COVER STORY
By Sean Krainert
S
ectors and industries around the world that offer either products or services are united by their survival instinct to keep putting one foot in front of the other. The motivation is always to keep from falling behind their competitors. But what if that weren’t enough? The most common thread among all businesses is that moving forward is intimately connected to one ultimate deciding factor: the customer. The big question has always revolved around where a business is now and where it wants to be, as businesses are often guided by what they already know. But the only igniting question that will truly catapult a business into the future is: Who is my
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customer, and where are they going? Any successful BEC will tell you that the lynchpin to that question is technological innovation.
THE CONSUMER IS IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT It is no secret that your customers keep your doors open. As a business, it is your responsibility to identify your target market, attract them, and foster lifelong relationships with them. The change to this formula is that consumer expectations are skyrocketing and setting the bar high for all businesses. The
COVER STORY most successful BECs can tell you that they are answering this demand with innovative solutions at every turn, from marketing and customer retention, to laser light shows and attractions. Leading BEC owners know that it is no longer enough to meet their customers where they are, but to be there for them where they are going. And where are your customers going? They are going to their mobile devices. At Rab’s Country Lanes in Staten Island, NY, proprietor Frank Wilkinson takes this fact to heart. “We recently boosted and upgraded our Wi-Fi so as soon as customers walk in the door and open their device, our network welcomes them to the facility and offers an open Wi-Fi connection without weighing them down with requests for their personal information. It’s through things like this that we have made it as easy as possible to make what they want more accessible.” Proprietors across the nation know that as expectations of Frank Wilkinson, proprietor, Rab’s speed and automation have Country Lanes. collectively risen, consumers have developed a need for the new gold standard of interaction with brands. Considering the widespread availability of technology, companies without an integrated plan for its evolving use on the mobile platform, will be facing guaranteed hardships in the near future. Age of the Customer is here, and consumers are instinctively gravitating toward brands that meet their elevated needs.
WHY MOBILE IS THE PREFERRED CHANNEL You may not spend hours on your mobile phone, preventing you from seeing the importance of the platform for businesses. It is an inherent reaction to meet your customers where you are. Or the opposite could be true. Maybe you use your mobile device to track package deliveries, pay your bills, or consume your daily dose of news. So why wouldn’t you expect that your customers want that same connection to your business? “We have to remember that when trying to reach our customers, everything has to be mobile accessible. If it isn’t friendly and engaging, it is one less touchpoint from our brand that they are interested in. When you lose them on the mobile platform, you lose the customer,” says Wilkinson. Imagine the average consumer waking each day to the alarm on their mobile phone. Upon starting their day, they check their email, text messages, weather and traffic from their
mobile, all before getting dressed. This same consumer scans over work emails to stay on top of the day as they commute to work. By the time our average consumer breaks for lunch, they have already placed an online order for grocery delivery to their home, purchased a new shirt they’ve been thinking about and reserved two seats at the latest IMAX movie coming
Leading BEC owners know that it is no longer enough to meet their customers where they are, but to be there for them where they are going. And where are your customers going? They are going to their mobile device. out that night, all from their mobile. As they walk out the door to head home for a quick change of clothes, they book a local restaurant for dinner and pay a few bills due the next business day. Now answer one question: Why would this consumer be one of your customers, unless you had a mobile platform that let them interact with your brand on their terms? The answer is: they wouldn’t be. Mobile usage is no longer confined to calls, texts and tweets. Your customers want to engage with your BEC both from inside the facility and outside, at their convenience. Creating a mobile platform used to be something only the creatively-inclined Millennial could do with five-star connections to savvy designers. The time has come when your BEC not only needs but has to build a mobile platform that can connect you to your customers at all times.
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HOW SUCCESSFUL BECS ARE RESPONDING TO THE RISE OF TECHNOLOGY Jason Mitchell, head sales director at Intercard, a top cashless card solution for BECs, says it best: “It’s not really a choice, it’s a necessity moving forward.” Simply having a website and presence across social media platforms is no longer enough to sustain a business and provide a satisfying experience. Consumers aren’t waiting for businesses to catch up to their needs. On the contrary, with so many entertainment offerings, with integrated mobile platforms, consumers have options. Centers with bowling lanes are no longer competing against other bowling centers. BECs are competing with the entire entertainment industry and all of its forward-thinking, tech-enabled options. Back at Rab’s Country Lanes, like many forwardthinking BECs, technology isn’t something flashy, used to attract crowds. It is something woven into every moving part of business to make the overall customer experience more enjoyable. “We have iPads at our front counters, so we can toggle between apps and platforms in order to serve the customer better. The less they know about Jason Mitchell, head sales what we are doing behind the scenes, the easier it is for director at Intercard us to provide a seamless environment and not overwhelm them [with the technology factor],” says Wilkinson. Founder and CEO of Cinergy Entertainment, Jeff Benson, recently opened an entirely cashless entertainment facility in Odessa, TX. “When we first opened, we were concerned. But we quickly realized that being cashless was a non-event. The business has been seamless since day one. People want to come to our place because of all the fun attractions we offer. Because of that, they play by the rules and don’t ask questions.” Cinergy’s new BEC is a prime example of a business meeting their customers in the future. They have set the bar for the consumer’s expectations and presented it in a stress-free package. While many businesses get caught up in the purchase of technological innovations, Benson’s new facility took a more human approach to the utilization of tech-friendly options. By combining stellar customer service agents with technology features, they were able to create a pleasant experience for customers. “The moment customers walk in the door, they are greeted by an ambassador. The first question they are asked is if it is their first time here. From that moment on, customers are guided through the cashless experience, from loading cash onto fun cards to using their cards or personal debit and credit cards throughout the entire facility.” Jeff Benson, founder and CEO of Intercard has been able to work with businesses like Cinergy Entertainment. Cinergy Entertainment to ensure the experiences they offer exceed the customer’s expectations, essentially meeting their needs in the future. And with their new and improved customer app on the horizon, they will be able to present their customers with the option to load their cards from their mobile phone at any time. Mobile apps like this one also serve continued on page 34... 30
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COVER STORY ...continued from page 30
to send alerts to the operator when there is a problem with a game. Operators can then set the game to out of service and place a service call to a technician with their mobile phone, all from the comfort of wherever they are. Without having stepped into the BEC, a broken game can be reported, fixed and back up running. Proprietor mobile apps put operators and technicians multiple steps ahead, ultimately paving the way for a better customer experience.
The kiosks are ready for the crowds at the Cinergy game room.
as a virtual card, eliminating the need for a physical card altogether. Remember our average consumer from earlier who did everything before noon from their mobile device? This consumer will be able to reload their BEC card on their way to work, check their customer loyalty points by lunch, and custom-design their BEC experience before they walk in your door with only their mobile phone.
START SIMPLE: DATA COLLECTION. FetchRev, located in Tempe, AZ, is a company well-versed in mastering the mobile platform. They assist proprietors in driving return foot traffic and developing repeat revenue by utilizing consumer data. Companies like FetchRev can take the struggle out of reaching your target market. However, according to Brandon Willey, CEO, proprietors can go a long way in establishing a mobile connection with their customers. “At the end of the day, it comes down to data collection and maximizing the amount of email addresses collected. If there is only one thing a [bowling entertainment] center can do right now, one incremental improvement Brandon Willey, CEO of FetchRev regardless of who they use and what system they use—its data collection.” He continues, “Start today, doing nothing more than putting a sign-up sheet on a piece of paper on a clipboard at the front counter. At the same time, educate the staff to ask customers to sign up for a coupon list or birthday rewards coupon.” The key is collecting the information.
THE MOBILE PLATFORM AND THE PROPRIETOR The benefits of a mobile platform aren’t only for the consumer. Proprietor mobile apps provide operators with the ability to manage their attractions remotely from their mobile device. Apps can now preemptively alert the operator to problems before they occur, for example, when kiosks are low on cards or the bill holder is full. These apps also have the ability 34
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THE FUTURE: ARE YOU A BEACON OR PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT? Evolve or die may be a little harsh. Spend to live? Excellent advice. Meet your customers where they are going and become a beacon in the industry, rather than reluctantly planning for your retirement. Imagine this: your customer walks into your entertainment facility with nothing but their mobile device, and their mobile device not only knows that they are there, it knows what time of day it is and what attractions
Kiosks and staff help customers navigate the cashless card system at the Cinergy location in Odessa, TX.
they used and loved last time. Their mobile device knows what menu item they order every time they come to your facility at that time of day. And, as if by magic, it recommends the perfect combination of food, beverage, games and attractions for the ultimate, effortless experience with your brand. So, don’t let your customers go! It’s too fun out here! ❖
Sean Krainert is a freelance copywriter living in the San Francisco Bay Area specializing in real estate, hospitality and mental health writing. He is also an alumni of the Wichita State Shocker bowling program.