When planning your factory tours, you’re probably considering different tour guide equipment options. This isn’t a decision that should be taken lightly or haphazardly.
Remember… you never get a second chance to make a first impression with your tour attendees. If your message gets garbled for any reason, the tour might not just be subpar.
It could end in disaster.
The surest way to torpedo a tour’s effectiveness is choosing the wrong tour guide and attendee equipment. Unfortunately, it’s a mistake many factory and facility tour managers make.
So, what should you look for when comparing different tour guide equipment options?
Is it really all that important to get top quality gear?
Aren’t all tour communications packages created equal?
Those are all good questions. This article will answer them and more as we discuss your different tour guide equipment options.
But first, let’s make some quick comparisons.
COTS vs MOTS
In the business and government world, two common designations are COTS and MOTS, particularly as pertaining to software. COTS means Commercial Off The Shelf and MOTS stands for Modified Off The Shelf.
COTS software is sold and used “as is.” ONE SIZE FITS ALL. If you use a popular suite of office programs, you’re using COTS software. The modules are used as designed, with little or no modification possible. That’s one reason supplementary apps are used and often necessary.
MOTS software has been modified at some point. In a sense, it’s adapted for a particular company’s needs and applications.
So, what does that have to do with factory tour communication components?
When comparing different tour guide equipment offerings, some choices are similar. However, you need to be careful that what you get is what you really need.
Many tour communications equipment vendors will try to sell you something standard, right off the shelf. If the selection isn’t quite what you need, they may try to piece together additional equipment, often with no guarantee of compatibility.
It’s a roll of the dice.
The cobbled-together package of one size fits all might work… or it might not. Either way, you’re stuck with it. And even if it does work, the sound quality for your particular and unique situation may not be optimal.
That’s the Plant-Tours difference… just one of them. Our patented, proprietary, unique equipment is specifically designed and built for commercial use in factory tours, heavy industry, and construction site communications. You cannot buy our products anywhere else.
We even have components designed for tours and events far from the factory floor: warehouses, churches, auditoriums, and college campuses, to name just a few.
And the equipment options necessary for your unique situations are guaranteed to work together. Our line of patented, proprietary headphones, headset, microphones and transceiver/receiver options aren’t only guaranteed to work together.
They’re guaranteed to work… for you, for your visitors, in your unique environment.
Quality customer service should be another vital stipulation
Many communications vendors don’t have the experience necessary to guide you in your search for the best tour guide package. Their customer service representatives are nothing more than order takers. The person you are talking to has never set foot in a manufacturing plant.
Think mediocre fast-food diner clerks.
They just plug options onto a screen and, hopefully, your order will pop out right.
Throw in something off the menu and they panic, or worse, wing it.
Not so with Plant-Tours professional Sales Reps. Our representative are not order takers by any means. In fact, think of them as partners in your tour guide equipment selection.
We’re in factories across North America every week, servicing and taking care of special visitor groups. Our sales representative are seasoned veterans in customer service.
Our qualified sales reps are happy to discuss your venue, tour environment, purpose, and expected attendees, and present you with exactly the right solution… every time. With our years of experience working events and tours directly with plant staff and personnel, our team can recommend the ideal option for your VIP guests to ensure that the tour is a success.
With a client list comprised of major companies in virtually every industry imaginable, we’re ready, willing, and able to design a communications package that’s perfect for your unique tour requirements.
You don’t need a cookie cutter solution. We won’t give you one.
We’re also one of the few companies that can ship you a free demo kit for determining what you need. Stocked with various components (based on our free, informational call with you), you’ll have several options from which to choose.
But… should you buy? Or rent?
It’s not just about different tour guide systems, sometimes it’s about how often you use them, or how much experience you have in conducting factory tours. For example, you may just be starting out, still feeling your way around.
When shopping around for different tour guide systems, keep in mind that buying a system right from the start isn’t always best for your situation.
Some vendors are totally hard-core/hard-sell. They may try their level best to sell you their products, even if it’s not best for your situation.They don’t really care.
Rental customers don’t bother us… we welcome them and have, by far, the most experience servicing them!
We’ve been around long enough to understand that renting tour guide equipment may be your first step in tour preparation. Particularly if:
- You’ve never hosted a tour before
- You only host tours occasionally
- You group size varies with each event
- You don’t have the resources to maintain the equipment properly
Other companies may offer rental programs. But, just like choosing between different tour guide equipment systems, you need to make sure you get a personalized rental package that’s just right for your company.
Even rentals for large tours over 80 attendees don’t phase us in the least. We offer a white-glove service option that no one else can match. We’ll send a qualified, expert Service Representative — in professionally dressed uniform, to assist you in preparing, executing and concluding the best tour possible.
You concentrate on your guests… we’ll handle the equipment details.
At no additional charge for large groups, too.
Summing it all up
Choosing from different tour guide equipment options is more than just choosing the first headset available. A lot more.
For a quality tour that impresses your guests and guarantees success, make sure every part of your package is well-suited. From headsets, headphones and even purchase or rental options, make sure it’s designed to get your message across.
Loud and clear!
