As we celebrate Customer Service Week across the Columbus Zoo, and all of our parks, we're excited to share a little about what guest service means to us and why it's such an important part of who we are.

When people visit our parks, they're often creating memories with family and friends. Whether they're cooling off on a water slide, exploring a favorite animal habitat, attending a special event, or simply spending a day outdoors together, every interaction matters. That's why we work hard to make guest service a priority across every department and every role.

At the heart of our approach is a simple philosophy: Make It GREAT.

From volunteers to full-time team members, everyone plays a part in creating a positive experience for our guests. We encourage our staff to be approachable, helpful, and willing to go the extra mile whenever they can. The GREAT philosophy serves as a reminder of what that looks like every day:

• Greet guests with a warm welcome.
• Respond to guests' needs and look for opportunities to help.
• Engage in meaningful conversations and provide support when challenges arise.
• Advance accessibility so all guests can enjoy what our parks have to offer.
• Teamwork, because creating great experiences takes all of us working together.

While Guest Relations, Membership, and the Customer Contact Center often serve as the front line of guest service, creating an exceptional experience is truly a team effort. Every department contributes, and every team member has a role to play.

You can see that commitment throughout the parks every day. Whether someone is caring for the grounds, heading to a meeting, grabbing lunch, or walking between assignments, they're always ready to help. Our team members take pride in what they know and love sharing it with guests. Sometimes that means giving directions or answering questions about an upcoming event. Other times, it's explaining animal care practices, talking about conservation work, or sharing a favorite animal fact.

"Did you know baby langurs are born bright orange?" Simple conversations like that can spark curiosity, create connections, and inspire future conservation advocates.

One of the most rewarding parts of working at an organization like ours is knowing that you might be part of someone's favorite memory. Sometimes it's something small, like helping a family find their way to a habitat or chatting with a child about the animal they're most excited to see. Other times, it's helping reunite someone with a lost item, assisting with a special event, or stepping in to make a challenging situation a little easier.

Everything we do is guided by our mission: Empowering People. Saving Wildlife. While every department contributes to both parts of that mission, guest service plays a particularly important role in helping us empower people.

We love helping guests make the most of their day. Whether that's pointing someone toward a habitat they may have missed, suggesting the best place to cool off, or helping a family plan the rest of their visit, those small interactions can make a big difference. We work to create an environment where every guest feels valued, respected, and supported, while continually looking for ways to remove barriers and improve accessibility.

Perhaps most importantly, guest service helps connect visitors to our larger conservation mission. Through conversations with our staff, guests learn how their visit, membership, or donation directly supports animal care, education programs, and conservation initiatives both locally and around the world. These interactions help people understand the impact they can have and the role they can play in protecting wildlife for future generations.

We're honored to be a place that means so much to so many people. For some families, visiting the Zoo is a cherished yearly tradition. For others, it's a once-in-a-lifetime vacation destination. While guests may come for the animals, habitats, rides, and attractions, we hope they return because they felt welcomed, valued, and connected during their visit.

Just as we strive to create great experiences for our guests, we also want our team members to feel appreciated for the work they do every day. Through recognition programs, incentives, and opportunities to celebrate outstanding service, we make it a point to recognize those who go above and beyond. When team members are caught making a difference, we want them to know that their efforts matter.

Customer Service Week gives us an opportunity to celebrate the people who make these experiences possible, but their impact is felt every day of the year. Their passion, knowledge, and commitment help turn ordinary interactions into meaningful memories.

On your next visit, ask a team member about their favorite conservation project supported by the Zoo. Ask five team members that question and you'll probably get five different answers. That's one of the things that makes our team special. Everyone has their own interests and favorite projects, which speaks to the incredible variety of conservation work the Zoo supports around the world.

After all, that's what Making It GREAT is all about.