Throw Up on a Rollercoaster: How to Prepare Your Team for Less-Than-Ideal Situations

My wife and I recently went to Busch Gardens for a date without our son. For the first time in nearly 20 years, I rode roller coasters again and rediscovered the thrill of it. The weather was great, and since it was a Wednesday, the park wasn’t too crowded. As we prepared for our final ride, the legendary Loch Ness Monster, one of the park’s oldest coasters, we were thrilled to find the line was only 5 minutes long. Win!

Immediately, I was transported back to my high school days, remembering the long waits in line with friends who had bright red, blue, and green hair. In a world where everything tends to modernize, this ride felt authentically true to my memory.

Once we boarded the ride and fastened our safety harnesses, we were suddenly asked to get up. “The ride will be temporarily closed due to some minor housekeeping,” the operator announced. After a brief moment of confusion, we re-assumed our place as the next in line.

Little information flowed from the staff to the guests. Others in line around me began to speculate:

• Is this going to take 5 minutes or 30 minutes?

• Is something broken?

• Did someone throw up?

We had already planned for this to be our last ride and made a tentative decision to leave in 30 minutes if there wasn’t any progress.

Well, we did start to see progress. However, it was also accompanied by uncertainty. It first became public knowledge that someone did in fact get a little sick on the ride. As the next in line, we had a front row seat to watch what transpired. Here’s the play by play:

1. We learned that the mess was on the right-hand side of the ride, and it was a specific employee’s responsibility to clean it up.

2. Instead of immediately cleaning the affected seat, staff mentioned that the necessary cleaning supplies were not on-site. They began to chatter amongst themselves.

3. It took over 15 minutes from the time the ride was stopped until any cleaning began.

4. The employee put on gloves.

5. The employee walked to the affected seat with a trash bag.

6. The employee walked back to the station at the opposite end of the area.

7. The employee grabbed another trash bag.

8. The employee returned to the affected seat and positioned one trash bag to collect the mess.

9. The employee walked back to the station to get paper towels.

10. The employee returned to the affected seat.

11. The employee walked back to the station to grab some sort of cleaning supply.

12. The employee returned to the affected seat and finally began cleaning the mess.

13. Forty minutes later, everyone cheered.

First, I can say with pretty good certainty that this isn’t the first time someone has thrown up on this ride. So why wouldn’t a theme park have the necessary supplies on hand? Throughout the delay, the ride operator repeated their initial message, “The ride will be temporarily closed due to some minor housekeeping.”

When it comes to your brewery, is your team prepared to handle unexpected or common but less-than-ideal situations? These situations could range from cleaning up a mess, like the one mentioned above, to dealing with an unruly customer. Are you providing your team with the training and tools they need to resolve such situations in a timely manner?

Now, think of a less-than-ideal situation (customer spills beer across communal table and floor…great one!). What does the process look like from the moment it happens to when you can’t even tell it occurred

1. Awareness: Staff are made aware of the spill.

2. Clear Instructions: Staff have a clear understanding of who will take the lead and who will assist in cleaning up the mess.

3. Communication: Staff communicate with all nearby guests, assuring them that the spill will be cleaned up right away. Clear communication and setting expectations are vital; don’t leave guests wondering.

4. Guest Acknowledgment: The staff member informs any other guests they were assisting (if applicable) that they are handling the spill and will be right back. Everyone impacted by the situation should be acknowledged, not just those directly affected by the spill.

5. Supplies on Hand: Staff have access to the necessary supplies to address the mess. There should not be a trip to the store or a delay in fixing the issue. Having supplies on-hand is a must. Even if staff know what to do, lacking the tools to handle it makes everyone look bad.

6. Urgency and Professionalism: Staff show a sense of urgency and importance in cleaning up the spill. They should not act lackadaisical or downplay the situation. Cleanliness matters, so address it as quickly as possible.

7. Guest Updates: Staff keep guests informed throughout the process. A play-by-play isn’t necessary, but regular communication on progress is important. Don’t just say, “We’re working on it”; include a brief update on what’s being done and a time estimate. For example, “Hey everyone, we’re cleaning up this spill and anticipate it being all good in about 5 minutes.” Be transparent with guests and keep them updated.

8. Verification: Staff verify that the job has been completed correctly, disposing of any waste and leaving the impacted area in better shape than before the incident. Ensure the problem has been fully resolved.

9. Guest Resolution: Offer to pour a new drink for the guest whose beverage spilled, or even provide a nice, dry shirt. Make it better than it was.

10. Review and Improve: Ask yourself, “Are there any changes in procedures or additional training that would help with similar incidents in the future?” Continuously review and improve processes.

It’s important to provide your team with a roadmap. As owners and managers, there are likely certain ways you’d prefer specific situations to be handled. Consider cataloging these in your handbook. Don’t just write them down, LEAD. BY. EXAMPLE. Walk through unique scenarios with your team on a monthly basis. Roleplaying can be particularly helpful. Additionally, rapid-fire questioning, where you ask staff how they’d handle various situations, may help them prepare to think quickly. Ultimately, it’s valuable for your team to understand the order of operations for common occurrences when following a playbook, and to have the skills to act off-script, improvise, and make strong decisions.

Reevaluate the current systems—or lack thereof—that you have in place. It cannot be assumed that your staff can read your mind and handle these scenarios to your liking. It’s likely that certain situations will occur more frequently than extreme incidents. However, by training your team to effectively manage these situations, they will be better prepared and more adept when facing greater challenges.