Certificate (CPM)
Patrons have rights
and employees have an obligation to provide a safe environment (tm)
We have all been in lines. We have all been in big crowds. We have all felt helpless, vulnerable, or upset when we have been treated in an unprofessional manner. However, our clients and patrons do not need to feel like they are part of a crowd, but should feel like individuals, and valuable assets that need to be treated well.
Treating patrons well is the goal of this educational program offered by the Patron Management Institute (PMI) in conjunction with the University of New Haven and its internationally known program in Sport/Hospitality and Tourism Management. PMI’s Certificate in Patron Management (CPM) is a hands-on training program designed to enhance customer service, focus employees on risk management, and help make facilities safer for all patrons and employees.
It is impossible to make any facility 100% safe. However, through the CPM program your employees can obtain cutting-edge training that will help minimize the chance for crowd related issues, empower employees to proactively engage patrons, and allow for more friendly and personalized patron interaction which can increase sales and loyalty.
CPM differs from other training programs in that it has been developed by an academic institution, written by experts in crowd management, validated by an advisory board, and tested with students and industry professionals over several years. The program is not offered by a for-profit business or an entity trying to validate its own training program. This program uses interdisciplinary knowledge from psychologists and police officers, to Israeli security professionals and disaster physicians to help create a comprehensive curriculum designed to educate rather than just meet a perceived or mandated training requirement. The program has been so well received that it is being considered for endorsement by various national and international organizations, companies, and government entities.
The CPM is a program focused on working with front line and security personnel to understand and appreciate how patrons and customers move and behave in various surroundings/environments. Through a detailed, but educationally friendly, module system, full-time and part-time employees will be taught the following:
- How to act in a safe manner to avoid injuries to themselves or other employees
- How to analyze personal behavior to avoid potential problems
- How to analyze a crowd
- How to develop and implement a risk management plan
- How to become an active component of a risk management plan
- How to internalize the need for vigilance
- Dealing with alcohol, drugs, and mental illness
- Addressing issues faced by disabled patrons
- How to examine a facility and physical elements to make sure they are appropriate
- How to correct potential problems
- How to enforce facility rules such as no smoking or no camera rules
- How to navigating traditional chain of authority to get something accomplished
- How to effectively talk with others (whether colleagues or patrons)
- How to prepare for an event and the need to ask questions
- How to use your smile and a pleasant voice as your best weapons
- How to handle a patron or crowd if any issue arises
- How to handle major issues from fights to crowd surges
- How to cooperate with other entities
- How to document what you have seen and done
- Understanding and following the law
- Planning for future events and effective plan testing
Through analyzing these specific elements, engaging in fun activities, and engaging in problem based learning (PBL), it is anticipated that an employee can be well versed and trained in general theories/application in less than four-five hours, including all videos, role-playing and exams. The CPM program is designed for live training. Since every facility and event will present different issues and concerns, the CPM program is designed to provide basic information and allow employers to customize the material they use. The material can also be customized for non-profit and other groups who might be called upon to work at a facility.
The CPM developers understand that it is one thing to read about crowds in a book, but to really understand the topic those taking the CPM program need to see how people behave in real time. Thus, there are two specific components to the program- the training modules and shadowing. The shadowing element could be conducted on the same day as the training module or at anytime after the training module is concluded. Those seeking CPM certification need to spend at least two hours shadowing a manager or senior level employee who can show them how to implement and follow appropriate risk management and crowd strategies. Each facility can customize their own shadowing program to maximize the training value they wish to achieve.
Thus, the deliverables from the CPM experience are as follows:
- A training module that is kept by the employee/student
- A multiple choice/true/false exam to be graded by the University of New Haven
- A secure Internet login for a supervisor/senior employee to register that the shadowing has been completed
- A secure Internet login so the employee can answer several questions about their shadowing experience to make sure their learning has been reinforced through the shadowing experience
- A CPM certificate of completion
- A registration sheet for the employer indicating who has successfully completed the training and when they need to be recertified (every third year)
- A quarterly e-newsletter highlighting important news associated with patron management
- Employers can use the “CPM” name in all their promotional material indicating that their employees are certified in CPM.
All the deliverables will be designed to cost less than $25 per employee for all the materials and the training program.
CPM is designed for, but not limited to, the following businesses and/or organizations:
- Transportation Centers
- Theme/Amusement Parks
- Sport Stadiums/Arenas
- Concert Venues
- Casinos
- Airlines and other common carriers
- Theaters
- Museums
- Entertainment venues
- Colleges (special events through sporting events)
- Malls
- Convention centers
- Fair Grounds
- Performing Arts Centers
- Major stores