Of course no one would be a Escape Room host if it wasn’t for the huge number of entertaining and just downright nice people that you meet and interact with. And interact with is the key word.

Glancing through escape room reviews there is a common theme - the welcome and the communication from the host are key to both a good review or a bad review. The host is the human face of what, let’s face it, are some pretty inhuman problems.

They are the people who welcome you in, guide you on your way and commiserate or celebrate with you afterwards. Often the rave reviews rave as much about the host as the game - something worth thinking about in successful escape room design - if you can build in an engaging and interesting character you have a live presence throughout your game, that can intervene when the machinery breaks, or just generally enhance the atmosphere.

In fact I would go so far as to say that a good host can make or break a room (but then I am one so take it with a pinch of salt). People like to talk and feel social - that’s why escape rooms are for groups not solitary problems solvers (that’s what your electronic devices are for) - they’re essentially a social experience with a bit of inventive problem solving chucked in to keep you occupied.

So if your host is personable, handsome (natch), intelligent, out going, experienced in dealing with all shapes and sizes, a lover of humanity, the heart and soul of the party, then you’re bound to have a successful room, all other things being equal. Which segues nicely into Customer Care - the thing we all do, don’t we? Next week - there’s Customer Care and there’s Customer Care that always works.