WEBVTT 00:00:00.270 --> 00:00:02.690 Welcome to the Live with Sondra podcast where 00:00:02.690 --> 00:00:05.290 we dive deep into business, tech, and entrepreneurship. 00:00:06.150 --> 00:00:09.349 Hosted by me, Sondra Shannon, CEO of GateMaster 00:00:09.349 --> 00:00:12.689 Technology. Each show, we explore the latest 00:00:12.689 --> 00:00:15.029 trends in ticketing attractions and guest experience, 00:00:15.369 --> 00:00:17.929 helping you stay ahead of the curve in this ever 00:00:17.929 --> 00:00:21.510 -evolving world of attractions and events. Whether 00:00:21.510 --> 00:00:24.010 you're an industry expert or just getting started, 00:00:24.269 --> 00:00:27.129 this show has insights to inspire and empower 00:00:27.129 --> 00:00:30.480 you. Today's episode is sponsored by GateMaster 00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:32.820 Technology, your trusted partner for ticketing 00:00:32.820 --> 00:00:35.960 and attraction management solutions. Let's get 00:00:35.960 --> 00:00:41.039 started with the show. Valentine's Day and we're 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:46.460 live, live with Sondra and today we, I'm super 00:00:46.460 --> 00:00:48.579 excited about this topic, not only because it 00:00:48.579 --> 00:00:52.340 is Valentine's Day, and I believe today is the 00:00:52.340 --> 00:00:54.780 day that we need to talk about showing some love 00:00:54.780 --> 00:00:57.840 to the guests. Visit our attractions, but also 00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:02.060 because I have a friend and gate master technology 00:01:02.060 --> 00:01:05.079 partner who's going to be joining us on the show. 00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:08.000 So I just want to start off by saying that in 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:11.239 today's dynamic attraction landscape, guests 00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:14.659 expect flexibility and peace of mind. The parks 00:01:14.659 --> 00:01:18.430 and attractions face the dual challenge of. offering 00:01:18.430 --> 00:01:22.530 competitive refund policies while ensuring financial 00:01:22.530 --> 00:01:24.849 stability. And we're going to talk about that 00:01:24.849 --> 00:01:30.750 today on this show and how innovation in the 00:01:30.750 --> 00:01:34.530 refund solution area of our businesses is addressing 00:01:34.530 --> 00:01:37.090 both of these concerns and enhancing the guest 00:01:37.090 --> 00:01:40.030 experience. And so please help me welcome to 00:01:40.030 --> 00:01:43.909 the stage my friend and one of GateMaster Technology 00:01:43.909 --> 00:01:47.659 partners, Morgan Abney. from the Protect Group. 00:01:48.819 --> 00:01:52.099 Morgan, welcome to the show. Hi, Sandra. Thank 00:01:52.099 --> 00:01:54.540 you so much for having me. I am so excited to 00:01:54.540 --> 00:01:58.019 be here. Thank you for being here. I'm so excited 00:01:58.019 --> 00:02:01.319 for us to have this conversation today. And we're 00:02:01.319 --> 00:02:03.840 going to dive right in. But first, how's your 00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:05.900 Valentine's Day? I know you've got a Valentine. 00:02:06.750 --> 00:02:10.330 I do, my sweet husband. It's great. Obviously, 00:02:10.409 --> 00:02:12.729 we're just working today, but we're going to 00:02:12.729 --> 00:02:14.550 have some steaks and watch a movie tonight and 00:02:14.550 --> 00:02:16.750 just have a nice little comfortable Valentine's 00:02:16.750 --> 00:02:20.770 Day. I love that. We're both working late, but 00:02:20.770 --> 00:02:22.590 my Valentine's just down the hall in another 00:02:22.590 --> 00:02:26.590 office, so we could see each other all day. But 00:02:26.590 --> 00:02:29.930 yeah, well, happy Valentine's Day to you. Well, 00:02:30.069 --> 00:02:33.289 I was just telling everyone in the introduction. 00:02:34.530 --> 00:02:37.550 that you are with the Protect Group. And I want 00:02:37.550 --> 00:02:40.189 to kick things off by asking if you can share 00:02:40.189 --> 00:02:42.629 a couple of things, your perspective on the current 00:02:42.629 --> 00:02:46.189 state in theme parks and attractions, and also 00:02:46.189 --> 00:02:49.710 how the role that Protect Group sees itself aligning 00:02:49.710 --> 00:02:52.289 with these industry trends. So I know that's 00:02:52.289 --> 00:02:54.250 a big question. Can we just jump right into it 00:02:54.250 --> 00:02:56.030 though? Because I know we're dying to hear from 00:02:56.030 --> 00:02:59.759 you. Of course. Yeah. I mean, I think the state 00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:02.539 of the industry is absolutely changing. Technology 00:03:02.539 --> 00:03:06.539 is becoming like very, very forefront as far 00:03:06.539 --> 00:03:14.400 as we're offering an enhancement of customer 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:19.360 experience, which we know is a theme park industry 00:03:19.360 --> 00:03:21.419 to go to a theme park where they're having a 00:03:21.419 --> 00:03:24.819 great time and experiencing. the best possible 00:03:24.819 --> 00:03:27.560 thing um and really what is enhance that for 00:03:27.560 --> 00:03:30.780 everyone um i think as far as technology goes 00:03:30.780 --> 00:03:33.439 it's crazy to see all these massive theme parks 00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:35.979 and attractions um implementing really awesome 00:03:35.979 --> 00:03:38.500 technology so far and you know gate master as 00:03:38.500 --> 00:03:41.219 well and we're super happy to be partnering with 00:03:41.219 --> 00:03:45.460 you guys um you know but all the the apps that 00:03:45.460 --> 00:03:47.300 are being implemented for times these are really 00:03:47.300 --> 00:03:49.539 helping people as far as customer experience 00:03:49.539 --> 00:03:52.830 as well as um big companies are partnering with 00:03:52.830 --> 00:03:55.370 things like snow plate and looking at data and 00:03:55.370 --> 00:03:58.250 analytics so all of these things really go into 00:03:58.250 --> 00:04:00.509 play when we're looking at how do we make the 00:04:00.509 --> 00:04:03.210 customer the forefront of what we're doing and 00:04:03.210 --> 00:04:07.330 i think that how we fit into the industry is 00:04:07.330 --> 00:04:10.689 really just offering um like i said before an 00:04:10.689 --> 00:04:12.770 enhanced customer experience we want to give 00:04:12.770 --> 00:04:16.209 the guests flexibility and an option to enjoy 00:04:16.209 --> 00:04:20.180 the park as well as you know, if they're not 00:04:20.180 --> 00:04:23.560 able to attend, then have a pleasant experience 00:04:23.560 --> 00:04:26.980 in the future. So, and we can get more into that 00:04:26.980 --> 00:04:29.319 and what I mean by that. But yeah, I think that's 00:04:29.319 --> 00:04:32.660 kind of how we fit together nicely. Yeah. And, 00:04:32.740 --> 00:04:36.439 you know, I know for me, I've been a strong advocate 00:04:36.439 --> 00:04:39.720 of refund protection. I think that that is where 00:04:39.720 --> 00:04:42.199 you stand as well. You know, what we've seen 00:04:42.199 --> 00:04:44.100 over the years, and I just want to jump into 00:04:44.100 --> 00:04:46.259 this because I think this is probably like the 00:04:46.860 --> 00:04:48.459 What do they call it? Like the elephant in the 00:04:48.459 --> 00:04:50.399 room, right? You know, what makes this different 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:54.180 than insurance? Because for years, and we were 00:04:54.180 --> 00:04:56.000 probably a little bit ahead of our time, we offered 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:59.920 ticket insurance as a form of refund protection. 00:05:00.100 --> 00:05:03.600 And we did see added benefits. And we're going 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:05.040 to talk a little bit about that, too. You know, 00:05:05.060 --> 00:05:11.639 the auxiliar revenue. Sorry, I'm at a Valentine's 00:05:11.639 --> 00:05:18.550 loss for words. The additional revenue that can 00:05:18.550 --> 00:05:21.810 be generated from this, the ways that we can, 00:05:21.870 --> 00:05:26.449 you know, for us, it was a way to leverage the 00:05:26.449 --> 00:05:30.790 refund policy to protect the attractions with 00:05:30.790 --> 00:05:34.029 regards to chargebacks. And I know that maybe 00:05:34.029 --> 00:05:37.730 that is just like a. a benefit of it, but it 00:05:37.730 --> 00:05:39.990 wasn't the plan for it, right? Because you can 00:05:39.990 --> 00:05:43.709 have clearly posted refund policies and you have 00:05:43.709 --> 00:05:45.649 people agreeing that these are non -refundable 00:05:45.649 --> 00:05:49.449 tickets and or agreeing to protect their investments. 00:05:49.870 --> 00:05:52.829 A lot of these families and even friends who 00:05:52.829 --> 00:05:54.870 are visiting, anybody who's investing in these 00:05:54.870 --> 00:05:57.910 experiences, that is probably the biggest thing 00:05:57.910 --> 00:06:00.170 that I see in terms of trends is that these experiences 00:06:00.170 --> 00:06:03.250 are going up in price. And so customer service 00:06:03.250 --> 00:06:05.889 looks very different today than it did even 10 00:06:05.889 --> 00:06:09.730 years ago. I'm of the belief that customer service 00:06:09.730 --> 00:06:15.689 works hand in hand with the technology today. 00:06:15.930 --> 00:06:21.269 And so what my question is for you is how is 00:06:21.269 --> 00:06:27.649 Protect Group working to change the way that 00:06:27.649 --> 00:06:32.220 these refund protections work? You know, you're 00:06:32.220 --> 00:06:34.699 not you're not insurance. Tell us a little bit 00:06:34.699 --> 00:06:37.620 about that. Tell us the difference and and how 00:06:37.620 --> 00:06:41.680 that serves the guests. Of course. Yeah. So. 00:06:42.589 --> 00:06:45.170 You know, typically an insurance, you have regulations 00:06:45.170 --> 00:06:47.089 and you have these terms and conditions that 00:06:47.089 --> 00:06:50.350 are hard to meet. And when you are applying for 00:06:50.350 --> 00:06:52.649 a refund, if it doesn't specifically meet their 00:06:52.649 --> 00:06:55.350 terms, a lot of them don't want to be paid. And, 00:06:55.370 --> 00:06:57.410 you know, that's understandable. But at the same 00:06:57.410 --> 00:07:00.170 time, we're a refund service. We're not an insurance. 00:07:00.610 --> 00:07:03.629 So what we're trying to do is offer these refunds. 00:07:03.629 --> 00:07:05.370 And if there is something that doesn't fit in 00:07:05.370 --> 00:07:07.389 our terms and conditions, we are hoping to pay 00:07:07.389 --> 00:07:09.629 the refund for the customer. We really want. 00:07:10.139 --> 00:07:12.540 If the customer is impacted and they're not able 00:07:12.540 --> 00:07:15.000 to attend, like you said, it's a big investment. 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:20.060 If you're going to these destination parks and 00:07:20.060 --> 00:07:23.740 you're spending thousands of dollars, having 00:07:23.740 --> 00:07:27.180 the option for flexibility and also the understanding 00:07:27.180 --> 00:07:29.980 of a product that is actually going to tailor 00:07:29.980 --> 00:07:33.759 to the customer, having that, what I call it, 00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:37.139 the warm and fuzzy feeling of a customer. Knowing 00:07:37.139 --> 00:07:38.959 that you can get your refund back if your kid 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:41.939 gets sick, if your flight fails to go to a different 00:07:41.939 --> 00:07:48.660 state. It really just changes the whole service. 00:07:49.139 --> 00:07:53.680 What I think is amazing is our company has, you 00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:57.319 know, 4 .8 out of 5 stars on TrustBuy. Really 00:07:57.319 --> 00:07:59.839 just trying to make sure the customer is happy. 00:08:00.060 --> 00:08:02.660 So if it doesn't fit, like I said, in our terms 00:08:02.660 --> 00:08:05.980 and conditions. we're really going to go beyond 00:08:05.980 --> 00:08:08.060 it. Were they not able to come? Was it a serious 00:08:08.060 --> 00:08:10.540 issue? Like, is it something that is not covered, 00:08:10.600 --> 00:08:12.720 but we're willing to cover anyways, because we 00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:15.680 want to make sure the customer is happy. So that 00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:18.439 being a service, we're able to go beyond and 00:08:18.439 --> 00:08:21.079 we're really able to look at our customer experience 00:08:21.079 --> 00:08:23.319 seems amazing. And they're really able to look 00:08:23.319 --> 00:08:27.180 at and tailor to the customer. Yeah, I love that. 00:08:27.199 --> 00:08:29.160 I love what you said about this being a refund 00:08:29.160 --> 00:08:32.289 service, because we're bringing the service back 00:08:32.289 --> 00:08:35.190 into refunds. Right. And that is like, I have 00:08:35.190 --> 00:08:38.649 so many of our attraction partners that, you 00:08:38.649 --> 00:08:43.090 know, in order for them to maintain financial 00:08:43.090 --> 00:08:46.090 stability and to have that security, they have 00:08:46.090 --> 00:08:48.870 no refund policies, but they also don't have 00:08:48.870 --> 00:08:54.049 the, they don't have a way to upgrade for their 00:08:54.049 --> 00:08:55.669 customers the way that this is. Cause to me, 00:08:55.690 --> 00:09:00.440 this is an upgrade. It's an upgrade to the experience 00:09:00.440 --> 00:09:05.080 to be able to protect it. For sure. I mean, it's 00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:07.019 an enhancement of their terms and conditions. 00:09:07.240 --> 00:09:10.240 I mean, some policies are 48 hours in advance 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:14.279 or a week in advance. But in the event that you're 00:09:14.279 --> 00:09:16.700 on the way to the park and you get a flat tire 00:09:16.700 --> 00:09:19.039 and you can't attend and your kid is crying in 00:09:19.039 --> 00:09:23.639 the back because they got so excited to go. Park 00:09:23.639 --> 00:09:25.980 tickets aren't cheap. You've spent $200 to go 00:09:25.980 --> 00:09:28.919 and it's a one -day ticket. And with dynamic 00:09:28.919 --> 00:09:31.960 pricing with parks now, you might not be able 00:09:31.960 --> 00:09:33.799 to attend the next day. There might not be a 00:09:33.799 --> 00:09:36.379 transferable ticket. So this gives them an option 00:09:36.379 --> 00:09:39.639 to pay a little bit extra to make sure little 00:09:39.639 --> 00:09:42.059 Tommy in the back gets to go another day or you 00:09:42.059 --> 00:09:44.200 get your money back so you feel comfortable and 00:09:44.200 --> 00:09:45.799 you can go do something else when you're feeling 00:09:45.799 --> 00:09:49.679 better or whatever the case. But I think, like 00:09:49.679 --> 00:09:53.250 you said, it really is an enhancement. And what's 00:09:53.250 --> 00:09:56.110 crazy too is parks are not cheap. You know, you're 00:09:56.110 --> 00:09:58.149 spending all this money, you know, new roller 00:09:58.149 --> 00:10:00.429 coasters and you've got investors and you're 00:10:00.429 --> 00:10:02.590 looking at all these different things. So an 00:10:02.590 --> 00:10:05.250 extended revenue stream is always a plus. And 00:10:05.250 --> 00:10:08.409 it's something that I think that we miss out 00:10:08.409 --> 00:10:12.909 on sometimes. But it's a simple, you know, simple 00:10:12.909 --> 00:10:18.450 integration and a profit. Yeah, everybody wins. 00:10:18.570 --> 00:10:20.710 And I think that that's interesting because when 00:10:20.710 --> 00:10:25.750 we launched our insurance years ago, that was 00:10:25.750 --> 00:10:27.210 the first question that so many of the attractions 00:10:27.210 --> 00:10:29.470 asked, is there a profit share in this? And that 00:10:29.470 --> 00:10:31.889 is something that is being offered here that 00:10:31.889 --> 00:10:34.889 we didn't have an option for in the past. And 00:10:34.889 --> 00:10:39.830 so I love that you're including and that we as 00:10:39.830 --> 00:10:42.809 partners are including the attraction in the... 00:10:45.380 --> 00:10:48.159 profitability of what, you know, because this 00:10:48.159 --> 00:10:53.940 is an area where it's an add -on for their business. 00:10:54.139 --> 00:10:56.059 It's an add -on option. We talk all the time 00:10:56.059 --> 00:10:59.519 with our partners about strategizing on how we 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:02.539 can create offers for everybody. And to me, this 00:11:02.539 --> 00:11:07.500 is an extension of that. And, you know, I'm curious, 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:11.659 you know, could you explain how refund protection 00:11:12.639 --> 00:11:15.480 changes the way the guests may perceive risks 00:11:15.480 --> 00:11:17.639 of their purchases when they're planning to visit 00:11:17.639 --> 00:11:21.379 attractions? And do you have any insights there? 00:11:22.039 --> 00:11:24.860 Of course. And like I said, too, it just kind 00:11:24.860 --> 00:11:27.879 of depends if it's a destination experience. 00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:29.559 So that's going to be something that you're looking 00:11:29.559 --> 00:11:33.120 at planning what months or a year ahead. So that's 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:36.720 going to definitely change how the customer perceives 00:11:36.720 --> 00:11:39.320 the risk. They're going to look at, okay, I... 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:42.220 I don't know a year from now if I'm going to 00:11:42.220 --> 00:11:45.759 be sick. I don't know if my loved one is going 00:11:45.759 --> 00:11:48.600 to be okay. I don't know if I lost my job. I 00:11:48.600 --> 00:11:50.279 don't know what's going to happen. I have to 00:11:50.279 --> 00:11:52.980 take off work. I have to take the kids out of 00:11:52.980 --> 00:11:55.299 school. I have to, or even, you know, if it's 00:11:55.299 --> 00:11:57.080 just adults who are wanting to go, I have to 00:11:57.080 --> 00:11:59.240 plan with my friends. I don't know if the ticket 00:11:59.240 --> 00:12:02.409 prices for flights are going to change. Just 00:12:02.409 --> 00:12:05.070 so many different factors. And this allows the 00:12:05.070 --> 00:12:08.830 customer to say, OK, I know that if in a year 00:12:08.830 --> 00:12:12.210 from now something happens, I have the comfortability 00:12:12.210 --> 00:12:15.389 of booking my ticket today and securing my purchase. 00:12:16.629 --> 00:12:22.730 That I'm going to be OK. Yeah, you know, one 00:12:22.730 --> 00:12:25.570 of the things that we saw in the data when we 00:12:25.570 --> 00:12:28.169 were looking at it. in the very beginning was 00:12:28.169 --> 00:12:30.049 just, you know, everybody talks about dynamic 00:12:30.049 --> 00:12:32.190 pricing and their advantages. And that's a whole 00:12:32.190 --> 00:12:35.309 other topic of conversation with regards to what 00:12:35.309 --> 00:12:37.990 those algorithms do and how they work. But what 00:12:37.990 --> 00:12:40.769 we found in the data was that people were more 00:12:40.769 --> 00:12:42.509 likely to purchase ahead of time when they could 00:12:42.509 --> 00:12:46.529 protect their investments. That did give them 00:12:46.529 --> 00:12:48.409 the peace of mind. And I think that that's a 00:12:48.409 --> 00:12:51.409 direct impact of being able to know that, you 00:12:51.409 --> 00:12:53.389 know, for whatever reason, if I can't make it, 00:12:53.450 --> 00:12:56.620 I'm getting the best deal today. But I'm also 00:12:56.620 --> 00:12:58.299 protecting that, like you said, with dynamic 00:12:58.299 --> 00:13:01.000 pricing, the price. If I can't show up today, 00:13:01.080 --> 00:13:02.779 the price could go up tremendously tomorrow, 00:13:02.919 --> 00:13:05.419 making that not an option for me. But in this 00:13:05.419 --> 00:13:10.940 way, I'm still, you know, treated, you know, 00:13:10.940 --> 00:13:14.919 treated fairly, in my opinion. And I think that's 00:13:14.919 --> 00:13:17.840 what everybody's trying to go for in the attraction 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:20.519 space is that one, our guests are taken care 00:13:20.519 --> 00:13:22.600 of and they're happy and they're exceeding expectations 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:26.200 and we're creating better. customer experiences, 00:13:26.419 --> 00:13:30.799 guest satisfaction is going up. But I have another 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:33.039 question for you, if you don't mind. How does 00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:36.580 refund protection, from what you've seen, contribute 00:13:36.580 --> 00:13:39.379 to building trust and loyalty with guests, especially 00:13:39.379 --> 00:13:42.620 in challenging times, like when somebody is in 00:13:42.620 --> 00:13:47.679 need of this protection and they have to engage 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:49.580 with you because for whatever reason they cannot 00:13:49.580 --> 00:13:55.110 go? Are you finding that people have more loyalty 00:13:55.110 --> 00:13:57.370 and trust in the brands that are providing a 00:13:57.370 --> 00:14:01.289 service like this oh for sure um if you don't 00:14:01.289 --> 00:14:03.710 mind i actually pulled some reviews just because 00:14:03.710 --> 00:14:05.429 i love to look at our trust pilot reviews and 00:14:05.429 --> 00:14:07.029 see what customers are saying because that's 00:14:07.029 --> 00:14:08.950 really how we can you know determine if our product 00:14:08.950 --> 00:14:13.179 is successful um i pulled a review it says Alexander, 00:14:13.320 --> 00:14:15.860 it was published on the 26th. They said, thank 00:14:15.860 --> 00:14:17.740 you for understanding and giving me the refund 00:14:17.740 --> 00:14:20.720 with no issues. I'll be a lifetime FlightHub 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:23.299 member now, which FlightHub is a company that 00:14:23.299 --> 00:14:25.840 we've worked with a long time. So as we're white 00:14:25.840 --> 00:14:29.110 labeled, this is going to sit on your... your 00:14:29.110 --> 00:14:31.110 checkout page as something that you're offering. 00:14:31.309 --> 00:14:35.049 So if we are offering an experience for a customer 00:14:35.049 --> 00:14:38.490 who is seeing difficulties, especially in their 00:14:38.490 --> 00:14:41.649 life, if we are showing that compassion and giving 00:14:41.649 --> 00:14:43.289 those refunds to these people, they're going 00:14:43.289 --> 00:14:45.429 to say, I would love to go back to this park. 00:14:45.610 --> 00:14:49.809 They showed me mercy in a time of need. I had 00:14:49.809 --> 00:14:52.570 somebody say, thank you for making it so simple 00:14:52.570 --> 00:14:54.470 and being so understanding during a stressful 00:14:54.470 --> 00:14:59.360 time. I think how we create that trust and create 00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:02.200 that customer satisfaction within the product 00:15:02.200 --> 00:15:06.580 is being understanding. And our product is super 00:15:06.580 --> 00:15:08.620 easy. It's super customer friendly. It sits right 00:15:08.620 --> 00:15:10.919 on the checkout page. It's a simple yes or no 00:15:10.919 --> 00:15:14.399 opt -in. So when the customers do opt -in, they 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:17.620 get a nice little link in their email with their 00:15:17.620 --> 00:15:19.519 booking confirmation. If in the event they have 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:21.440 to cancel, it's super easy. So they can click 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:23.639 on that link, fill out the refund, and then... 00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:28.320 get a refund. I was going to ask you what the 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:30.019 deliverable looked like. So you just explained 00:15:30.019 --> 00:15:33.799 that, which is awesome because it really is that 00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:38.440 easy for the guests. They can click a link and 00:15:38.440 --> 00:15:44.399 request their refund. And from what I observed, 00:15:44.500 --> 00:15:46.720 at least in our conversations about partnering 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:54.429 and adding this to the purchase path of the much 00:15:54.429 --> 00:15:57.210 empathy, I think has gone into understanding, 00:15:57.450 --> 00:16:01.350 you know, what those terms should be for people. 00:16:01.610 --> 00:16:05.629 Right. Especially, especially, I mean, even still 00:16:05.629 --> 00:16:07.730 today, I have friends who have COVID right now. 00:16:07.730 --> 00:16:10.490 Right. So, you know, they're not going anywhere. 00:16:10.629 --> 00:16:13.110 And if they had been a part of, of some sort 00:16:13.110 --> 00:16:17.190 of going to head tickets to Disneyland, I mean, 00:16:17.190 --> 00:16:19.350 I took my family this year. I know that was thousands 00:16:19.350 --> 00:16:22.549 of dollars. So, you know, understanding that 00:16:22.549 --> 00:16:24.570 I can protect that investment that I made should 00:16:24.570 --> 00:16:26.570 one of my family members get sick. Because probably 00:16:26.570 --> 00:16:28.710 if somebody is suffering from COVID, we probably 00:16:28.710 --> 00:16:34.309 all shouldn't go, right? So that definitely puts 00:16:34.309 --> 00:16:36.590 a strain on people. And I love that we're able 00:16:36.590 --> 00:16:39.970 to provide this as a customer service mechanism 00:16:39.970 --> 00:16:43.889 to build trust and to foster goodwill with the 00:16:43.889 --> 00:16:45.870 guests who are purchasing and making these big 00:16:45.870 --> 00:16:47.570 investments. Because I talk about investment 00:16:47.570 --> 00:16:51.629 all the time on this show. I think we cannot 00:16:51.629 --> 00:16:58.690 underestimate the amount of sacrifice that many 00:16:58.690 --> 00:17:02.590 families make to bring their families to attractions 00:17:02.590 --> 00:17:06.789 and to theme parks. There is a big sacrifice 00:17:06.789 --> 00:17:09.890 that many are making to do this. Of course, of 00:17:09.890 --> 00:17:11.650 course. And I know we talk a lot about like destination 00:17:11.650 --> 00:17:13.710 parks and things like that, but even your local 00:17:13.710 --> 00:17:15.930 park, I mean, somebody could be an hour away 00:17:15.930 --> 00:17:17.849 and it could be an investment for them to get 00:17:17.849 --> 00:17:21.130 there. um it's not easy and accessible for everyone 00:17:21.130 --> 00:17:23.309 so having a service like this is really just 00:17:23.309 --> 00:17:26.690 adding that flexibility which is fantastic um 00:17:26.690 --> 00:17:29.730 and what's what's kind of cool i know you said 00:17:29.730 --> 00:17:32.349 like i really love the you know the empathy and 00:17:32.349 --> 00:17:33.809 things like that and the way our product kind 00:17:33.809 --> 00:17:36.109 of works a little bit further as far as the difference 00:17:36.109 --> 00:17:39.650 between an insurance and not is if in the event 00:17:39.650 --> 00:17:43.509 you know they can't attend 60 days after they're 00:17:43.509 --> 00:17:48.380 still able to apply for a refund wow Well, that's 00:17:48.380 --> 00:17:51.079 cool. Yeah. So obviously like in a tragic situation, 00:17:51.339 --> 00:17:53.180 you're not thinking about your refund on your 00:17:53.180 --> 00:17:57.339 tickets, but later on you can go back. Are you 00:17:57.339 --> 00:18:01.000 getting feedback? I'm not getting feedback. Okay. 00:18:01.700 --> 00:18:05.920 But you know, hopefully that's not broadcasting. 00:18:06.180 --> 00:18:07.519 If you're hearing anything, is it better now? 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:13.670 Yes, it is. But yeah, so. What's great is, like 00:18:13.670 --> 00:18:15.890 I said, if you're in a tragic situation, you're 00:18:15.890 --> 00:18:19.869 not going to first think of, I need my refund. 00:18:20.069 --> 00:18:22.150 But you're going to go back and say, okay, I 00:18:22.150 --> 00:18:24.890 selected this service. I was going through a 00:18:24.890 --> 00:18:27.789 hard time. This is what happened. We're still 00:18:27.789 --> 00:18:29.809 happy to give the refund. If you didn't attend 00:18:29.809 --> 00:18:34.430 the event, we're extremely happy. Right. And 00:18:34.430 --> 00:18:37.089 I don't mean to interrupt, but I think that's 00:18:37.089 --> 00:18:39.190 where balancing the technology with the human 00:18:39.190 --> 00:18:42.710 touch comes in. Right? You know, so many parks 00:18:42.710 --> 00:18:45.269 worry, at least the feedback that I've received 00:18:45.269 --> 00:18:48.150 is that, you know, worry that automation, AI 00:18:48.150 --> 00:18:50.490 and all of these different technologies are going 00:18:50.490 --> 00:18:52.390 to remove the human touch from the experience. 00:18:52.509 --> 00:18:57.589 But I think ultimately a service like this brings 00:18:57.589 --> 00:19:00.269 the human touch back into some degree. Yeah, 00:19:00.349 --> 00:19:02.410 we're automating it on the shopping cart experience. 00:19:02.430 --> 00:19:04.950 So as they go through their purchase path and 00:19:04.950 --> 00:19:08.349 they add this protection or this service to whatever 00:19:08.349 --> 00:19:13.839 they purchased in there. in their cart. We are 00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:17.220 adding that element of human touch in the event 00:19:17.220 --> 00:19:21.559 that something tragic happens. And what I'd love 00:19:21.559 --> 00:19:24.180 for you to maybe speak on real quick is, you 00:19:24.180 --> 00:19:26.220 know, not only that adding that human touch, 00:19:26.299 --> 00:19:29.059 but you know, how do you deal with the customers? 00:19:29.140 --> 00:19:31.640 You know, what is the experience from the point 00:19:31.640 --> 00:19:36.359 that they decide that for whatever life situation 00:19:36.359 --> 00:19:41.480 they need a refund and they contact the service 00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:44.099 you know what what what's the process that the 00:19:44.099 --> 00:19:47.180 customer goes through and you know how they get 00:19:47.180 --> 00:19:49.039 to the end outcome you know would you mind just 00:19:49.039 --> 00:19:51.460 explaining a little bit of that yeah of course 00:19:51.460 --> 00:19:55.319 so um like i said it's a simple application online 00:19:55.319 --> 00:19:58.660 uh we do have an ai auto approval system so if 00:19:58.660 --> 00:20:01.019 it is everything fits in the terms and conditions 00:20:01.019 --> 00:20:03.680 it's automatically approved if in the event it's 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:05.440 not automatically approved it goes to our customer 00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:07.220 experience team where they can really look into 00:20:07.220 --> 00:20:09.180 detail of why it wasn't automatically approved 00:20:09.180 --> 00:20:13.720 um if things are not you know explained well 00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:15.859 enough in the application they're going to reach 00:20:15.859 --> 00:20:18.539 out and figure out why but our average time frame 00:20:18.539 --> 00:20:20.720 is about four hours and getting back to somebody 00:20:20.720 --> 00:20:25.200 and a response so which is incredibly quick with 00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:28.599 most other products you're looking at weeks two 00:20:28.599 --> 00:20:31.079 weeks sometimes you know not even a response 00:20:31.079 --> 00:20:37.779 so right um yeah i love that i love that that's 00:20:37.779 --> 00:20:41.500 quick and that it makes it easy for them And, 00:20:41.500 --> 00:20:44.819 you know, and as far as the attraction goes, 00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:47.640 how do they deal with it? What is the most common 00:20:47.640 --> 00:20:50.039 way that they're dealing with it? Is it that 00:20:50.039 --> 00:20:52.700 they just tell them to look for that email? You 00:20:52.700 --> 00:20:55.339 know, is there an easy, I mean, I know that's 00:20:55.339 --> 00:20:57.319 probably a loaded question, but is there a quick 00:20:57.319 --> 00:21:01.279 and easy way that they deal with that on their 00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:03.769 side? It's pretty straightforward, right? Yeah, 00:21:03.789 --> 00:21:05.950 it's pretty straightforward. So if somebody calls 00:21:05.950 --> 00:21:09.250 and say, hey, I selected, you know, refund protection, 00:21:09.509 --> 00:21:13.089 all they need to do is let them know. I think 00:21:13.089 --> 00:21:14.589 they are getting feedback because I think I got 00:21:14.589 --> 00:21:16.609 a comment saying we're getting feedback. Yeah. 00:21:17.849 --> 00:21:20.529 Apologize for that, guys. Yeah, I'm sorry, guys. 00:21:20.589 --> 00:21:24.400 I'm trying to figure out why we talk. um but 00:21:24.400 --> 00:21:26.200 yeah so they just need to direct the customer 00:21:26.200 --> 00:21:28.420 to the email and say you just need to apply there 00:21:28.420 --> 00:21:30.779 and the customer experience team will will be 00:21:30.779 --> 00:21:32.859 with you that way um so it's really just how 00:21:32.859 --> 00:21:35.319 the park is training their employees to react 00:21:35.319 --> 00:21:37.900 to the situation so all it is is just a simple 00:21:37.900 --> 00:21:41.180 if you've purchased ticket protection it'll be 00:21:41.180 --> 00:21:43.380 in the link in the email and you'll fill out 00:21:43.380 --> 00:21:50.309 the form there And so you think it can really 00:21:50.309 --> 00:21:52.289 just fold right into their current processes 00:21:52.289 --> 00:21:55.470 real easy. Just a matter of referring them over 00:21:55.470 --> 00:21:58.309 to you. Well, I think that's great, you know, 00:21:58.309 --> 00:22:01.109 and, and, and I know I've taken up a lot of your 00:22:01.109 --> 00:22:02.809 time and I really appreciate it. I try to keep 00:22:02.809 --> 00:22:05.750 this show to just 20 minutes or just a bit over. 00:22:05.849 --> 00:22:08.049 So if you don't mind me asking one more question 00:22:08.049 --> 00:22:11.849 and, you know, I'm curious if we're looking ahead, 00:22:11.990 --> 00:22:15.430 you know, what do you see the next big thing? 00:22:16.390 --> 00:22:18.529 happening in theme parks in the attraction industry, 00:22:18.750 --> 00:22:21.490 particularly in the realm of customer service, 00:22:22.150 --> 00:22:25.369 ancillary revenue, that's the word I was looking 00:22:25.369 --> 00:22:30.410 for, and technology. You know, a big thing that 00:22:30.410 --> 00:22:33.630 I've been seeing is the multiple payment options, 00:22:33.990 --> 00:22:36.490 which I think is fantastic, especially as far 00:22:36.490 --> 00:22:38.990 as customer experience and inclusivity. You're 00:22:38.990 --> 00:22:40.789 allowing people who wouldn't have been able to 00:22:40.789 --> 00:22:44.529 go to a park before do a payment plan. And, you 00:22:44.529 --> 00:22:46.049 know, we would still fit in with that payment 00:22:46.049 --> 00:22:49.630 plan. So if they purchased the protection, it 00:22:49.630 --> 00:22:52.630 could sit in there as well. So I think that's 00:22:52.630 --> 00:22:54.670 probably the biggest innovation I've seen as 00:22:54.670 --> 00:22:58.430 far as customer experience in the industry. And 00:22:58.430 --> 00:23:00.269 I think it's great. I mean, it's allowing more 00:23:00.269 --> 00:23:02.329 and more people to go to these fantastic parks 00:23:02.329 --> 00:23:08.069 and enjoying the experience. Yeah, I 100 % agree. 00:23:08.410 --> 00:23:12.029 And, you know, one of the things that we found. 00:23:12.910 --> 00:23:18.269 years ago when we added payment plans just that 00:23:18.269 --> 00:23:21.829 you know just adding the ability to include or 00:23:21.829 --> 00:23:24.230 adding the ability to to buy let's say a season 00:23:24.230 --> 00:23:26.950 pass or a ticket on a payment plan and we have 00:23:26.950 --> 00:23:29.009 we have some pretty flexible options here at 00:23:29.009 --> 00:23:31.509 gate master so and it all just depends on the 00:23:31.509 --> 00:23:34.650 strategy that the attraction has but one of the 00:23:34.650 --> 00:23:37.099 things that we found in the data was that when 00:23:37.099 --> 00:23:39.380 you have these offers, it goes back to having 00:23:39.380 --> 00:23:41.059 something for everybody. But when you have these 00:23:41.059 --> 00:23:44.839 offers, my concern early on was, well, why would 00:23:44.839 --> 00:23:47.980 we want season pass holders to now pay on a payment 00:23:47.980 --> 00:23:51.980 plan when we were getting their money on payment 00:23:51.980 --> 00:23:54.640 before? But what we found in the data, which 00:23:54.640 --> 00:23:59.059 really opened my eyes, was that when you have 00:23:59.059 --> 00:24:02.619 options like this, you might be attracting a 00:24:02.619 --> 00:24:06.980 different demographic of customers. Who might 00:24:06.980 --> 00:24:09.299 otherwise not purchase in this case, maybe they 00:24:09.299 --> 00:24:11.660 wouldn't purchase because they they were afraid 00:24:11.660 --> 00:24:15.079 of the investment not being protected. But in 00:24:15.079 --> 00:24:17.519 addition to that, you know, giving people what 00:24:17.519 --> 00:24:20.480 they want. I mean, so much of what we talk about, 00:24:20.500 --> 00:24:22.119 I talk about on this show and so much of what 00:24:22.119 --> 00:24:24.799 we talk about with our attraction partners is 00:24:24.799 --> 00:24:28.460 how you have to have as many offers as possible 00:24:28.460 --> 00:24:31.960 and as many add ons. to accommodate all the different 00:24:31.960 --> 00:24:35.160 types of people that will be visiting these attractions 00:24:35.160 --> 00:24:39.059 and having these experiences. So I really want 00:24:39.059 --> 00:24:41.220 to thank you for coming on the show. I am sorry 00:24:41.220 --> 00:24:43.539 to everybody if you're getting feedback. Maybe 00:24:43.539 --> 00:24:45.339 that just means the universe is saying I got 00:24:45.339 --> 00:24:49.140 to have Morgan back here soon and get Morgan 00:24:49.140 --> 00:24:51.200 back on this show soon because I think this is 00:24:51.200 --> 00:24:54.440 a really important topic. I'm super grateful 00:24:54.440 --> 00:24:56.579 to you for coming on here on this Valentine's 00:24:56.579 --> 00:25:01.859 Day and sharing this. protection service with 00:25:01.859 --> 00:25:04.240 people you know show let's show the guests some 00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:07.319 love by allowing them to protect these investments 00:25:07.319 --> 00:25:10.640 and we at gate master here are super excited 00:25:10.640 --> 00:25:14.539 to be collaborating with all of you on your team 00:25:14.539 --> 00:25:18.599 in being able to provide uh this service within 00:25:18.599 --> 00:25:22.240 our purchase path here for this next season so 00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:26.359 we're super excited about that and um morgan 00:25:26.359 --> 00:25:32.109 any last words how can people find you So you 00:25:32.109 --> 00:25:34.509 can find me through LinkedIn easiest. I'm on 00:25:34.509 --> 00:25:36.809 all the time. I love to talk about refund protection, 00:25:37.009 --> 00:25:39.630 what we do and how we're different. And then 00:25:39.630 --> 00:25:42.789 if you would like to email me, it's just Morgan 00:25:42.789 --> 00:25:47.950 at protect group .com. Nice and easy, but Sandra, 00:25:48.049 --> 00:25:49.970 thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate 00:25:49.970 --> 00:25:53.559 it. I am. I love the topic. I love the industry. 00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:56.440 I could go on for days about it. So 20 minutes 00:25:56.440 --> 00:25:58.819 is a great amount of time. But, you know, I would 00:25:58.819 --> 00:26:01.740 have to come on anytime. Yeah, of course. I would 00:26:01.740 --> 00:26:03.680 love to have you back. Plus, you know, I think 00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:05.440 there's there's probably tons more we could be 00:26:05.440 --> 00:26:07.740 talking about. I know you and I share a ton of 00:26:07.740 --> 00:26:11.759 interests, too. And, you know, I really I really 00:26:11.759 --> 00:26:13.279 appreciate you coming on. Talk to our audience. 00:26:13.460 --> 00:26:15.380 You know, one of the things that I tell everyone 00:26:15.380 --> 00:26:18.359 on this show is I, you know, I if I don't have 00:26:18.359 --> 00:26:19.920 the answers, I'm going to try and find the people 00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:22.819 who do. And you are one of those people that 00:26:22.819 --> 00:26:26.839 has an answer and a solution to maybe some of 00:26:26.839 --> 00:26:29.940 the situations, unique situations that parks 00:26:29.940 --> 00:26:32.740 are bumping up against. So I appreciate you being 00:26:32.740 --> 00:26:35.039 here with me today and sharing your knowledge 00:26:35.039 --> 00:26:38.180 with everyone on that is watching this live show. 00:26:38.220 --> 00:26:40.339 So if you are watching this live show on replay, 00:26:40.619 --> 00:26:43.579 I just ask that you show Morgan some love. Hashtag 00:26:43.579 --> 00:26:47.380 replay. Give us a like. Give us a heart. I mean, 00:26:47.380 --> 00:26:51.400 it's Valentine's Day. And for all of you that 00:26:51.400 --> 00:26:56.480 are looking for more information about how you 00:26:56.480 --> 00:27:00.140 can better serve your guests, if you want to 00:27:00.140 --> 00:27:02.519 be a guest on this show, I'd love to have you 00:27:02.519 --> 00:27:05.259 fill out this, be a guest on the show. You can 00:27:05.259 --> 00:27:07.880 be a guest just like Morgan and share your information. 00:27:08.099 --> 00:27:11.039 You know, I have my particular lane of expertise, 00:27:11.359 --> 00:27:14.299 but I've been serving parks for over 20 something 00:27:14.299 --> 00:27:16.680 years. And I know that. You know, there's a lot 00:27:16.680 --> 00:27:18.059 of information out there and there's a lot of 00:27:18.059 --> 00:27:19.440 people who could benefit from the information 00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:21.740 that you could share. So if you would like to 00:27:21.740 --> 00:27:24.259 share those ideas on this show, just like Morgan 00:27:24.259 --> 00:27:26.839 did. And also, again, Morgan, thank you so much, 00:27:26.859 --> 00:27:29.579 because I love that. I love that it's Valentine's 00:27:29.579 --> 00:27:32.140 Day and that you are my guest and that you could 00:27:32.140 --> 00:27:34.660 be here to share that information. So we're going 00:27:34.660 --> 00:27:37.619 to sign off for today. But if if if you have 00:27:37.619 --> 00:27:39.380 any follow up questions, you know how to get 00:27:39.380 --> 00:27:43.420 a hold of Morgan. You also know how to. Leave 00:27:43.420 --> 00:27:45.680 us a comment or drop us a DM. I mean, we're both 00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:49.559 on here. And I know that we both share an interest 00:27:49.559 --> 00:27:51.519 and are aligned with regards to being able to 00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:54.259 help attractions massively succeed. So whatever 00:27:54.259 --> 00:27:56.480 we can do to help you there. Thank you again, 00:27:56.500 --> 00:27:59.059 Morgan. Happy Valentine's Day. Happy Valentine's 00:27:59.059 --> 00:28:01.680 Day to everybody out there watching. And we will 00:28:01.680 --> 00:28:04.059 talk to you soon. Take care.