A family at the gate explaining again
A family arrives at your zoo with a disabled son and his carer. Your policy offers a free carer ticket. Online booking did not have that option, so they booked three tickets and planned to ask for a refund, or they emailed and waited two days for a reply.
At the gate, a new member of staff is not sure what evidence is needed. The family explains again, as they do at every attraction. The queue builds behind them. They get in, but not in the way anyone would want.
Why access bookings end up offline
Ticketing systems are good at standard ticket types and poor at those with conditions, such as a free ticket that only applies alongside a paying visitor who needs support.
Attractions set their own policies on what, if anything, they ask for as evidence, and how. When booking cannot handle it, the policy is applied at the gate, by whoever is on shift, which is inconsistent.
Access needs are wider than carer tickets: wheelchair loan, quiet times, sensory maps, accessible parking. Visitors often have to ask separately for each.
Staff turnover makes it harder. Seasonal gate staff may never have been briefed on the carer policy, so the answer a family gets depends on who they meet.
What an offline process costs
| Gap | Effect on visitors |
|---|---|
| No carer ticket online | Paying extra and claiming back, or emailing |
| Evidence checked at the gate | Explaining again, in a queue |
| Inconsistent gate decisions | Different answers on different days |
| Access extras requested separately | Several emails before a visit |
| No record of past visits | Repeat visitors asked every time |
What your policy offers and what you ask for is for you and your advisers. The point here is making it easy and consistent to use.
Carer tickets and access built into booking
We add carer and access options to your booking flow, following your policy.
- A carer ticket appears in online booking under the rules you set, for example one per visitor who needs support.
- If your policy asks for evidence, visitors can upload it once. A member of staff checks it, and it is stored for future visits for as long as your policy allows.
- Repeat visitors with a checked record can book carer tickets without uploading again.
- Access extras such as wheelchair loan, accessible parking or a quiet time slot can be requested in the same booking.
- The gate sees, on the day's arrivals list, that a booking includes a carer ticket that has already been checked, so the family is welcomed without questions.
- Access requests go to the teams that fulfil them, such as wheelchair loan being ready at the entrance.
Cases we plan for
- Annual pass holders who need a carer each visit: the carer is linked to their pass.
- Visitors who arrive without booking: gate staff can apply the same rules on a tablet.
- Groups from care settings or special schools, following your group policy.
- Visitors who prefer not to upload anything: the policy's alternative is offered clearly.
A family visit afterwards
The family books online with a carer ticket, using the record checked on their last visit. They ask for accessible parking. At the gate, staff see the booking already checked and say hello. A wheelchair is waiting if they asked for one.
- Carer tickets bookable online
- Evidence checked once, not at every visit
- Consistent decisions at the gate
- Access extras arranged before arrival
Does this sound like your attraction?
- Carer tickets cannot be booked online.
- Visitors email or phone to arrange access.
- Gate staff check evidence in the queue.
- Decisions vary depending on who is on shift.
- Repeat visitors are asked for evidence every time.