Partywirks

Retailers Add Gadgets for Shoppers at Ease With Technology

Larry — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 23:19:59 +0000

This is a trend we have been following, and helping to create, for years now. With the advent of iPads and the bevy of other hand-held computer devices and web services available today consumers are doing more self-service all the time…why spend time tracking down a sales person when you can find more information, better information and information faster and more conveniently online?

Event though you may not be a traditional “retailer” as defined in this article, the change in consumer behavior does impact your party business. Consumers will not invest a lot of time calling, leaving voice-mails or waiting on someone to call them back. They click off your site and move on and that means a lost sale.

The question is, what are you doing to adjust to this new reality?

Published in the New York Times, March 9 2012,By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD

When Nadia Karim goes shopping, she doesn’t wait around for salespeople. She saves items from apps and Web sites on her cellphone as a shopping list. And as she browses one store — recently trying on Sam Edelman flats at Nordstrom — she uses the phone to check out styles at competitors like Macy’s.

“In all honesty, because I shop so much, I feel sometimes I know the brands better than some of the associates,” said Ms. Karim, 26, an analyst at Intel in Phoenix. For a generation of shoppers raised on Google and e-commerce, the answer to “Can I help you?” is increasingly a firm “no,” even at retailers like Nordstrom that have built their reputations around customer service.

But instead of getting defensive, some stores and brands are embracing the change by creating new personal touches that feature gadgets rather than a doting sales staff. Bobbi Brown has touch-screen televisions to demonstrate the perfect smoky eye, something that was once the exclusive domain of makeup artists. The basketball star LeBron James’s shoe store in Miami has 50 iPads to describe its merchandise. Macy’s is testing cosmetics stations where tablets offer reviews and tips. And at C. Wonder, shoppers use a touchpad to personalize the lighting and music in dressing rooms (there is also a button in case, olden-days style, they need to call for help).

The self-service theme, which started years ago with checkout at groceries, has progressed to the point where shoppers can navigate entire stores without once having to say, “Just looking, thanks.”

Companies are adding the technology now because it has gotten cheap enough to make it feasible and because Apple and other tablet and touch-screen makers are increasing their sales efforts. Stores also don’t want to risk losing those customers who are not content shopping from home but nonetheless prefer Pinterest recommendations, Zappos reviews and Fashism feedback to interacting with someone behind the counter.

“There’s a tendency to believe that if you talk to somebody, they’re going to waste your time or sell you something you don’t need,” said Ricardo Quintero, global general manager of market development for Clinique, which uses touch screens at its counters. “It’s taking the pressure off.”

In Nordstrom’s case, customers have surprised the retailer. Nordstrom introduced an app in the fall that executives expected people would mostly use remotely to order items while they were watching TV or waiting for a train. In addition to that, though, customers used the app while shopping at Nordstrom rather than approach the sales staff.

“How the customer is defining service and wants service to be delivered is changing pretty rapidly, and a lot of that is driven by technology,” said Erik Nordstrom, president of stores for Nordstrom. “A lot of customers like to touch and feel and try on the merchandise, but they also want that information that they get online.”

Nordstrom has added Wi-Fi to almost all its stores, in part so its app will work fast, and is testing charging stations and clusters of iPads and computers. It does not limit what people can do on the in-store devices, Mr. Nordstrom said. “It’s to have our stores be relevant, be a helpful place for people to be whether they’re shopping from us or stopping to check their e-mail,” he said.

The plain truth, some retail analysts say, is that businesses of all sorts have no choice but to accommodate consumers who are trained to do research on their own — and prefer doing so. Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland now gives suite visitors an iPad so they can order food and drinks directly from it, while Aloft Hotels, a Starwood division, has installed tablets instead of concierge stations.

At Land Rover, the addition of online tools for research has cut down sharply on dealer visits. In 2000, people, on average, made 7.5 visits to a dealer before placing an order. In 2010, that figure was 1.3 visits, with shoppers conducting 80 percent of their research on their own, said Andy Goss, president of Jaguar Land Rover North America.

The new technology is also being adapted by manufacturers who have been dependent on employees at big-box stores to sell their products but now see the opportunity for a direct line to the customer.

Scott Paul, chief executive of iPad Enclosures, which installs technology for retailers, said Samsung and other manufacturers were considering adding iPads that offered live video chat with a Samsung salesperson at stores like Best Buy. “You can use the kiosk to do better, in a lot of cases, than a 17- or 18-year-old sales rep,” Mr. Paul said.

The replacement of salespeople with screens is not without its detractors. Some people worry about jobs, though stores say that for now they are not getting rid of employees to accommodate their digital counterparts. And Sherry Turkle, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said that shoppers lost something intrinsic to the human experience when they avoided salespeople.

“The point is not to be nostalgic for the good old days, but to ask ourselves, what kind of society do we want?” said Professor Turkle, the author of “Alone Together,” a book on people’s relationships with technology. With technology replacing human interaction, she said, “you’ve taken out a lot of the richness, the messiness and the demandingness of actually having to deal with people.”

Ms. Karim, the Phoenix shopper, says that she does not avoid all salespeople, but that technology has given her the freedom to be choosy. She still enjoys chatting with makeup-counter salespeople, for example, and getting suggestions from personal shoppers.

“It’s fun to see things in person, and touch the fabrics, and try on shoes,” she said. “It’s a social experience.”

Partywirks is “Cloud Computing” – the Hot Trend in Computing Today.

Larry — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:12:42 +0000

The Week the Cloud Won
By QUENTIN HARDY
February 24, 2012, 5:10 pm 7
This was a milestone week for enterprise computing: The cloud won.

On Tuesday, Dell reported lower earnings, and said sales in the current quarter would fall 7 percent. On Wednesday, Hewlett-Packard, that other stalwart of enterprise hardware, also reported lower earnings, and also projected a lower outlook for both the quarter and the year.

Meg Whitman, H.P.’s chief executive, said a full transformation of H.P. might take as long as five years.

Then on Thursday, Salesforce.com, which rents business software through a cloud-computing based system, said its fourth-quarter revenue was up 38 percent. Salesforce also raised its revenue projections for 2012, to a rise of 30 percent year on year.

If these reports hold up elsewhere, it would seem that businesses are moving to cloud computing faster than almost anyone would have thought a year ago. Salesforce and others are rushing to offer more applications to businesses via the cloud, and old-line software giants like SAP and Oracle are spending billions to buy and build their way into the cloud.

This doesn’t just change the software business, but it does radically affect the hardware business. The cloud is a collection of thousands of computer servers, bought by companies that are buying in volume, and care less about brand. Laptops and desktops don’t get as much wear and tear when a business is connected to the cloud. Those stalwarts also face competition from tablets and smartphones, as employees find they can do more tasks on mobile devices.

If the changes are happening as rapidly as this week’s earnings suggest, all the traditional manufacturers, resellers, consultants and other camp followers of the current client/server computing world, who thought they had a few more years to adjust to the new realities, are having a really bad day.

“We’re at a tipping point, where mission-critical applications are moving into the cloud,” says Rick Sherlund, an analyst with Nomura Securities. “The hardware is different, the infrastructure is different; it affects a lot of things.”

To be sure, comparisons among the three companies are far from perfect: aside from the individual woes and triumphs at each company, Dell and H.P. are still much bigger companies than Salesforce. H.P.’s revenue on the quarter is more than 10 times as big as Salesforce’s for the year, though H.P. also has much lower profit margins. After accounting for things like stock-based compensation and amortization of intangibles, Salesforce lost 3 cents a share in the last quarter, and 9 cents on the year. Critics would say this is an apples and oranges comparison.

But apples and oranges are both fruit. You can similarly abstract the differences among these companies, and make some decent comparisons. They all have the same customers, for example, and most of those buyers are looking for a cheaper alternative. They are all publicly traded companies too, and for the most part have the same type of investors. The day after their respective earnings came out, Dell shares fell about 6 percent, and H.P. shares fell 7 percent. Salesforce gained 8.6 percent.

As much as a stock price is a bet on the future, Salesforce appeared to have a better outlook.

As printed in the New York Times Feb 24 2012

Is the telephone booking process hurting your business?

Larry — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 23:33:25 +0000

Funneling hot prospects into the telephone booking process is like having a giant
speed bump slowing down sales!

Comments from actual Partywirks customers

“People don’t like to call on the phone …they just want to book their order online.”
“We are getting fewer messages and more hang-ups”
“People are impatient. If we miss their call they book elsewhere before we can get back with them”

Sound familiar? This trend is not going away but in fact speeding up!

The bottom line – you may have the greatest staff, facilities and offerings in
town but if people won’t pick up the phone, will you get a chance to shine?

There is a More Modern, Effective Way – Offer The Real-Time Alternative!
It’s no secret, at least to Partywirks clients. Most consumers today prefer booking online:

Instant access to everything they need to make a decision.
No waiting – it’s immediate and available on their schedule.
Better, more complete information. Less “he said, she said” conflict. They “think”
they are getting better, more accurate information when they can see it in writing,
on the screen, then when they hear it from someone over the phone (and they are).
No pressure from staff people pushing add-ons. People actually buy many more add-ons online then they do over the phone because they have the time & information to make decisions at their own pace.

Those who want to call can “still call” but for over 50% of your customers, the online alternative will be their first choice.

Chances are you book hotels online, buy your plane ticket online and maybe your books and clothes as well. Now your party venue can offer this same online convenience!

Imagine the difference online booking can make in your business!

Partywirks creatively combines the convenience of Online Scheduling with Sales of
Add-on Items for more revenue and happier customers! What could be better? Watch
our video for more….then schedule a demo below for a personal review of how Partywirks
might help your business!

Let’s Get This Party Started!

THE 5 MOST FREQUENTLY REPORTED BENEFITS FOR YOUR PARTY & EVENT BUSINESS (as reported by actual party venue owners/managers/staff)

Larry — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:46:38 +0000

THE RESULTS ARE IN AND THEY ARE GREAT!
Fewer Errors! Less Stress!
I used to cringe when I overheard incorrect information being given out to customers! With all the package descriptions, policies, procedures, pricing and details it’s easy to slip up and give out the wrong information OR, write down the wrong information!

With Partywirks online processes everything is in writing and easy to read and the details have never been easier to document. This makes training new staff a breeze as well as customers are now better informed with fewer conflicts.

Partywirks Built-In Online Customer Service Forms Save A Ton Of Time!
I cannot believe how much staff time we spent answering routine questions about donations, handling calls for group information, fund raiser inquiries or sending follow-up information to everyone who applied for a job or bought a gift card.

Now, with Partywirks Online Customer Service forms the customers themselves answer our questions online and Partywirks software sends the complete follow up email! This has reduced the time staff spends on the phone while providing better, faster and more convenient service to our customers and prospects. For this reason alone I love what Partywirks has done for my business.

More Add-On Sales, What A No-Brainer!
Can you hear it in a customers voice when you are going over the list of add-ons and they start getting edgy or impatient? That’s no fun for me or them.

People don’t like to be sold over the phone but they do like to customize their party or event order. They do this most consistently, and at a much higher rate, when they have the time to look at color pictures and read complete descriptions of the add-on items online without pressure to make quick decisions.

Now we are selling more add-ons then we ever have which means the bottom line revenue per party is going up and that’s why we are in business right?

Less Reliance On The Phone
Yes, it is 2012. Online booking is not new for many. In fact people do like to do things for themselves.

Have you noticed the popularity of online services and self-service options everywhere from the bank to the grocery store or airline check-in kiosk? My customers want the same thing and now I am giving it to them.

More Control!
I had thought I would be giving up control by offering online services but a surprising benefit is how much more control I have with Partywirks!

With everything online I can decide what and when, who and where. Customers get the information I want them to get, every time. It’s more consistent and user friendly as well.

Still Partying like it’s 1980?

Janey — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:15:58 +0000

Still using one of the most unpopular services around testing customers patience and putting business at risk?
Voice mail, which gained popularity in the 1980′s, is now over 30 years old! Once a hot new idea it’s now one of the least popular customer options around.

Still, calling many party venues is like calling the Amtrak station! Lots of “press 1 for this and press 2 for that” with most people hanging up in frustration!

Do you really want to treat customers to this in 2012?

Studies show you have about 2.7 seconds to capture peoples attention online.
With iPads, Laptops, Google and SmartPhones it’s all about instant gratification and people just don’t wait like they used to….ah, those were the days!

The key to online success in 2012 is to offer immediate “calls to action” like BOOK NOW, SCHEDULE NOW or INQUIRE NOW options that capture and engage the fickle online visitor.

The good news – Partywirks Online Scheduling & Sales Software is the proven alternative to the frustration of voice mail and delivers the instant gratification online consumers want and expect.

Partywirks benefits your customers and your business with:

1. Higher revenues from more add-on sales
2. Improved competitive appeal with 24/7 service
3. A modernized booking process less reliant on paper and pen
4. Fewer errors with more consistent and correct information
5. Fewer missed sales from hang-ups and short fused prospects!
6. Improved security over client credit cards with our PCI Compliant product

Partywirks – we may just have that missing link your business needs and your customers prefer!

Partywirks: Online Sales Rise to $1.25 Billion on Cyber Monday, 2011

Janey — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 22:03:48 +0000

Are you offering your customers a method to book and buy online?

If not, then you just missed out on a slice of this $1.25 Billion pie during Cyber Monday. More and more people are buying online as these numbers attest and this is not a trend…this is a way of doing business in today’s online age.
Partywirks clients have seen their reservations and bookings rise, and their add-on sales increase dramatically. Why? Because today’s consumers are booking online from their office, their smart phone, their ipad or their laptop. These are busy people that want to take time to review what you are selling in detail and at their leisure. They do not want to take the time to call you and risk becoming involved in telephone tag in order to purchase a gift certificate or book a class or party. They will just move on to the next business that will service them online.
If you do not offer Online sales then you are missing out on the easiest way to increase your revenue, streamline your internal booking system, and get an edge on your competition.

Perhaps it’s time to give Partywirks to yourself for Christmas this year?

With Partywirks Online Booking, Color Me Mine Canada Add-On Sales Are Up 75%!

Janey — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 23:17:52 +0000

While traveling in Encino, California five years ago Joe Akl visited a Color Me Mine ceramics studio with his son, Kayan who was just a year old at that time. Joe was inspired by the vision of his young son’s handprints and footprints on their ceramic project. In fact, he was so enchanted with the experience he called Color Me Mine headquarters as soon as he returned home to Calgary, Alberta, to inquire about opening a studio in Canada. Not only did Joe open a studio, he bought the entire franchise rights for Canada! Joe knew that Color Me Mine would be a wonderful business in Canada. With the colder climate he thought this would be a great way to bring families together and provide a business that creates joy. He has found this market to be so receptive that in just five short years, Joe is getting ready to open his 8th studio!

Joe is adamant that he wants his customers to have an excellent experience which is the reason that led him to utilize Partywirks online booking service.

“Our staff is busy during the day taking care of our parties and our customers are also very busy. We don’t like our clients to feel rushed during a phone call and also they aren’t able to see our entire offering, learn of our policies, and see our add-on items. We have absolutely all of our party information on our website and this eliminates mistakes, miscommunications, and we allow our customers to create their own personalized party.”

There is no denying that this business choice has proven successful for Color Me Mine in Canada. Joe says that his party bookings are up 10-20% and his add-on sales are up 75%!

“When customers can take the time to view pictures of the add-on items on our website they are able to create a customized party for their child.”
In fact, since utilizing Partywirks Color Me Mine Canada has gone paperless. They do not print out fliers or other brochures instead; all their party information is on their website. In this way, their clients are all receiving the same accurate information, all the time, with no more disputes or miscommunications.

“We do all of our advertising now on our website because this is the way the world operates and we wanted to be on board.”

“When a mother brings her child in for their birthday party they want it to be memorable and we want it to be awesome. We want them to enjoy an excellent experience.” Now, that’s inspirational!

Color Me Mine Canada
http://www.colourmemine.ca/

Skyborn Skateland: Partywirks Online Booking is Revolutionary!

Janey — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:39:33 +0000

Is it time to automate your booking system?

When Erica Collins began working for Skyborn Skateland six years ago she did not know that she would one day become the owner but, that is just what happened! In fact, she became the third owner of Skyborn, which first opened its doors to skaters in 1956.
Since taking over the helm a year ago, Erica focuses her energy and attention towards management and marketing. She is especially pleased that her staff has been with her for five years. “I don’t hire and I don’t fire. I treat my employees with respect and they in turn treat our customers with respect.” A consistent and long term staff is one of the reasons that Skyborn is ahead of the competition. Erica says she gives her staff the tools they need and she spoils them when she can. “And, I really spoiled them with Partywirks!”

Erica knew she needed to do something to automate her party booking system.

It was usual to have people show up and they had no record of the party. Or, she would have a party booked with no deposit and the customer would not show up leaving her to cover the cost of the cake and other food items ordered because she had not collected a deposit. The old notebook and clipboard method of party booking and management were costing her money and was not good for customer service either. It was a full time job managing upcoming events which hurt staff productivity and took away valuable marketing time.

A search led Eric to Partywirks and the benefits to her business have been far more encompassing that she ever imagined.

“I used to ask the same questions of every person that booked a party over the phone and yet we still made mistakes. “We could not remember all the questions so how could we remember to ask them?” Now the software asks all the questions and consistently. “The system does not forget to obtain all the information we need, it provides all of our policy information, and it takes the credit card information for deposits. “ Erica says that Partywirks has changed everything and in her opinion it is revolutionary!

Where she once used to receive phone calls at 2:00 or 4:00 a.m. with party request information, she now hears her smart phone give a little beep with an email confirmation that a party has been booked online!

Where people used to skip out and not pay her she now has their credit card on file.

Where people used to once sneak food in they must click to confirm that they have read the policy that no outside food is allowed.
Where her staff used to hand write a list of the upcoming parties they now print out a spread sheet from Partywirks that has the child’s name (spelled correctly), age, party package name, add-ons, number in party which allows her to prepare for the parties in advance!

Erica says that 90% of all her parties are now booked online and the other 10% are booked either over the phone or in person.

However, the information is inputted into Partywirks and not written down with paper and pen. She has found that her party business is up in the 6 months since she has been using Partywirks and that people are ordering the higher end packages.

Erica says that “it is expected in today’s world that customers call and ask if they can order online.”

In keeping with her allegiance to top notch customer service, she now gives her customers the choice to book online and also has automated her booking system thus increasing revenue and making her staff more productive.
Not only has Partywirks allowed Erica and her team to become more efficient, she is looking forward to the time when she can run her first year end reports. This is when she gets focused on marketing for the upcoming year. “I can run reports that have the child’s name and email address and reach out to them and offer discounts for early party bookings. I can offer summer discounts or when the party season is slow.”
For the past year, Erica’s sole means of advertising has been on Facebook. She found that print ads were not fruitful at all and kids don’t want paper they want to check social media from their cell phones. If she is having a slow evening she posts a message with a discount on Facebook and her rink fills up earning her revenues she could not have otherwise realized!
Along with the automated party booking platform she takes advantage of the group inquiry feature and requests for donations which used to take up a great deal of time.

“I love Partywirks and I have nothing but good things to say about the product!”

Skyborn Skateland
5309 Haddix Road
Fairborn, OH 45324
937.878.4800
Skybornskateland.com

Broken Arrow Roller Sports: With Online Booking Add On Sales up 75%!

Janey — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:59:55 +0000

Let Partywirks Online Booking help you increase your add-on sales revenue!

When Owner Darrin Johnson opened Broken Arrow Roller Sports five years ago, he was fulfilling a lifelong dream. Darrin considered himself a “rink rat” growing up because he and his friends spent so much time in roller rinks. Not only was he able to fulfill his dream it also allowed him more time to be with his children. Only 10 and 15 years old when he opened the business, his children both now work in the company and he likes that this keeps his family together.

As a busy owner Darrin found himself with not enough hours in the day to operate and market his business. He was answering 40-50 phone calls per day related to his party packages and this was taking up valuable time. He was reluctant at first to switch to an online party booking system because he wanted to maintain the customer interaction. A friend and fellow rink owner told him about Partywirks and their positive experience and Darrin decided to make the shift in his scheduling process. And, he is very happy about his decision.

His daily phone calls regarding parties decreased from 50 to 10 and this solved an enormous amount of problems and gave him time to market his business as well as tend to other management details.

A big surprise for Darrin has been the increase in add-on sales of 75%.

The software now does the selling for him! He has also seen a big revenue increase in off-peak events which he did not really have the time to market in the past. One event in particular which caters to the 30-40 year old crowd for late night parties has really taken off!

With Darrin’s decision to offer his clients the ability to book online at their convenience he not only increased his customer service he has increased his revenue! Now that’s a good way to get a party started!

Broken Arrow Roller Sports
551 W. Oakland
Broken Arrow, OK 74012
1.918.251.6200
http://brokenarrowrollersports.com/

Online Book & Buy Software Replaces Traditional Advertising

Janey — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 20:09:22 +0000

Providing Online Booking & Shopping to your website increases revenue and reduces your costs in staff and traditional advertising costs.

Between 2008 and July 2010, 166 newspapers stopped publication with the numbers for 2011 still to be tallied. This of course is related to how people obtain their news in the age of technology. If you are like me and apparently many other people you read your news online. So, the question arises as to how much money a business owner should spend on print advertising in this modern era?

The fact is that people are searching and finding information they want on the internet and with that in mind this is where you should be advertising your products and services. And, when they are on your web site researching your company it is imperative that you allow them a way to do business with you online. You can offer this through online booking and online shopping capabilities. This is the service that you want to advertise and you can do so on your own website, Facebook page, twitter, email marketing, or group-on style advertising.

Potential clients are much more likely to book online rather than take the time to call you and risk engaging in telephone tag or leaving a voice mail message.

Many clients budget hundreds of dollars each month for print advertising when they would realize much more return when adding online services for their customers. This also saves the business owner money on staff needed to answer or return phone calls and a loss in lost opportunities. In other words, if you are not available to answer their call (if they even call) then they will look elsewhere.