Tour Guide Training 101: Best Practices for Training Tour Leaders

1. Orientation and Onboarding

When you hire new team members, it’s crucial to provide a comprehensive orientation and onboarding process. This includes introducing them to administrative tools, booking software, and company policies. Take this opportunity to share your company’s mission, vision, and values, as well as introduce them to their fellow team members.

2. Technical Skills Development

Depending on your tour offerings, your team may need to be trained on various equipment, tools, and processes. This could include sizing and maintaining bikes and helmets for a bike tour company, operating vehicles or trailers, or using digital waiver and point-of-sale systems. Ensure your staff is well-versed in all technical aspects of their roles.

3. Safety and Liability Training

Preparing your team to handle emergency situations is essential for both staff and guest safety. Develop clear procedures for dealing with injured guests or staff, vehicle accidents, lost or missing guests, and severe weather conditions. By providing comprehensive safety and liability training, you’ll set your team up for success and minimize potential risks.

4. Tour Content and Logistics

Your tour leaders and experienced hosts should be well-informed about the specific products and services they’ll be delivering. Create detailed documentation, including guest-facing tour descriptions, pre-tour checklists, step-by-step instructions, and post-tour checklists. Provide your team with engaging stories, scripts, and answers to frequently asked questions to enhance the guest experience.

5. Soft Skills Development

While you may hire tour leaders and guides for their inherent people skills, it’s essential to provide ongoing training and professional development in areas such as communication, public speaking, conflict resolution, and leadership. Encourage role-playing exercises to help your team navigate challenging situations and deliver exceptional customer service.

6. Products and Services Training

Familiarize your team with your company’s full range of products and services. This not only enables them to answer guest questions effectively but also equips them with the knowledge and skills to upsell and cross-sell, ultimately increasing revenue per guest. Provide your tour leaders with sales tools, such as QR codes linked to discounted bookings, and consider implementing a commission structure to incentivize sales.

7. Quality and Performance Evaluation

Make your staff aware of how you measure and monitor tour quality and individual performance. Train them on your company’s methods for collecting guest feedback, managing online reviews, and conducting performance reviews. Consider implementing a mystery shopper program to anonymously assess tour quality and provide constructive feedback to your team.

8. Team Building

Foster a strong company culture by dedicating time and resources to team building activities. Organize name games, icebreakers, and social events to build cohesion and unity among your staff. Regular training events, company-wide meetings, and staff recognition programs can help increase communication, improve retention, and create a shared passion for delivering unforgettable guest experiences.

Implementing a comprehensive tour leader training program may seem like a daunting task, but the benefits are well worth the effort. By investing in your team’s knowledge, skills, and confidence, you’ll be well on your way to building a thriving, profitable tour business that consistently exceeds guest expectations.

At Guest Focus Tour Business Coaching, we’re dedicated to helping tour operators like you achieve your entrepreneurial dreams. Book a free strategy call with us today and get started.