In hotel training, we learned that if we were within five feet of a guest, we should say five words. These could be any number of sentences, but most often were things like:

"How are you doing today?"

May I help with anything?"

"Are you enjoying your stay?"

This week, I visited a park where the owner exemplfied this practice. I spent a full two days with him, and anytime he saw a guest, he said,

"Thank you for staying with us."

Ok, yes, this is six words, but they conveyed a strong message of appreciation. Most guests replied, "Thank you for having us," or "This is our third time this year."

I noticed as soon as he said this to a guest, they perked up and felt valued. They knew he noticed and wanted to honor their choice to stay with him.

He also wore a name tag with just his name. No label stating he was the owner and he wore the same uniform shirt as all other staff.

This allowed guests to speak to him freely and address any issues they might be having. However, I never heard one complaint.

My week with him was a strong reminder that, "Five Feet Five Words," can be a great tool in letting our guests know that we know we would not survive without them.

Try this at your park and watch your guests shine back at you.