There's no such thing as a perfect venue, right?
During a Monday morning meeting, members of the Louisville Arena Authority were briefed on customer service efforts at the KFC Yum Center. The briefing included positive and negative feedback from arena visitors.
The most common complaint, according to Sandra Moran, director of marketing: people not being able to find their seat or being misdirected by an usher.
"We take those complaints seriously and try to find ways to help ushers help our patrons," Moran said.
To combat this problem, Yum Center officials have developed a placard that includes a map of the facility and points of interest. They also have a list of the Yum Center policies and procedures that visitors most frequently ask about.
These placards are to be worn by ushers using a lanyard to help them more easily show visitors where they're going or answer questions.
Yum Center general manager Dennis Petrullo said the problem is a result of turnover among workers at the Yum Center.
"We're always going to have to deal with the turnover," he said, noting it is common in the business.
Moran said ushers started using the placards earlier this summer, and she's seen plenty of workers reach for them.
It's a good time for the new tool, considering that the arena's busiest season is nearly here. The center's anchor tenant, the University of Louisville men's and women's basketball teams, tip off in October and November, respectively.
And several big concerts are scheduled in the coming months, including Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Kings of Leon and The Eagles in September and October. Guns N' Roses has a show scheduled there in November. And one more unannounced concert is planned there before the year is over, officials said.
David A. Mann covers these beats: Restaurants, beverage industry, manufacturing, distribution/logistics, unions.
