- Omaha's zoo installs 47 self-service kiosks due to shortage of workers.
Published by -NAWA News Feed- in -Zoo News- · Saturday 28 May 2022
With the zoo having trouble filing staff positions guests at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium will spend money in a different way as the summer season begins.
In numerous areas with high foot traffic, such as the main entrance and concession areas, 47 self-service kiosks have been installed.
Depending on where the kiosk is positioned, each touch-screen kiosk is programmed to handle different duties. Credit cards and gift cards are accepted as forms of payment at the kiosks. Members can earn discounts on applicable tickets and food by scanning their membership cards or entering their membership number and last name. On a limited basis, cash sales will continue.
The zoo erected the kiosks in light of the current hiring challenges affecting Nebraska and the United States, according to Jeremy Eddie, senior vice president of finance and administration and chief financial officer.
The kiosks were installed because "we just didn't have enough staff members" to manage ticket sales and accept orders at the food booths, according to Eddie. The zoo spent about $1.5 million on the kiosks, according to him.
"We can have upwards of 500 part-time staff members in the summer," he said, adding that the zoo is looking to fill more than 150 guest service operations roles this summer. He went on to say that the average beginning wage for those jobs is $13 per hour.
According to preliminary seasonally adjusted figures, Nebraska was tied with Utah for the lowest unemployment rate in the country at 1.9 percent in April. According to the official website NEworks, the state has roughly 55,000 job opportunities. Eddie said the zoo has adjusted its marketing strategy in a bid to attract additional personnel, calling the reasons for the state's workforce shortfall "very confusing."
"I believe everyone is doing everything they can in that domain, as well as looking at options in the event that the staffing issue does not (resolve) itself quickly," he said.
Officials from the zoo also introduced the newly restored Howard and Rhonda Hawks Plaza, which is located close to the Desert Dome.
"The Desert Dome is one of our zoo's most iconic features, and it sets us apart from many other zoos." "We believed the entrance door to it needed a facelift," said Dennis Pate, the zoo's president and CEO.