Sun City Visitors Center

Is it just me, or do others believe that the hours the Visitors Center is currently open is not really very conducive to its purpose?

Here are the hours:

Operating Hours:

• Monday – Thursday: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm (Year-round)
• Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: Closed

It just seems to me, especially for those who are still working, that 3:00 pm during the week is too early to close, and Friday, Saturday, and Sunday is the opportune time when out of State visitors would seek information?

I get it, nobody wants to work weekends, but it seems these hours defeat the entire purpose of having a Visitors Center.

Am I missing something?

 

Does anyone know the average number of people that go there during open hours? Maybe try one weekend day. I know after an 8 to 10 hour work day the last thing I wanted to do was go somewhere besides home.

 

After thout. A SC Resident like myself who has no family here might not mind a weekend day. Heck all says when retired are Saturday.

 

I just believe that the nature of some business's requires that they remain open regardless whether or not they have any customers?

 

Guess it would depend what type of business. I have never been there, I am assuming brochures, maps, realtor info. Is it staffed by paid employees or volunteers now. If volunteers not all want to put in a full 8 hour day, and that could make it a scheduling nightmare if open 7 days. Been there, won't do it again. If paid does the place make money to cover the salary? I don't know, just asking.

When my husband and I owned a Mortgage brokerage business in Illinois we rarely go 5 hours sleep, but that was ours and it meant eating or not.

People don't have the same ethics now. Recently I sat in a docs office for 1.5 hours. All the girls were laughing, and I could hear every patient name, what drugs they were on, talk about HIPPA violation. Got my co-pay back and left.

 

I think you are missing the chance to go volunteer for the hours you think should be filled.

 

Well Tom. Looks like you have your answer!

 

FYI,
The Welcome Center hours were reduced due to insufficient number of volunteer & staff for a full schedule.
How busy were they in August?
RCSC Management Report: September 26, 2024, Page 7
“Communications/Welcome Center:
The Welcome Center had 266 visitors in the month of August. The number 1 reason for their visit was to pick up club brochures. The number 2 reason was for new member information, and number 3 was for directions assistance. 15 visitors were here from South Korea to learn about retirement communities.
We had five prospective buyers visit us expressing interest in moving to Sun City. According to the surveys that were completed, swimming was the top activity they were interested in, followed by arts & crafts, bowling, and fitness. Of the five, four intended to buy and one wanted to rent first before buying. They found out about us either from our website or a friend.
The Welcome Center answered 55 phone calls in August; 32 calls were from residents; 23 were nonresidents.”

Full August Management Report:
https://suncityaz.org/wp-content/uploads/minutes-agendas-newsletters/MgmtReport_2024-09-26.pdf

 

So doing some carpmath, that's about 10 visitors and two phone calls a day.

 

I guess you can't ask a simple question without somebody challenging you?

I do my part on Committees.

 

Or make a statement, talking about prices and I was at grocery, the eggs left were $9.99/doz. The word liar was not used, however implied. I still had the ad from Safeway so I had to show them. We live in such sad times.

I also made a comment about Melania Trump being beautiful and that was even quashed. Something tells me she doesn't care tho!

 

When I worked at the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau, we wore many hats but one of the most important was getting the correct information about Albuquerque to the public.

Asking Google about them, you get this:
A visitor center in a 55+ community can serve multiple purposes, including:
· Attract new residents
· Provide information about the community's amenities to attract new residents
· Promote a sense of place
· Help visitors and locals feel connected to the community


Visitor centers are often the first point of contact for visitors to a town or region.
· They may also offer services such as Accommodation and tour bookings and Flight, bus, train, or hire car options

Senior living communities can also implement visitor management systems to control and monitor who enters the community. These systems can help improve the safety and security of the community.

The Google entry for Sun City West about Visitors Centers discloses this:

The Sun City West Visitors Center is currently open Mon-Fri from 9am-1pm.

Sun City West is a self-governed 55+ community with recreation, shopping, places of worship, and a nationally ranked medical care.

The purpose of the Sun City West Visitors Center, opened in 1997, is to attract new residents by providing information that highlights the many unique amenities offered throughout the community. Residents are quick to point to the idea that the community has “everything under the sun” which means a better way of life.

We invite you to come to the Sun City West Visitors Center when you come to Arizona. The Visitors Center greets more than 9,000 people every year. Make it your first stop on your visit to Sun City West!​

The Visitor’s Center is a division of the Property Owners and Residents Association (PORA) and is located in the PORA building. The Center is funded by diverse sources throughout the community. Most new visitors to Sun City West first encounter the Visitors Center as new residents. It is operated by staff and volunteers who distribute information about the community, show informational films and provide tourism information for Arizona and surrounding areas.​

Our Visitor Center, as pointed out in the above entry by Eyes Open, seems to exist mostly for our own residents as a place to pick up brochures and receive information about our community. When our present GM was hired, I remember him saying that "marketing Sun City is not needed; it markets itself." Since then, I believe the visitor center is now staffed only by volunteers; there is no longer an employee of RCSC at the center (Let me know if I'm wrong.).

So, my opinion is that the Welcome Center is more of an Information Center than a Visitor Center. And the hours are probably accurate if that is who we are serving. Just my opinion.
Jean Totten as One Day at a Time

 

“When our present GM was hired, I remember him saying that "marketing Sun City is not needed; it markets itself." ~Jean Totten

Another GM fail…

 

It just seems to me that there's nothing more disappointing then going to a new area only to find the Visitors Center closed!

Perhaps then, that space could be better utilized for something else and move all the brochures to Member Services at Lake View.

Lake View is the place everybody wants to show off anyway with the lake and hilltop gazebo!

If the current Center primarily serves our own Members then why have it?

Maybe just turn it into a Community Space where people can meet, or give it to a small Club?

Just my thoughts!

 

Maybe the Coffee Club and internet hub everyone wanted so much? Wasn't that on the ASU Survey Tom? Also I thought the new GM was awesome. Did I miss something?

 

I have no problems with the new GM...yet.

Let's give him time!

I like the Coffee Club idea since I buy green coffee and roast my own! Lots to learn about coffee! Different regions offer different characteristics just like wine.

 

Just curious about the GM fail thing with Jean and Chris. I like Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, will have to look into green coffee and roasting. Oh I miss wine!

 

No disrespect intended, but I would venture to say that 100% Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee will cost you about $35+ a pound?

You need to be careful when buying coffee blends that push names like Jamaica Blue Mountain or Kona from Hawaii. Something like a Kona Blend. Hawaiian law allows you to call your coffee Kona Blend if there's only 10% of actual Kona coffee. The rest is probably a lower grade coffee with possibly some Robusta coffee included to bump up the caffeination!

What I don't understand is why is everybody crazy for Starbucks?

I prefer a single origin coffee from Indonesia like a Sumatra or Sulawesi!

 

When I lived in Illinois there was a coffee shop called Gloria Jeans and they had 100% JBM coffee. It was $50/lb back in the 90's for beans. It was my christmas present to me every year!! Have not had any since here. Don't trust the sources. If you find some legit beans let me know please. (LOL sounds like a drug deal) I absolutely hate Starbucks! Too bitter. Like Sumatra, never tried Sulawesi.

 

For me it's not that Starbucks coffee is so great, but they are always places with a comfy atmosphere to unwind, people watch, do some laptop work, meet up, etc. Many had little games to play or a book collection to look through or exchange. It's similar to the sort of hangout I wish we had in a rec center.