Skate Zone, located in Lafayette, LA, has chosen Partywirks as their preferred online booking software provider.  Having recently gone “live” with online booking, Skate Zone is realizing a flurry of online orders being booked independently by customers.  Skate Zone continues to provide traditional reservation options in conjunction with the new and popular self-serve method.

Frank Torries, owner of Skate Zone and Chapter 5 region president of the Roller Skating Association (RSA), had several goals in mind when deciding to integrate online booking into his business. He wanted to improve customer convenience, reduce reliance on the phone, collect better information, shorten the sales cycle, and build a better customer database. He wanted to find a proven online booking system in his industry, and knew that Partywirks had been used successfully at other locations throughout the U.S., including Skate World Waco, Skate Country Waco, Skates Center, and Mason Road Skate Center.

An increasing number of consumers feel comfortable submitting credit card information while making internet purchases online. This trend does not appear to be changing, as the latest U.S. Dept of Commerce Quarterly Report (Q3 2012) indicates a 17.3% increase in e-commerce sales over the same quarter of last year. Considering this trend, many businesses are listening to customers and offering online booking.

The Partywirks System allows customers to choose a date/time, submit a deposit, and finalize the reservation within a few minutes during one brief internet session. With Partywirks, there is no longer a need for a customer to wait for a call back from a staff member to confirm availability.  Skate Zone customers will now have several additional options with Partywirks: online invitations, tell a friend feature, join the birthday club, purchase gift certificates, submit fundraiser request, and plan a group event.  Partywirks includes an unlimited amount of customizable forms that rinks can use to promote various activities.

Having recently attended an RSA event in Texas, Frank is letting other rink owners know about his interest in online booking, and why he made the decision to offer this service to his customers. Considering the immediate results Skate Zone is receiving from customers booking online orders, Frank’s decision to modernize with online booking is proving to be a good one.

Bush Tabernacle of Purcellville, VA has upgraded it’s reservation system to include Partywirks online booking for customers.  A non-profit, Bush Tabernacle’s legal name is Purcellville Teen Center Inc.  Their goal is to provide a fun, healthy, and safe atmosphere for local families to enjoy.  Roller skating is the main attraction, yet general admission does not cover the costs of running and maintaining the facility.  The gap in funding is bridged by private donations and event bookings.  Anyone wishing to become a sponsor or make a donation to Bush Tabernacle may click here for additional information.

After using a complicated manual booking process for many years, a management decision was made to become more streamlined.  With Partywirks, all of the party booking information is now centralized.  Management and chosen staff with different levels of security access are able to log onto the booking system wherever there is access to internet.  Orders can be taken over the phone and entered into the Partywirks system by staff, or customers can go directly online to book a party or event. In addition, the system automatically sends out an order confirmation to the person reserving the party with all details and policies agreed to during the booking process.  This helps streamline communication, and make sure everyone is on the same page.

The Partywirks Online Invitation Feature allows customers to send party guests online invitations can be customized with a personal message.  Recipients of the invitations can RSVP directly from the invitation.  The invitations include a map link and website of the business location, thereby helping the business with promotion.

Bush Tabernacle Online Customers are now able to finish the entire booking process online easily.  They are not dependent on a phone or email confirmation to finalize the process.  It helps customers and staff save time.  Reserve now links are easily identifiable on the website, and 2013 will mark the full transition to online booking.

Partywirks would like to welcome Bush Tabernacle aboard!  Thank you for choosing us to provide online booking services and support as part of your overall growth strategy moving forward.

For information about Online Booking Services for your business, don’t hesitate to contact us for a web demonstration.  Additional information pertaining specifically to Roller Skating Rink Online Booking can be found by clicking here.

Let’s get this party started!

Pinz owner David Breen was looking for a solution that would streamline the booking process for his staff, and offer more convenient options for customers.  Considering the modern day consumer’s busy lifestyle and increasing demand for flexible 24/7 online service, the transition made sense to him.  In addition, he knew that opening up another path for his customers to reserve a birthday party besides the telephone would afford his staff more time to service additional opportunities.

Partywirks offers an interactive and easy online booking experience for customers.  With multiple photos, party descriptions, policies, add-on items, online invitations, Tell-a-Friend Feature, gift certificate options, automatic email order confirmations, and more, Partywirks creates a comprehensive online booking solution.  Customers click on a book now or buy online now button on the Pinz website, and are immediately connected to the new Pinz Partywirks Online Storefront.  The online storefront colors are customized to match Pinz website, thus creating a seamless transition for the online customer.

Pinz, located in Milford, MA, was “LIVE” with Partywirks within three days of training.  The first online order came in on the first day, and they had several more orders within the first few days.  An increasing number of customers want to book online.  They enjoy the personal choice of how and when they make a reservation.  They feel comfortable online; many feel much more comfortable reading party details, choosing a date/time, agreeing to policies, and submitting credit card information online as opposed to talking with a staff member they have never met.

Offering online booking to customers does not mean losing control of the process.  Businesses control the dates and times offered online, and all of the important details that customers need to be aware of.  When a customer makes a reservation online through Partywirks, they must agree to the policies specific to the event being booked.  This is an important feature of the Partywirks Online Booking System, as often activities can have specific policies.  Owners and managers can rest assured knowing that every customer receives a confirmation via email including all agreed upon policies and details.  This helps prevent the “he said/she said” party day conflict scenario that often occurs as a result of staff and customer miscommunication.

Partywirks would like to congratulate David and the Staff at Pinz for taking the progressive step forward, and integrating with online booking. Welcome aboard Pinz in Milford, MA!

Online Booking with World of Wheels Skating Center

Steve, owner of World of Wheels Skating Center in Superior, Wisconsin, recently decided to make the transition to online booking.  After trying an in-house designed product, he decided the Partywirks Online Booking System would help his business in several areas that his basic system could not.  He knew that his future plans for growth and continued desire for excellent customer service meant paying attention to modern consumer trends.  He understood his basic in-house online booking system was not giving customers the flexibility, control, and options they deserved and increasingly expected.

His particular interest was offering customers more control over the booking process.  He wondered why customers should be limited to phone tag, voice mail, and office hours when they simply desired to submit a deposit and reserve a party at his facility?  Why not offer customers the ability to choose a reservation date and time based on the rink’s predetermined schedules and availability?  Next, why shouldn’t they be able to submit a credit card safely, thereby booking the party and getting the task off their to-do list whether it be 10 at night or 6 in the morning?  If he could save himself and his staff time and effort by automating part of the booking process, why not take advantage of this?

He also wanted his customers to have an interactive online booking experience; giving them the ability to view party add-on item photos and descriptions, and include them in the online party order.  He wanted them to be able to go online and purchase gift cards, book parties and events, join the birthday club, send online invitations, and use the Tell-A-Friend Feature.  He wanted to use online booking with social media, thereby allowing for fans to take action, and make online reservations via Facebook.

Steve signed up with Partywirks Online Booking last week, and will be going ‘live’ with his new online booking system any day now.  Today, we made some final preparations to his online storefront.  We reviewed and adjusted some party schedules, changed pricing on one of his parties, completed integration of his authorize.net web payment gateway, set up availability pools, and tested a party order.  His final steps will be to place “book now” buttons on his website.

Welcome aboard Steve!  Let’s get this party started!

(Blog update as of 11-30-12: World of Wheels is now “LIVE” with Partywirks Online Booking).

There is a strategic shift occurring in the event and party marketplace.  Savvy businesses are empowering customers to book activities when and how it is convenient for them.  Relegating consumers to make reservations during traditional office hours, forcing them to play phone tag, and requesting them to leave voice messages is the new modern customer’s nightmare.  Many will not stand for it, and will take their business elsewhere if not given convenient options.

Now your customers can “click to book”" when they are most interested, when they are on your Facebook page OR, on your Website.  Paint-a-Treasure is using Partywirks to book their parties and events and it all starts on their Facebook page!  Click here to see their online booking graphic and link!
Facebook visitors can use Partywirks to book:

• Birthday Parties
• Classes
• Workshops
• Group Events
• Bowling Lanes
• Lessons & Bowling
• Waterpark Cabanas
• Ceramic Classes
• Special Events
• Laser Tag Sessions
• New Years Eve Parties
• And More!

Use Partywirks to book any event that has a time and date where reservations are required.   Not every visitor to your Facebook page is ready to make a reservation. For these visitors Partywirks offers other ways to capture their attention.   Online visitors can also:

• Make Detailed Inquiries for Your Group Events or Fundraisers
• Buy your Gift Cards or Gift Certificates
• Buy a Membership
• Complete your Donation Request Form
• Fill out an Online Job App
• Join your Birthday Club

Put your website to” WIRK” with PARTYWIRKS!

Our phones go unanswered because we are dealing with customers standing in front of us. I worry about the calls I miss and the sales I miss because the phones are not answered.  I overheard my staff saying things I knew were not accurate. A party customer came in the other day and wow, was she mis-informed when she arrived. This led to a problem. Not a good way to start a party.

Competitors are more aggressive and more active in my area. Customers have more choices today. When we close at the end of the day we are not able to serve our customers. Are we losing more sales? Do you know these centers?

What do they have in common? They are all using Partywirks for Party and Event booking and in some cases Lane Reservations! Here’s what they are reporting:

Improved communication
Less “he said, she said” situations
We are collecting better information with every sale
We are selling more add-ons then we ever have
Our customers immediately started using the “book now” option
We are getting more sales booked during the early morning or late hours when we are closed

Here’s what they are saying;
“Although it sounds rather odd, most people do not really want to speak to you, they would rather book online.” 
 - Caitlin Miner, Blue Fox Rock-n-Bowl.
 
“I was concerned with the number of phone calls that were waiting for us on Monday mornings.  This meant we were missing sales.  Our customers were calling us and they wanted to spend money but, we were not there to answer their call.” 
 - Dan Mueller, Buena Lanes. 

 
Partywirks is my best salesman. It never misses a call, is always ready for business, never forgets and makes the party booking process so easy and accurate that I wonder how we got along without it.  - Jim Selke, Classic Lanes

Partywirks puts your website to wirk by providing you an online venue to streamline your party booking process and at the same time increasing your revenue!  Let’s get this party started!

Consider the challenges in the telephone booking process:
 #1 Problem – communication between you, your staff and your party prospect. Is everyone on the same page? Is the customer hearing the right information? Is your staff collecting and recording the correct information?  
 #2 Problem – inconsistent access to staff who can take phone orders for parties and events. This is a hit and miss situation. Sometimes the phone is answered, other times it goes to voicemail or the caller hangs up. Sometimes the right staff person answers and sometimes the wrong staff person who then takes a message, transfers to voicemail or gives out incorrect information.

#3 Problem – impatient people shopping online. People have more options and do not wait or jump through hurdles like they used to. Fact is if you are not ready to take their order when they are ready you can lose them. With Google it is just too easy to find another option.

The tide is clearly on the side of online business. This is a tide that cannot ignored. Your customers are offered online options from all types of shopping and travel sites. It’s the new norm!   The question is what’s holding you back from participating in this exciting new world?
  
Did you know that Partywirks:
• Costs about $5 per day?
• You could be online within 2 weeks of signup?
• That there are no contracts with Partywirks?

Partywirks puts your website to wirk!  What are you waiting for?

3 questions:
1. What is the chance a busy mom or dad will call back? (Low)
2. If they do, what are chances the phone will be answered at 5:30? (Lower)
3. If the phone is answered, what are the chances it is the right person with the right tools and information to help them?  (Low again)
Seems like a risky way to run a railroad right?  Asking people to call back and making it difficult for them to reach anyone on the phone is not good customer service. It’s like playing whack-a-mole with the client – call this number, select this option, ask for this person, they are unavailable, call back, we’ll call you, leave a message…hang up, move on!
The unpleasant truth is far too many callers have this experience.  I know because I’ve called thousands of party venues over the years and 95% of the time no one ever answers the phone.  So, is everything really fine the way you are doing it now?  Beneath the surface, where we don’t like to look, how much is the “way we have always done it” approach costing you in current sales and future growth?
There is a proven and affordable way offering more options for owners, managers, staff and customers.
•More options for busy customers.
•More sales tools for busy party sales people.
•More control, more consistency for owners and managers.
Partywirks is designed for today’s social media, high speed, short attention span, 24/7 market.  With our Online Sales Tools there are no more missed calls and missed business opportunities.  Your busy customers do not have time to exchange voice mail.  They want to book and buy online and the numbers prove it.

According to comscore.com, US shoppers spent 161.5 Billion (yes, that is BILLION) on online shopping in 2011. This is 4 times the 42 Billion spent in 2002 and you can be assured that these numbers will continue to grow.

Let’s get this party started!

Are you already experiencing these symptoms?
•Fewer calls?
•More hang-ups?
•Customers who book elsewhere before you get to them?
•Impatient prospects not waiting like they used to?
•People asking why they cannot book online with you?
You are NOT ALONE!   Technology is changing how people shop & buy. Often that means by-passing your wonderful sales staff!

“Although it sounds rather odd, most people do not really want to speak to you, they would rather book online.”  Caitlin Miner, Blue Fox Rock-n-Bowl 

Do what everyone else is doing and shift  your sales resources to the internet!  Add these little buttons to your website and offer online customers what they really want-instant gratification!   Our Partywirks staff is ready to help you get your party started capturing online business and growing your revenue!  Let’s get this party started!