Referral System Helps Build New, Adult League Bowlers

It is well documented that in this post-Covid environment there has been a strong movement for people to get out and about in pursuit of leisure and recreational options.  It has resulted in, at least for the short run, a nice uptick in business for many bowling and FEC operations. 

The bonus traffic provides a great opportunity for operators to “show their stuff” and earn repeat visits from many of these folks.  Most centers have a bevy of offers to expose people to, so earning more customer frequency should be easy.  Sadly, open-play customers often come and go without being sold by the center to consider returning for another experience.

Before technology allowed us to reach and target casual customers, centers often employed a ‘social butterfly’ bowler to talk with in-house open-play customers. Frequently, these chatty-Kathys worked the house lane by lane sharing fun offers the center was promoting. I’m sure some of you savvy operators still use this technique; after all, it works!

Did you know that one of the biggest reasons people don’t join a league or participate in a special offer is that no one ever asked them?

When you find a few folks interested in one of your offers and ask them to consider reaching out to their friends to join the fun, they are often very happy to do so. Using an ‘inside salesperson’, then asking new participants to spread the word to help build a league or event, has been successful for many years. However, with today’s labor shortage finding someone to work the house end-to-end can be challenging.

Luckily, today’s technology takes this proven process and automates it for you. Think of it like an outside marketing machine to find people who fit your target, entice them to join the fun, and encourage them to easily share your offer with friends and family.  It’s a win-win for the center and the customer.

In 2022 a new software program was created to put the recruiting and rewarding process on autopilot for centers that want to floor new adult league bowlers. Center results were staggering for operations that were part of the test phase, and guest reviews were very positive.

If your center is serious about a contemporary approach to fill holes during typically slow times, at no risk to you, contact Andy Vasko at 877-841-4590 or visit [email protected]