Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Boyer.
Jeff, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I graduated from Florida State and then took a year of “discovery” traveling to music festivals and working in Vail Colorado in the hospitality industry. I discovered that I loved working directly with customers, and making them happy. My parents played a room escape in London, and suggested that I look into bringing the concept to the United States. I spent a few months evaluating different markets, and initially looked at starting my business in Austin, Texas. I came to Boston for a personal trip, and fell in love with it. I started my initial location in the Blackstone District in 2015, and I learned a lot watching over 5,000 people play at this location. I have completely upgraded the room design at this location, and I recently acquired a new space in the Old Corner Book Store.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Starting a new type of business has been a major challenge – it is difficult to find landlords willing to lease space as well as explain to inspectional services and fire department personnel exactly what the business is about. Some of the concerns are valid – I have played several games in the area that aren’t focused on their customers’ safety – if there isn’t a second exit, or players are handcuffed, what happens in case of an emergency? These are issues players should consider when they are “locked” in a room. It is more expensive to meet all safety requirements and building codes, and exit signs are not immersive, but I think as an industry we need to make safety a central focus.
Another challenge is marketing – people play a room once. When I started in 2015, very few people had heard about room escapes. Now, there are enthusiasts that travel to cities just to play games. I partner with other escape room companies in the area and we make recommendations to players wanting to try a different game. More and more room escape companies are coming into the Boston area, and making claims that aren’t based on facts – e.g., the “best” escape room in Boston, “best” in Massachusetts or even the “best” in New England. If customers play the “best” game and have a bad experience, it hurts the industry as a whole. I have also heard complaints from people who have bought a discount coupon for an escape room in “Boston” only to find the location is not accessible by public transportation and is over a one hour drive from town. Truth in marketing seems to “escape” this industry, as I am sure it does in other markets too.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Room Escapers — Boston Escape Rooms story. Tell us more about the business.
Room Escapers is known for having a solid focus on the customer experience. We recently hosted our first wedding proposal, working with the future groom to create a unique event that his future wife will always remember.
We do our best to accommodate our customers’ needs, and ensure they have a fun time. For an enjoyable experience, people need to feel that the puzzles are challenging, but solvable. The games need to make sense, and the puzzles and design need to provide a cohesive, thematic experience. Also, we monitor the game closely to ensure everyone is engaged – there is a fine line between excitement and frustration, and enthusiasm and boredom – the difference between a great and an okay experience.
I try to play several games a month from other companies and I track the current developments in escape room props and experiences to make sure my rooms provide the optimum costumer experience. Rather than implementing a room design and keeping it for several years, I continually try to improve my games and provide new interactive, immersive experiences.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I have had very good luck in only having awesome customers! I have heard some horror stories from other escape rooms.
Contact Info:
- Address: 112 Blackstone St., Boston, MA 02109
3 School St., Boston, MA 02108 - Website: www.BostonEscapeRooms.com
- Phone: (857) 400-9144
- Email: info@RoomEscapers.com
Image Credit:
The Rogues Armada
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