features
Software: At the touch of a button
Software companies are creating solutions to manage an endless range of bookings, from spa treatments and badminton courts to group exercise classes and even the instructors themselves. Abigail Harris investigates the latest products
Tom Withers,
Sales & Marketing Director,
Gladstone Health & Leisure
Multi-channel sales platforms are a must in today’s retail sector. Leisure customers expect to interact with operators using whatever method suits them best – that’s just a given. Our software enables customer choice and the response is operators experiencing anything up to 95 per cent of all bookings through self-service methods, such as our new responsive online booking, self-service kiosks and our native Android and iOS app.
With sales platforms covered, our key driver is to help clients increase spend and participation and optimise customer satisfaction through Business Process Manager (BPM). This is free to our software customers and can run automated tasks to maximise class and activity capacity.
For instance, BPM can be set up to automatically look for free class spaces and then find members who have previously attended but are not currently booked. The software then sends the customer a ‘one click to book’ link, making the sales process easy.
One Leisure has seen a significant increase in bookings that correlate directly to the times BPM emails are sent.
Naomi Di Fabio,
MD,
CoverMyClass & FABIO
CoverMyClass is a new service enabling operators to find instructors at the click of a button, whether it’s last minute – covering for someone who’s called in sick – or on a permanent basis.
Operators can post jobs available and search qualifications, licences, read reviews and even watch videos of instructors near to their facility. CoverMyClass automatically notifies instructors that meet the criteria and operators can ‘favourite’ instructors, as well as notifying their favourites of any ‘private’ jobs.
We’ve also launched FABIO – Find and Book Instructors Online – which is an online and mobile service for freelance instructors, boutique studios, independent gyms, dojos and dance schools, where facilities and instructors can advertise their classes, take bookings and even process payments. Facilities purchase a subscription to list their classes, events and courses.
Brian Schuring,
Founder & CEO ,
Fynder
Fynder came from years of running a thriving fitness business – I’m also co-founder of boutique studio operation Heartcore. We felt a simpler, faster, more effective way of selling spaces and managing client relationships was needed. Nearly a decade of learning, gained from processing almost a million bookings, has gone into creating Fynder to help drive footfall and enhance retention, while creating more time for facility owners and managers.
Bringing schedules online can be time consuming and costly. However, businesses that take bookings online fill 35–50+ per cent more spaces than businesses that don’t.
By creating simple, easy-to-use interfaces, Fynder reduces onboarding time by over 90 per cent to bring businesses online in minutes, then puts full control of the system in the hands of the business owner or manager.
“Businesses that take bookings online fill 35–50+ per cent more spaces than businesses that don’t”
Brian Schuring, founder & CEO, Fynder
Gernot Tobisch,
Operations director,
TAC
Nothing is more valuable than the consistent return of guests. Our new promotional module allows health clubs and spas to easily approach their preferred guests and, through various marketing channels, encourage them to revisit. Using promotional codes and ‘hot deals’, the tool allows targeted marketing to the desired clientele – for example, offering VIP guests a discount off their next service, or a free product to those who book a follow-up appointment – which can be clicked on and booked online.
The module also enables easy marketing of discounted services to members and potential customers through the web shop and digital signage boards within a facility – which can help eliminate last-minute gaps within a class – or in a personal trainer or massage therapist’s schedule. Additional discounts can be offered at this stage.
“Our new promotional module allows health clubs to easily approach their preferred guests”
Gernot Tobisch, Operations director, TAC
Shez Namooya ,
EZ Runner
We know how important the ability to book online is. For us, the fundamental, immoveable objective is full brand integration: ensuring online branding is not interfered with by our booking engine. The second consideration is maintaining a familiarity in the process. We have calendar views similar to those found when booking flights, and these can access classes, bookings and events.
Our third consideration is flexibility in the booking journey. We offer options like ‘parameterised URL booking’, meaning members can click on banners or promotional links to skip a few steps in the process. Fewer clicks means less chance of a drop-off.
Clients are also offered the ability to embed YouTube videos as part of their booking process. Imagine watching a video on how a class would benefit you and clicking ‘book’ at the end.
Sean Maguire,
MD,
Legend Club Management Systems
The combination of technology and social media has fundamentally changed the way members engage, particularly with bookings, where our customers’ customers use online applications, kiosks, tablets and smartphone apps to make over a million online bookings, plus 870,000 kiosk bookings, every month.
Bookings using our smartphone app can reach 80 per cent due to Legend’s platform-agnostic approach to producing apps, and app tools that help accelerate adoption rates. These include a front of house ‘one touch’ registration feature, which pops up when a booking is made through any channel other than online.
The software can detect the smartphone browser when a customer visits the website and automatically switches to the app to encourage registration. QR codes, positioned within the club and on marketing material, also take the user to the smartphone app and registration.
Successful adoption of new technologies starts with staff buy-in, so our KPI dashboard software shows what percentage of bookings are made online and via smartphone to create competition between centres to encourage customer sign-up.
Smartphone bookings, combined with social media integration, lead not only to more bookings and improved customer service, but also better data, updated customer details and more website hits.
David Ross,
CEO,
ESP Leisure
With almost 35 million smartphone users in the UK, and millions more using tablets, these devices are intrinsic to our daily lives – so ESP has created an easy-to-use leisure booking platform specifically to take online and mobile bookings. The fully customisable online portal hosts a range of features including registration, member profile creation, bookings, competitions and promotional codes, all displayed in the members’ profiles which users can access anywhere, anytime. The portal also enables operators to monitor every booking made and the revenues accrued – in real time.
Our smartphone app automatically sends class bookings to the member’s calendar and they receive a pop-up reminder on the day, reducing the likelihood of customer no-shows.
A growing number of consumers prefer to access services through their Facebook account, which dramatically boosts visibility to prospective members, and increases website exposure through improved SEO.
Frank Pitsikalis,
Founder & CEO,
ResortSuite
Recognising that today’s members are always on the go, ResortSuite’s Web, Social and Mobile booking apps make it simple for them to take advantage of their membership benefits from any modern platform. Whether it’s the club’s website or Facebook page, members can see a real-time overview of available classes, trainers and facilities and can book without ever picking up the phone.
Our Mobile app lets operators place that same convenience in the palm of their members’ hands, where they can continue to book programmes, view personalised statements to monitor aspects such as membership fees, dining and retail purchases, as well as itineraries and other services.
ResortSuite also provides yield management tools to help managers optimise facility use and maximise revenue. These include dynamic pricing, where tiers can be created based on peak periods when you may charge a premium; and dynamic availability, which allows changes to the availability of services or classes in any time period.
Stephanie Jennings,
Senior vice president of sales,
MINDBODY
Mobile booking is becoming more pervasive each day. Customers expect to find your business online, read reviews on social media and review sites, and book a class or buy a membership – all from their smartphone.
MINDBODY Engage was launched this year enabling operators to offer a customised, branded app, allowing their customers to view, book and pay for services from anywhere at any time. When customers approach the front door, the mobile app recognises that, signing them in for their class or session, and automatically notifies front desk that they’re arriving. To help with retention, the app sends customers a ‘We miss you’ push notification if they haven’t opened the app or booked within a chosen time frame.
Leonie Wileman,
Operations manager,
Premier Software
Our intelligent booking solution, Core by Premier, ensures the diary is optimised at all times by suggesting best appointment slots. These are based on criteria such as back-to-back appointments to improve productivity, availability of staff, rooms, equipment and staff qualifications – thereby booking by skill set.
The system can be set up to advise on contra-indications when booking, so the receptionist would be prompted not to allow the client to have a spray tan after a leg wax, for instance. When booking on the phone or online, Core flags up when a new health check is required or if a medical issue means a booking is unsuitable. Also, appointment reminders and bespoke confirmation emails enhance client contact.
