Time for a Change
One of the hot topics in the industry these days is time bowling. Bowling and game bowling have always gone hand in hand, but with social media, texting, cell phone, and other distractions, customers often get distracted and don’t bowl as quickly as proprietors would like. This isn’t a problem if you have plenty of lanes available. However, when you are on a 2 hour waiting list, time is extremely valuable and when lanes are not utilized efficiently, the result is less money in the register.
Traditionally, centers have only offered bowling by the game, but as bowling is becoming more about the experience, which includes socializing, taking selfies and giving everyone in the group the opportunity to play the game or choose the environment they want it is important to be aware that efficient lane utilization can result in more revenue. We want proprietors to benefit from this new social experience and make sure you are not the ones paying for the experience.
We want to transition the minds of our guests that they are coming to our centers for an experience, not a game of bowling. Many centers have transitioned all their booked events to time based but are hesitant to introduce time bowling into open play because of fear that the customer will resist. The best way to introduce anything is for YOU to believe in it and understand why it’s time to take that leap.
Do you know how long it is taking your customer to complete a game of bowling? Do you routinely analyze your Conqueror reports to make sure your customers aren’t parking at the lanes and tying them up for hours while they talk on their phones or are chit chatting among themselves and forget to bowl? If not, you might be surprised. In center set up, the rule of thumb is to have it set up that it takes 10 minutes per game. That would be 10 minutes for 1 person on a lane to complete a game. Can you imagine if in game bowling mode, your customers were taking 18 minutes or more to complete a game? You are making almost ½ what you should for that lane. Now multiply this by the number of lanes and the days you are open for business and you will see, you definitely have room to make more money. Download Calculating Time Per Game QR Sheet Here.
Keep in mind, time bowling and game bowling can be offered together. Conqueror Pro gives you the ability to set up your center in the manner that best serves YOUR needs. Some centers keep game bowling as an option when they start to introduce time bowling but choose to price it so time bowling is more attractive. Also, some centers choose to have features like YouToons or Mad Games only available as time bowling options.
Bowling has transformed into a social entertainment experience and as a result, is best offered by time during busy periods so you can tailor the guest’s experience to be the best possible and encourage them to have fun, socialize with their friends and stay for a while. Time bowling also makes it easier to manage the waiting list and provide guests waiting, with a better estimate of their wait time.
On a side note, another time saving tip for those with Conqueror QPads, is to have the porters or lane attendants utilize the cleaning mode. When your porter or lane attendant has a QPad and can quickly put a lane in cleaning mode, clean it and take it out of cleaning mode without waiting for the customer service desk to acknowledge, it can save valuable time and allow lanes to be turned over more efficiently. No more delays in communication. Now as soon as the guests leave, the cleaning can begin and the minute it is done, the lane is ready for the next group allowing the lane to become a revenue generator again.
Is it time for you to transition your customer from game bowling to a time based experience? Perhaps so…it’s always time to make more money.
Calculating Time Per Game QR Sheet
Time for Fun FB Post 1
Time for Fun FB Post 2
Questions? Drop us a line at BESXtras@QubicaAMF.com
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