tickets, please make sure you give the guest a map and CIRCLE the parks that are included so they are perfectly clear.  We just had a guest show up at Universal Studios with Hollywood Studios tickets.  If they are purchasing partial day Convention Tickets, you must make sure they are PERFECTLY clear that they will NOT be able to enter the park until After 1 pm or After 5 pm depending on the ticket purchased.  For all multi-day or multi-park tickets, you MUST tell the guest how long they have to use the tickets.  I’ve mentioned this many times, but here it is again:  DISNEY – 14 DAYS; SEA WORLD – 14 DAYS; UNIVERSAL 7 DAYS.  When selling Sea World tickets, please be VERY CAREFUL and explain to guests the difference between Sea World with a Meal, and Sea World with All Day Dining.  We’ve had several situations happen recently with these tickets.  Remember, Sea World with Meal is only ONE meal including a non-alcoholic beverage, and entree, and a side at select locations.  The All Day Dining gives unlimited snacks, non-alcoholic beverages and food throughout the day at many locations.  Make sure you make your guest VERY CLEAR about this when handing the tickets over.  Many people expect the parks to be open until 10 or 11 pm year round, and they don’t realize that in the slower season, they may close at 6 or 7 pm.  This is especially important with the Magic Kingdom whenever there is a MNSSHP event.  The park will be opening 1 hour earlier at 8 am on these dates, but closing at 6 pm.  

 

DISNEY SEASONS – VALUE FROM 8/27 – 8/31

Make sure you are keeping an eye on the Disney Seasons for all One Day Ticket sales.  We remain in REGULAR season for now, but the last week in August drops to VALUE (from 8/27 – 8/31).  Please be sure to check your calendar before quoting any prices.

 

MANAGER’S CELL PHONE NUMBERS

Please do not give a guest a manager’s cell phone number without the permission from that manager.  Many times we are in meetings or we will not answer the phone if we see an unknown number coming up on caller ID.  If a guest has an issue and they want to speak to a manager, please have them call the office and we will direct them to the appropriate manager.  If it’s urgent, YOU call the manager and give that manager the details of the situation before having the guest talk to the manager.  There’s nothing more frustrating than getting a call from someone you don’t know and having them yell at you without being aware of the situation.

 

CHAIN OF COMMAND

As managers, we love you all and would like nothing more than to talk to each one of you for hours on end.  However, many times we have meetings, appointments, conference calls, e-mails to answer, or we may be dealing with an irate guest on the phone.  So we have a lot going on.  With that said, please make your Team Lead the first point of contact for any issues you may have.  They are getting paid more to assist you and that’s what they are there for.  If it’s something more major, please contact your Team Manager.  If they cannot resolve it for you, then move on to Rick or Armando.  So that’s the order you should use 1)  Leads; 2)  Team Manger; 3)  Rick or Armando.  Thank you!

 

INCENTIVE CORNER

Keith has started posting all of the Incentives on the When to Work Bulletin Board for all of you to keep up with.  So please look at it on a regular basis.  Here are the current incentives:

Planet Hollywood – From Monday, August 6th thru September 9th
-Referral cards redeemed at Planet Hollywood during lunch hours, 11am – 4pm, will receive $2 per person  -Referrals after 4pm will remain at $1 per person  -2 winners per week for the most lunch referrals and the prize is a $50 Planet Hollywood gift card  -Minimum of 15 referrals to qualify  -Grand prize winner at the end of the contest will receive a $150 Planet Hollywood gift card and a Planet Hollywood Leather Jacket,

Sea World – From May 28th to September 3rd you will receive 1 Raffle Ticket for every 10 Multi-Park tickets you sell.  Multi-Park tickets are:
-Two Park Ticket  -Three Park Ticket  -Unlimited Visit Ticket  -Two Park Ticket with 2x All Day Dine
-Three Park Ticket with 3x All Day Dine
Each Raffle Ticket will give you 1 chance to win a pair of Howl-O-Scream VIP tickets including Front of the Line Access and dinner! Winners will be announced after September 3rd.

Boggy Creek – Only those of you who attended one of the training sessions are eligible. Earn double commission on every Boggy Creek ticket you sell from
8/16 – 9/9.
To qualify for double commission you MUST:
1) have attended one of the 30 minute training sessions on 8/15. AND
2) you MUST use your two free admissions before the end of the double commission period (9/9)

 

AGS HOSPITALITY TRADE SHOW

Make sure you RSVP for the AGS 2018 Summer Trade Show at Sea World’s Ports of Call!  It will be held Monday, September 10th from 12 Noon  – 5 pm.  There are almost 50 of our partners that will be there for you to visit with and learn about, as well as food, drinks and raffles!  Here is the link to RSVP:  https://ags2018.eventbrite.com.  Please encourage ALL of your friends in the Hospitality Industry to attend, including your friends at the Front Desk, Timeshare partners, Bellmen, Valet parkers, and more to attend!

 

LEGOLAND

Let’s keep working on getting our Legoland sales up!  Legoland offers the HIGHEST commission on any single day admission ticket.  Remember, you should not offer the BOGO’s unless a guest mentions the Free Child offer, or if they are in a Timeshare Resort or doing a tour.  Don’t forget about the Free Shuttle!  Also, during the month of August PARKING IS FREE, so the guests you sell tickets to will be able to save even MORE money!

 

EMPLOYEE NOTES:

Happy Birthday Rafael C. on 8/21, Genesis D. on 8/27, Sandra R. on 8/26, Nicky T. on 8/24, Sheena J. on 8/17, Raul R. on 8/20, Yaquelin R. on 8/28, and Michelle V. on 8/22!  Congrats to Rocky D. for 1 Year on 8/28, Ann N. for 9 Years on 8/27, and David M. for 3 Years on 8/22!

As the summer winds down, we need to make sure we are maximizing our sales. We are getting reports from Legoland, Sea World and Universal that we are down in sales from last year, and we want to turn this around. Are you doing everything you can to make sales? Are you getting out from behind the desk and greeting your guests in the lobby? Are you offering them restaurant coupons and information for the parks as a way to get them to your desk? Once they are at your desk, are you asking “Discovery Questions” (Have you been here before? How long will you be staying? Do you have children in the family? What are the ages? Do you have a car while you’re here? Do you have any dinner plans?) to help with the vacation planning and maximize the sale? If they ask for a 1 Day ticket to any park, are you talking about all of the multi-day and multi-park options available? If you are not doing these things, YOU NEED TO. We have a couple of new hires that are doing this and making far more commissions than some of you that have been here for more than a year. This goes to show that if you are proactive and and engage with the guests, YOU WILL MAKE MORE MONEY!

 

THEFT / DISHONESTY WILL NOT BE TOLERATED

We expect all of you to be honest, trustworthy and loyal and represent AGS in this manner.  It is very disappointing when we have secret shoppers out and they find someone stealing from the company.   We have warned you all time and time again that we are monitoring transactions and anyone not processing a cash transaction correctly will be immediately terminated,   We intend to prosecute anyone in the future.  Is this worth it?  Thank carefully about this.  And again, thanks to all of you who have made us proud and represent us with honesty and integrity.

 

LEGOLAND INCENTIVE!

Don’t forget about the Legoland incentive running from 7/23 – 8/6.  For this 2 week period, we need to sell a minimum of 180 REGULAR (Non-Gifting/Bogo) tickets for the incentive to be paid out.  What can you win?  For every 25 tickets sold, you will get a $25 Target Gift Card!  Sell 40 tickets and be entered into a drawing for the Grand Prize:  Your choice – A 42″ LED TV, 4 Complimentary Legoland tickets, or $350 worth of Target Gift Cards.  Let’s make sure we mention Legoland to every guest, and don’t forget the FREE SHUTTLE that picks up daily from behind the Orlando Eye.  Legoland is THE HIGHEST COMMISSIONED ONE DAY THEME PARK TICKET that we sell!  Also, from August 1st – August 31st, they are offering FREE STANDARD PARKING.  So if your guest wants to drive there, this is another reason for them to buy tickets from us!

 

UNIVERSAL VALUE SEASON STARTS MONDAY, AUGUST 6TH

For the next few days, please make sure you are asking all guests who purchase One Day Universal tickets “What day will you be visiting the park?”  This is very important because ANYTIME must be printed for Saturday and Sunday, and then VALUE starting Monday.  Please make sure you do this so we don’t have angry guests coming back that overpaid for their tickets.  Disney continues in Regular Season through August 26th.

Also, everyone should have gotten the e-mail for the  Frontline Sales Appreciation Party for Fast & Furious Supercharged on either Tuesday, 8/21 or Thursday, 8/23.  Please make sure you RSVP no later than 8/15.  If you did not receive this e-mail, please e-mail rick@allguest.com to let him know.

 

DISNEY FREE HOPPER STARTS SUNDAY, AUGUST 5TH

Disney is once again offering our guests the Free Park Hopper option on all 2 and 3 Day Magic Your Way tickets (Convention and Timeshare tickets do not apply) starting Sunday, August 5th and continuing through September 31st.  This applies to Base tickets and tickets with the Plus option.  This is a GREAT deal for our guests and is NOT available online or at the gate.  If unused, all tickets will expire on December 31, 2018.

 

SEA WORLD

Let’s continue to push the multi-park tickets.  Be sure to let your guests know that “Electric Ocean” will be ending soon so they take advantage of the time left to see the #1 night-time theme park event.  The two “Free Beers” have been extended through Labor Day.  Aquatica has been voted the #1 Water Park in the USA so that’s a nice fact to tell your guests as well.  Busch Gardens continues their Summer Nights as well.  Remember, we are running an incentive from May 28th through September 3rd!  For every 10 multi-park tickets you sell, you will receive an entry into a drawing for one of ten pairs of VIP Howl-O-Scream tickets, including dinner and front line passes!

 

ORLANDO CITY MATCH VS NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION, SATURDAY, AUGUST 4TH AT 7:30

There are still seats available for the Orlando City Soccer game Saturday against the New England Revolution.  The game starts at 7:30.  We still have company seats available for $52, and all of the Tourism Seats as well.  If you are on the Activity Link/Guest Services team (not Premier/Gifting/VIP), you are welcome to wear your Orlando City oxfords.  Let’s try to get some more sales and support the Lions!

 

EMPLOYEE NOTES:

Congrats to Ariel B. for 3 Years on 8/10, Jon G. for 6 Years on 8/15, Lisa H. for 1 Year on 8/16, and Keysha S. for 4 Years on 8/15!  Happy Birthday to Mike B. on 7/23, Rick Piesko on 7/30, Jose S. on 7/30, Steven S. on 8/15, Keysha S. on 7/23, Richelle C. on 8/4, and Sabrina H. on 8/10,