Transcript

Our old pool lockers worked with coins, which caused more trouble than you might imagine. People arrived in swimming clothes without any money, or they put in the wrong coin and could not get it back. When the lockers finally needed replacing, we decided to use wristbands instead. You touch the band against the door and the locker opens, so nobody has to carry a key around the pool. The first version of the system gave each visitor a locker number at reception. That seemed organised, but families wanted lockers close together and the computer often separated them. We changed the rule so visitors can now choose any empty locker once they enter the changing area. Another problem was size. The new lockers looked larger in the catalogue, but the shelves inside made it difficult to fit a sports bag. We removed the lower shelf from one row of lockers and marked those doors with a blue circle. People carrying larger bags know immediately which ones to use. We also noticed that children often forgot which locker they had chosen. Adults usually remember a number, but younger swimmers remember colours more easily. We therefore painted a coloured stripe above each group of ten lockers. A child might not remember locker 46, but they often remember that it was in the green section. Wet floors created a separate issue. People put shoes directly under the lockers, where they were easy to kick into the walkway. We added a low rack along the wall. Shoes are now out of the way, and the cleaning staff can reach the floor much more easily. At busy times, visitors used to wait while staff searched for lost property inside locked lockers. We now empty anything left behind into a trolley at closing time. The trolley goes to reception, where items are recorded the next morning. Some customers worried that an electronic system would fail during a power cut. In fact, the doors have a small battery that keeps them working for several hours. Staff check the battery level every Friday, rather than waiting for a warning light. Finally, we shortened the printed instructions. The original notice had eleven steps and nobody read it. The new version has three pictures and one sentence. Since we put it beside the entrance, staff spend far less time explaining how the wristbands work. We have also changed how visitors return the wristbands. Each person now receives a wristband at the entrance, and there is a bright red box beside the exit for used ones. In the first weeks people handed them back at reception, which created another queue just as swimming sessions ended. The box keeps that traffic moving. Staff empty it between sessions, wipe the bands and place them back in trays by size. That small routine also helps us notice quickly if one is missing. The band is deliberately simple: one wristband opens one locker at a time, so it cannot accidentally release a second door.