Ken Maguire is the Director of Guest Experience Operations at Monterey Bay Aquarium. In this interview, Ken talks about the strong emphasis that the aquarium places on guest experience, including the importance of investing in your frontline staff. When new employees join Monterey Bay Aquarium, they go through an entire welcome week, not just a quick orientation, so that they can be fully immersed in the culture of the aquarium’s guest experience philosophy. This has proven to be a successful training model, because Ken shares examples of how the service that is delivered by the staff quickly translates into guests upgrading their tickets to membership, donating the aquarium’s conservation fund, and becoming advocates for the aquarium, whether they are local or coming in from out of market. Ken is passionate about inspiring his team, investing in their success, and also shares why the best recognition is simply recognition itself.
