Marvin began in 1912 as a family-owned and -led cedar and lumber business, and the company has been developing fenestration solutions to help people live better ever since.
Listen Technologies visited with Learning Specialist Tim Slukynsky and Learning Experience Manager Elena Rodriguez to learn more about how Marvin uses ListenTALK on its manufacturing facilities and distribution center tours and the difference it’s making for the people on those tours.
Marvin operates a more than 2 million square foot manufacturing facility at the company’s headquarters location in Warroad, Minnesota, where custom windows and doors are produced. Getting a behind-the-scenes look at the manufacturing process is an important part of Marvin’s education, training, and community relations efforts.
Challenge
You’ll find difficult listening conditions on any manufacturing plant floor – noisy machinery, forklift horns, and the poor acoustics of a large, open, high-ceiling facility. Marvin was using a communication system that provided its guests a less than stellar experience. The system had poor sound quality, and users found it uncomfortable to invade personal space to exchange information. The ineffective equipment meant Marvin’s tour guides and guests were still competing with the noise in the facility, making engagement on the tours challenging.
Solution
Marvin contacted TourGuide Solutions to find a communication system for their factory tours to enable tour guides to speak normally (instead of shouting to be heard) and increase engagement with a two-way communication option.
TourGuide Solutions recommended ListenTALK from Listen Technologies. ListenTALK is a flexible and customizable two-way group communication system that delivers crystal clear audio without amplifying ambient noise. The system consists of transceivers (transmitters/receivers), a docking station to charge and pair the devices, lanyards to wear them (making them hands-free), and headsets.
Result
Using ListenTALK, guests can easily ask questions while on tour, and the ability to engage has elevated the entire tour experience. The Marvin team’s favorite functionalities and features include:
• small and lightweight transceivers
• simplicity of creating groups making tour prep easier
• ability to pair units and add participants on-the-go with near-field communication
• long battery life
• ease of charging the transceiver units in the docking stations
• flexibility to pair large groups of transceiver units in the docking stations
Testimonials
“One of the things I like about the system is the ease of designating the leader unit. The ability to change the leader clip in case anything comes up means a seamless experience for our guests. For example, if someone forgets to put the leader unit back in the docking station and the battery is low, moving the leader clip to another transceiver unit is easy,” said Tim Slukynsky.
Elena Rodriguez added, “The difference in engagement in our tours has been remarkable. Our guests ask alot more questions during the tour because they can hear the tour guide, and the guide can hear them. The sound is so much better than our previous system. Plus, the units are comfortable to wear, getting ready for tours is easier, and being able to see the battery charge of each unit has been a game-changer. We no longer need to stop in the middle of a factory floor tour to change batteries. We are delighted with the elevated experience for our guests and the great service from TourGuide Solutions.”
