Jasper Engines, an Indiana-based leader in remanufacturing automotive components, regularly hosts extensive facility tours for clients and internal teams. These eight-hour tours take place in a bustling manufacturing plant environment filled with CNC machines, routers, and other loud equipment, creating significant audio interference.
Jasper Engines’ previous tour communication system was severely outdated, leading to frequent disruptions and frustrating experiences for everyone. Impressed by a responsive customer service and educational approach, Jasper Engines’ team, including Shayne Guinn, inside sales and group leader, and Andrea Ingle, inside sales administrator, selected Tripp Communications Systems (TCS) to provide a modern, reliable, user-friendly solution that could withstand the demands of a busy tour schedule.
The upgrade was a dramatic success, transforming the quality and efficiency of the company’s tours.
The Challenge of Outdated Tech
Jasper Engines’ previous communication system presented several critical challenges that undermined the effectiveness of its plant tours.
Durability was a primary concern. The old clip-on units were fragile, shattering if dropped and often needing repairs. Poor battery life was also a constant disruption. Guides were occasionally forced to interrupt their presentations mid-way through to replace disposable AA batteries.
Additionally, on the plant floor, the RF-based system was susceptible to constant audio interference. A complex channel system required meticulous coordination to prevent crosstalk between groups, creating a cumbersome experience for the guides.
“If we did a corporate and a commercial tour with the old equipment, we had to make sure that one guide was on channel three, for example, and everyone would be on channel five,” Ingle said. “If not—if you were too close in that building—you would pick up the other guide’s information. And that’s not anything that we have to worry about anymore.”
Modern Solution, Immediate Impact
TCS proposed the ListenTALK two-way communication system by Ampetronic | Listen Technologies to directly address every challenge Jasper Engines faced. It provided a suite of cutting-edge features that immediately improved the tour experience.
The first major benefit was all-day battery life; headsets could now last for the entire eight-hour tour. Disruptive mid-tour battery changes were suddenly all but eliminated, and the team at Jasper Engines enjoyed a renewed professional flow to their presentations.
With near-bulletproof durability, the new headsets were built to withstand even the toughest manufacturing environments, marking a dramatic improvement over the fragile legacy audio equipment.
“The old units would fall off and shatter,” Guinn recalled. “With the new ones, we’ve dropped them several times, and they keep working. Ted told us they were basically bulletproof—and he wasn’t kidding!”
The ListenTALK headsets provided crystal-clear, fully encrypted audio, eliminating the crosstalk from other tour groups and interference from machinery. Intuitive, user-friendly features like simple, tap-to-connect pairing and the elimination of channel management also made the system easy to use, empowering more associates to lead tours confidently.
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The newfound efficiency reduced preparation time while accommodating larger tour groups. The system also introduced other capabilities that enhanced the tour experience, such as the ability to designate sub-leaders within a group.
“We’ve never had that before,” Guinn said. It’s great to have that option to add in different sub-leaders so everybody can get a chance to talk to the group.”
From very early on in the research phase, TCS stood out to Guinn, who spearheaded the project. He noted that it was the only company that responded personally to educate him on the ListenTALK technology and its benefits.
That same high level of customer service continued post-purchase, with prompt support and proactive check-ins. The feedback from tour attendees and the company’s outside sales representatives was also overwhelmingly positive. The clarity and reliability of the new Ampetronic | Listen Technologies system significantly improved visitor satisfaction, leaving a lasting, professional impression.
“One customer said they actually took a tour of GM and that our equipment was better than what they used,” Ingle said. “We have gotten tremendous feedback about this new system that I’m really happy with.”
The transition to Tripp Communications and ListenTALK not only solved Jasper Engines’ immediate technical problems but also elevated the quality, efficiency, and professionalism of their highly valued plant tours.
