Ticketing, Cash Handling & Access Control
The dominance of mobile
“Their smartphone is now your ticket counter,” says Mechele Larmore, senior vice president of sales and marketing, accesso.
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mid COVID-19, as operators adapted to new safety guidelines, the “technology of the future” quickly became the reality of today for many attractions around the world. The pandemic also ushered in a new way of thinking for guests, whose reliance on technology in day-to-day activities continues to grow. Research has shown that 85% of Americans now own a smartphone – a 35% increase over the last decade – and 79% of smartphone users completed an online transaction on their mobile devices in 2020.
Guests have come to expect the “world in the palm of their hands” and the ability to navigate every step of their interaction with an operator directly through their smartphones. These mobile- enabled transactions and experiences are no longer just conveniences; they are expectations for a post-COVID-19 world.
Now is the time for operators to capitalise on
the ever-increasing reliance on mobile devices and to leverage mobile-friendly technology to positively impact the guest experience while boosting their own bottom line.
Embrace eCommerce as the “New Norm” Every guest’s experience begins with the purchase of a ticket and, more than ever, this touchpoint is happening online. Reports have shown an astounding increase in online transactions compared to pre-pandemic levels, with recent reports pointing to a 38% year-over-year surge in global eCommerce. So, having an easy-to-
SUMMER PART 2 2021
navigate online presence – accessible from any device – is crucial for operators to have in place today … or chance losing potential guests due to frustration and confusion. Fortunately, operators can easily meet these new expectations by implementing the right tools, like the award-winning accesso Passport eCommerce suite, designed to guide guests through a simple and enjoyable online purchasing experience. With the undeniable dominance of mobile, delivering a seamless, full-service mobile ticketing experience to guests is key to empowering them to make a variety of transactions (from season pass purchases to photo passes and beyond) with ease. With the right eCommerce platform, operators can help curate and guide the guest journey by offering helpful (and revenue-driving) cross- and up-sell opportunities throughout the purchase flow. In fact, simply offering other items available for purchase on your mobile store can help drive “impulse buys,” as 88.6% of consumers in America alone report giving into such temptation when shopping online.
Say goodbye to cash handling The pandemic also brought about an increased preference for alternative payment options with 74% of consumers saying they will continue to use contactless payment options even after the pandemic is over. Operators that don’t embrace such solutions now risk losing valued guests, as 85% of consumers now expect digital options when they shop in-person.
There are a variety of avenues operators can
use to facilitate contactless or alternative payments for their guests as they navigate the park and its offerings – including dining reservations and food kiosk orders, shopping experiences and more – all of which can be easily managed through features such as e-wallets, mobile F&B offerings, etc. Using accesso’s guest experience management platform, The Experience Engine (TE2), operators can offer a white-label, guest-facing mobile experience that brings all of those avenues together, making it easy for guests to access tickets and virtual queuing entitlements, purchase F&B on-the-go and access their account history to conveniently view past transactions and easily reorder their favorite items.
And, with a robust platform like TE2, operators can do much more than simply manage contactless and convenient payments. The system’s primary guest experience functionality ultimately provides operators a deeper understanding of their guests, allowing them to deliver personalized communications and offers directly to the right guest, at the right time.
The many challenges and uncertainties of the past year have accelerated the large- scale implementation of technologies that truly revolutionize the guest experience. And, as technology and the post-pandemic guest experience continue to evolve hand-in-hand, it’s more important than ever to embrace the technology of tomorrow, or risk falling behind. If one thing has become clear, it’s that the best way for our industry to predict the future is for us to create it.
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