Tour Guides Serve Up Satisfaction On Food Processing Plant Tours

As an experienced industrial tour guide, Robert Sapien has been taking advantage of tour group communication technology for a number of years. The first system he used worked pretty well at blocking out the din of noisy machinery on the plant floor. However, its clunky design and flimsy nature was undesirable and quickly wore out.

Sapien, who is the administrative assistant for Fresh Express’ flagship plant, tried a second system for his tours. Unfortunately, the system was ineffective with the industrial-strength noise in this exemplary salad processing plant in Salinas, Calif. Sapien reported that the noise-canceling quality was so poor that even with the sound equipment on, he had to shout to be heard. This limitation also meant he could take fewer guests on a single tour because everyone had to be within “shouting range.”

Using his experience with other systems, Sapien knew what he needed, and kept his eyes open for several years to find the right product. While browsing through a catalog from Hello Direct Inc., Sapien found an ideal solution: a Listen Technologies’ Tour Group System. Not only did the features listed in the catalog match his needs, but the free 30-day demonstration of the Listen prod­ucts also would enable him to ensure the product could handle the noisy salad processing environment before he spent any money.

Sapien reported that the demonstration went really well. They made the switch to the Listen LS-07 15-Person Portable FM System, and now his visitors, sales director, and his vocal chords are thanking him for it.

The system Sapien uses includes a portable trans­mitter and 15 portable body pack receivers. Their system also features a noise-canceling microphone that expertly eliminates background noise from the loud machinery on the plant floor.

“We conduct about 60 tours each year, and we get tons of compliments on the quality of the tour. First, the presentations are good and second, they can clearly hear what is being said through their headphones,” Sapien said. “Providing tours period has such a great impact on our customers.”

In addition to great tours, Sapien explained that using Listen’s equipment is another way to convey the plant’s commitment to top quality, an integral element of the Fresh Express brand. The excellent tour experience reinforces the value of the company, its prod­ucts and its professionalism to its clients.

“Using Listen’s tour group system makes it much easier for me to convey the important selling points to customers,” Sapien said. “It’s much more easy and comfortable for the visitors to hear the message clearly.”

From experience, Sapien knows how to serve up satisfaction on his plant tours. Listen-ing.