[civsa] The other F-word - FULL

[DJ Dull-MacKenzie]

RE: "Full"
At Stanford (private; UG 7000, GRAD 9700; paid tour guides), both summer and Spring Break are very unwieldy, as I'm sure they are for most places. Whereas we do have finite limits for the number of attendees in our Admission Information Sessions (110 max, 2-3 times per day), we do not set a limit on our general tours (for better or for worse). We try and avoid turning people away at all costs (except for various categories of Group Tours), and don't exclude anyone from our campus walking tours other than "Groups" (9 or more, who must request/book separately). As a result, our average tour sizes in the summer are about 200-250 (with multiple guides assigned). Coverage for this is very tough and we have to do a lot just to get the bare minimum of guides, and we resort to using amplification devices (ChatterVox) during these periods.

We do, however, have a limit (and require advance registration) for our specialized tours, which include:

*        Golf cart tours (only 5 seats per cart)

*        Specific Interest Tours (Engineering, Humanities & Arts, Athletics) - usually 25 max per available guide
With online advance registration, you have the built-in benefit of having people see "it's full" (though that it prompts calls about how to get on a waitlist).

From: listserv [mailto:listserv-bounces at civsa.org] On Behalf Of Scott Kirkessner
Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2016 11:07 AM
To: listserv at civsa.org<mailto:listserv at civsa.org>
Subject: [civsa] The other F-word - FULL

Hey CIVSA Land!  Tours here at the U have been really busy lately, we've been maxing out, and I am sure many of you know how difficult it is to find summer coverage.  That being said...

I am curious to know what the word "FULL" means to you...

What does full really mean to your tours?  When a tour reaches its capacity, how rigid are you regarding the fact that it's full?  Do you take it as the absolute word that, your tours are full, and you simply cannot add any more?  Or do you bend and flex for those of you who beg and plead?  What about walk-ins on tours that are full?  How do you determine your capacities?

It also would help if you can include how big your school is, who gives your tours (volunteers or paid), and public or private.

Asking for a friend... haha

Scott



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