Skip to content

JUMPING AHEAD!

15/08/2016

Jesse Roys made the jump from one career to another because he preferred to work in a team and in tourism. At the same time Taupo Bungy has made the leap to become an even more customer focused business by training talented people like Jesse in the fine art of great visitor experience.


Life got interesting for Jesse when he moved from plastic to rubber. The 20 year-old was largely working on his own as a plastics engineer when he took a trainee role at New Zealand’s highest water touch bungy just over a year ago, and since then he’s been on the up and up.

“I’ve always been interested in dealing with customers one on one and Taupo Bungy was a good place to start out,” says Jesse. “It’s not your average retail experience because it has the extreme factor which makes it really exceptional.”

Jesse is getting to grips with every aspect of the booming business.

He’s upskilled in frontline office crew, office supervisor, and training on the boat – where customers must be safely lowered after leaping into the water.

“I want to continue moving up the ranks and become jump master,” says Jesse.

Taupo Bungy attracts visitors from all over the world and an average of 66 customers per day take the plunge.

One of the biggest challenges of the job is helping non-English speaking customers understand what is involved and how to prepare to take the leap.

To help enhance customer service skills, Jesse and other members of the front office team are completing the ServiceIQ New Zealand Certificate in Tourism (Visitor Experience) Level 3 qualification.

Clear communications are one of the benefits of the on-job programme. “I need to know from customers whether they really want to go ahead with it, and their medical history in case they have an injury or condition that prevents them from jumping,” says Jesse.

JesseRoys

 “I’ve learned how to make the process easier and still fun for these customers. It takes more time, but basically you want to make sure it’s both a safe and enjoyable experience,” he says. “Paying attention to the details is vital. Every little thing can potentially make a huge difference to how you do your job, your customer’s enjoyment and can lead to a great review for the business.”

With two bad knees, jumping isn’t where Jesse gets his kicks. For him, the thrill is being put through his paces to learn more for a satisfying career: “I think I will stick with tourism for a long time because I love helping to make the adventure fun for people. The bungy is amazing, but by treating people really well the whole time they are here, you can make it the best experience possible.”

For more information, please contact ServiceIQ on 0800 863 693 or email intel@ServiceIQ.org.nz