Labor shortages and consumer expectations continue to fuel contactless trends.
Mom is looking for a fun activity for the family on a Saturday afternoon. She peruses some community events calendars, does a bit of Googling, and eventually decides to take everyone down to her local bowling center. Heading to their website, she checks out the menu to make sure all her picky eaters will be satisfied, peeks at the ongoing promotions, and uses the customized reservation system to snag a lane for her crew.
They arrive early, and after a quick pit stop at the counter to rent shoes, she stops at an automated kiosk to order and fund a few play cards for the arcade. They get in a few games of bowling (Mom, a seasoned vet, wins handily), order food right from their lane, and while away the rest of the afternoon racing F1 cars, whacking moles, and gathering points for a horde of prizes.
For Mom and her family, it’s a perfect day. Easy in, easy out, everybody’s happy.
But perhaps the happiest people involved are the center owner and staff who are given more time to spend talking to customers, walking the floor, or doing literally anything other than being stuck fielding reservation calls all day.
This is the exciting new reality of the bowling and recreation industry. COVID helped to spur certain changes and pushed up the timelines on others, sure, but it’s been clear for a while now that contactless payments, online reservation systems, and self-service kiosks were the inevitable — and necessary — future for entertainment centers who want to stay competitive. With the help of our industry partners, IBI has sorted through loads of information to help educate, inspire, and excite you with all the possibilities available to you and your customers.
“Instant gratification is king today,” said Larry McLean, president and founder of Partywirks, an online booking, and marketing company. “You see businesses investing inside the building —new restaurants, new facilities — but too many are neglecting the online aspect.”
Kevan Sadigh, founder and CEO of REX Reservations shares how putting themselves in consumers' shoes helped them build something for end-user ease-of-use, along with balancing the needs of operators. This is especially relevant to business owners across the country who, whether forced or not, are trying to do more with less staff and increase revenue opportunities wherever possible.
Staffing struggles and labor costs
“The most important thing right now to our operators is lowering labor costs,” said Lynda Brotherton, global marketing director at Intercard, which offers physical solutions like tellers and card readers as well as online reservations and e-comm tools. “A center customer can use our e-comm tools online and get a QR code, go to one of our kiosks, and get their play card, all without having to interact with someone or take up an employee’s time.”
“Nowadays, a bowling facility might have limited hours, said Chris Behling, business analyst and developer team lead at Alleytrak, a provider of online reservation and payment processing systems. “So being able to provide answers to customers or let them make reservations online, you’re going to keep business going even for those customers who can’t sleep at two in the morning.”
In these still-uncertain times, with consumers aching for entertainment options that are reliable, safe, and fun, more facetime with customers allows businesses to be more nimble and accommodating with instant feedback and service options. “These days, you can’t afford not to have systems like these,” said Brian Duke, senior sales partner at Semnox, which offers holistic technology solutions for the entertainment industry.
Marketing insight, repeat business
As consumers become more and more expectant of easily accessible information and self-service options, these and other services are becoming not just a bonus, but a minimum requirement. For business owners, this obviously ties into the age-old maxim of, “Happy customers spend more,” but it also opens avenues to turn them into repeat customers.
“What’s nice is that data collection is also built right into our Alleytrak system,” said Behling. “That lets our clients re-engage with their customers, get reviews and real-time feedback, and convert a one-off bowler into a regular one.” Kevan Sadigh of REX Reservation agrees, “It really gives you the ability to take a closer look at where you have opportunity. You can see times when you’re not pulling in as much revenue and [then] offer specials for that time slot.”
Keeping it simple
A key element for companies offering these types of services is making sure they can integrate seamlessly with businesses’ existing frameworks. From websites and social media to in-building layouts and familiar customer processes, the main goals are simplicity and intuitive usability.
Alleytrak schedules onboarding sessions with new clients, walking them through the whole system to help decide what’s best and provides constant communication after the fact. “Whenever we work with a new center, we find special requirements that they have, and that helps us grow what we’re able to offer and evolve with the business,” said Behling. “About 80% of our updates are all center-driven requests.”
Intercard offers remote installs, performs diagnostic checks on the number of games centers have, and tailors their offerings based on client needs for physical and online systems. “We really worked to perfect the e-comm side of things, because it’s so needed these days,” said Brotherton.
Semnox offers a smartphone app, which can eliminate the need to even have a card to play games. Brian Duke goes on, saying, “People love the wow factor of being able to tap and play, to recharge a card on the fly from their phones. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
The future is bright for these suppliers and businesses who have implemented their services into their operations. They are continuing to offer solutions that are based primarily on client and customer wishes, with plenty of new features on the way aimed at more streamlined processes and added revenue opportunities.
Operators embrace the trend
John McCarthy III from Kingpin Lanes in Louisville, KY, shares his experience.
“When COVID hit, we had discussions about how we could create a better experience with less physical contact. At the time, we offered no online reservations, and many people were looking to avoid lines and deal with less cash. I was familiar with Partywirks, and we added the system right before our reopen. It was a huge success as we did over 75 bookings in the first month. Now we regularly have two to three reservations a day, and customers love being able to pay online and reserve their lanes in advance. We also used the information gained to expand our email marketing list and have added other packages and food to our online store. It’s been a great help to our business in these wild times.”
Lynda Brotherton relayed this feedback she recently received from Allevity Entertainment: “I love the fact that I don’t have to do anything when a card is sold. The entire process is seamless. No codes to type in, no cards to make and mail out.” Brian Duke of Semnox added, “A client told me that when you think about converting from paper tickets, it’s close to a 20% revenue increase when you factor in things like lost tickets and staffing.”
These and other suppliers are continuing to do innovative work necessary to help bowling and other entertainment centers thrive. Whatever new challenges might lie on the horizon, business owners can take solace in knowing they have partners invested in their continued success.