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In order to provide the highest level of service to your patrons, and to ensure a safe and secure working environment for your employees, the Florida Attractions Association requires that all members adhere to a Code of Practices.
The FAA Code of Practices gives general guidelines for certain elements of attraction operations. Attractions are required to sign a pledge signifying their commitment to the Code of Practices upon applying for membership.
We track adherence to our Code of Practices using five categories:
Each attraction is secretly shopped once per year. Three of the five practices are checked. They are the practices that deal with cleanliness, hospitality, and truthful advertising. The other two, safety and complaints, are handled through the FAA office. A copy of the Secret Shop report is furnished to the attraction by the FAA office.
If an attraction receives an unfavorable report from the secret shopping service, the FAA office includes in a cover letter a request that the attraction rectify the situation right away and notes the attraction will be shopped again. If the situation is not rectified and a second unfavorable report is received, staff forwards the report along with a letter requesting a written explanation about the situation and notice that the attraction will be shopped yet again. If the situation is still not rectified and the attraction receives a third unfavorable report, the Board of Directors is notified that there is a violation of the Code of Practices. The Board will invite the attraction to attend a meeting to discuss the situation.
Complaints about individual attractions received in writing at the FAA office will be forwarded to the attraction with a written request to notify the Association office how the situation was handled. All complaints are responded to by the Association staff notifying the person with the complaint that action is being taken. The attraction is expected to make a good-faith effort to resolve the complaint in accordance with the attraction’s complaint resolution policy, to provide a written copy of that policy to the Association office, and to keep the Association informed of progress.
*** In addition to following the FAA Code of Practices, it is understood & expected that all attraction adhere to all applicable local, state, and federal laws & regulations.
SAFETY
Employees and consumers alike should be furnished with a place of employment and entertainment which is free from recognized hazards which may cause death or serious physical harm.
Accident Reporting and Recordkeeping
Employers must notify the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the death of any employee from a work-related incident or the inpatient hospitalization of three or more employees as a result of a work-related incident. The report of such incidents must be given orally (via telephone or in person) to the OSHA Area Office (or State Plan Office) that is nearest to the site of the incident within 8 hours of the employer learning of the injury, illness, or fatality.
Aisles and Passageways
Sufficient safe clearances must be allowed for aisles, at loading docks, through doorways, and wherever turns or passage must be made. Aisles and passageways must be kept clear and in good repair, with no obstruction across or in aisles that could create a hazard. Permanent aisles and passageways must be appropriately marked. Every floor, working place, and passageway must be kept free from protruding nails, splinters, holes, or loose boards. All railings must have a height of 42 inches and a smooth top surface.
Emergency Action Plan
Emergency action plans must be prepared in writing, kept in the workplace, and reviewed with affected employees. The plan must include the following elements: escape procedures and routes, critical plant operations, employee accounting following an emergency evacuation, rescue and medical duties, means of reporting emergencies, and persons to be contacted for information or clarification.
Emergency Exits
Every building designed for human occupancy must be provided with exit routes sufficient to permit the prompt escape of occupants in case of emergency. An exit door must be unlocked. Exits and the way of approach and travel from exits must be maintained so that they are unobstructed and are accessible at all times. In addition, employees must be able to open exit doors from the inside at all times without keys, tools, or special knowledge. All exits must discharge directly to the street or other open space that gives safe access to a public way.
(SOURCE: General Industry Digest, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2012.)
HOSPITALITY
Courtesy, service, and professionalism are key components of hospitality. Some specific dimensions of hospitality are reliability or the consistency of performance and dependability; responsiveness or willingness of management and employees to provide service to the public; competence or the possession of skills, knowledge, and attitude; access or ease of approachability; and courtesy or politeness, respect, and consideration.
Training
Hospitality training shall be provided to employees at all levels on a regular basis. A written policy on what hospitality/service expectations are for each job description shall be maintained and reviewed on a regular basis with the employee. (SOURCE: “Maximizing Quality Service in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry,” Mark A. Bonn, Ph.D., Quality Management Company, 1994.)
CLEANLINESS
Functional and clean grounds, buildings, transportation vehicles and vessels, as well as sanitary facilities including toilets, are important to the enjoyment of the experience by the public.
Trash
All sweepings, solid or liquid wastes, refuse, and garbage shall be removed in such a manner as to avoid creating a menace to health and as often as necessary or appropriate to maintain the place of employment in a sanitary condition. (SOURCE: OSHA Guidelines on General Environmental Controls, OSHA website, retrieved 12/4/2012.)
Toilet Facilities
Floors and plumbing fixtures shall be cleaned and sanitized as needed but not less than once a day. Plumbing fixtures and plumbing shall be maintained in good repair and free from odor. Sanitary facilities shall be furnished with soap, preferably liquid type and approved single service towels or other approved hand-drying devices. The use of a common towel is prohibited. Each sanitary facility shall be provided with toilet tissue. (SOURCE: Chapter 64E-10, Florida Administrative Code.)
Housekeeping
All places of employment, passageways, storerooms, and service rooms must be kept clean and orderly and in a sanitary condition. (SOURCE: General Industry Digest, OSHA, 2012.)
TRUTHFUL ADVERTISING
The truthful and accurate representation about services, entertainment, and products available at an attraction is an integral part of the total entertainment operation for the business and is equally important to the consumer for information value.
The offer of products or services for sale by member companies of the Association shall be accurate and truthful as to price, grade, quality, make, value, performance, quantity, currency of model and availability. A consumer’s order for products and services shall be fulfilled in a timely manner. (SOURCE: Code of Ethics, Direct Selling Association, 2011.)
Eight Principles of Advertising Ethics
- Advertising, public relations, marketing communications, news, and editorial all share a common objective of truth and high ethical standards in serving the public.
- Advertising, public relations, and all marketing communications professionals have an obligation to exercise the highest personal ethics in the creation and dissemination of commercial information to consumers.
- Advertisers should clearly distinguish advertising, public relations and corporate communications from news and editorial content and entertainment, both online and offline. To avoid consumer confusion and mistrust, the industry must strive to clearly separate paid advertising from actual news.
- Advertisers should clearly disclose all material conditions, such as payment or receipt of a free product, affecting endorsements in social and traditional channels, as well as the identity of endorsers, all in the interest of full disclosure and transparency. Advertisers must be transparent about whether bloggers are expressing their own opinions or are being compensated by a brand. There must also be full disclosure regarding the authenticity of comments on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms.
- Advertisers should treat consumers fairly based on the nature of the audience to whom the ads are directed and the nature of the product or service advertised. Extra care must be used when advertising to children and other vulnerable audiences to avoid misleading or mistreating them. Advertisers should also use discretion based on the nature of the product or service, especially alcohol and prescription drugs.
- Advertisers should never compromise consumers’ personal privacy in marketing communications, and their choices as to whether to participate in providing their information should be transparent and easily made.
- Advertisers should follow federal, state and local advertising laws, and cooperate with industry self-regulatory programs for the resolution of advertising practices.
- Advertisers and their agencies, and online and offline media, should discuss privately potential ethical concerns, and members of the team creating ads should be given permission to express internally their ethical concerns.
(SOURCE: “Principles and Practices for Advertising Ethics,” adopted by the American Advertising Federation’s Institute for Advertising Ethics, 2011.)
COMPLAINT RESOLUTION
In the event any consumer shall complain that the salesperson or representative offering for sale the products or services of a member company has engaged in any improper course of conduct pertaining to the sales presentation of its goods or services, the member company shall promptly investigate the complaint and shall take such steps as it may find appropriate and necessary under the circumstances to cause the redress of any wrongs which its investigation discloses to have been committed. (SOURCE: Code of Ethics, Direct Selling Association, 2011.)
The Division of Consumer Services of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services functions as the state’s clearinghouse for consumer complaints (SOURCE: Division of Consumer Services, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, website; retrieved 12/4/2012).
