Skateworld operates two roller skating rinks in San Diego and Tacoma. Locals of all ages and experience levels can roll in for a skating session, book birthday parties and group events, or purchase a membership for weekly and unlimited skating sessions. Since taking over the rinks in 2019 and 2020, Christina Stang, Co-Owner of Skateworld, has seen rapid growth and now has 50 staff across both locations.
At the end of 2020, Christina switched to ROLLER to modernize the business. Skateworld had outgrown their previous platforms, and working across multiple systems created unnecessary admin. Despite many providers in the market promising all-in-one venue management, only ROLLER had all the functionality they needed in a single platform. Parties are Skateworld’s “bread and butter,” so they needed a modern, online booking system that seamlessly integrated with their website to streamline party management.
Simple, stress-free party bookings
With ROLLER’s simple party booking software, Skateworld has increased revenue, reduced time spent managing parties, and removed friction from the guest experience. ROLLER’s Progressive Checkout was the biggest game-changer for party management.
The new Progressive Checkout is life-changing. It’s really easy to navigate and intuitive to use.
Christina Stang
Co-Owner, Skateworld
With the Progressive Checkout, Skateworld can leverage ROLLER’s party package feature, which dynamically calculates party inclusions based on the number of partygoers selected in the online checkout, allowing the party planner to book their personalized party experience and giving them confidence that their special day will be stress-free.
Party packages reduce average party booking time for guests by 30%, and Christina has experienced this firsthand at her venues. Skateworld guests can book a party package online in just five quick steps:
- Select a party package
- Book a day and time
- Add guest numbers. The number of party inclusions is automatically calculated, all you have to do is select your pizza toppings and soda choice.
- Fill out your contact details.
- Pay and confirm!
Christina stresses how critical it is for small businesses like Skateworld to find ways to save time. “You're constantly putting out fires, managing 50 million things, and don't have the staff to dedicate to it. Using party packages and the Progressive Checkout makes everything way easier.”
In addition to saving time, party packages have created a more streamlined and enjoyable booking experience for staff and guests. “Once the party package and schedule are set, it’s pretty much on autopilot. Guests know exactly what party inclusions we’re providing, which cuts down a lot of back and forth over the phone,” says Christina. This setup also translates to a better in-venue experience – guests can easily show their booking information upon arrival, quickly check in, and enjoy the party. “ROLLER removes a lot of friction at the front door,” says Christina.
On their previous booking system, Christina had to manually set up bookings for each day, a tedious and time-consuming task. After moving to ROLLER, Christina quickly trained her customer service team to handle all party bookings, freeing her to step away from the day-to-day admin and focus more on growing the business. Her team communicates and collaborates on bookings in ROLLER, leaving comments in Venue Manager so that guests have a consistent experience, regardless of which Skateworld team member they speak to. “Having a clear line of communication is really nice,” says Christina.
Unlocking additional revenue
ROLLER’s modern online booking system has opened up a 24/7 sales channel for Skateworld. For busy venue operators, it’s easy to forget that you can make money while you sleep with an online checkout. “[Venue operators] underestimate the amount of money they can make online when people can buy tickets at any time of the day,” says Christina.
In addition to party revenue, Skateworld has seen a significant revenue increase from facility rentals with ROLLER. Skateworld’s rinks are available for large groups to rent for field trips, youth camps, daycares, and non-profit events. Skateworld has a dedicated booking page and online checkout for facility rentals, which has improved the visibility of group discount rates and increased online conversion.
Christina says group and party bookings are vital to increasing revenue through repeat visitation. “The more parties you can bring in, the more people know about your venue and come back again.”
To convert repeat visitors into regular skaters, Skateworld offers memberships with ROLLER, which wasn’t an option with their previous platforms. After seeing the success of other ROLLER customers’ membership programs and guided by ROLLER’s team of experts, Skateworld created a competitively-priced membership program to upsell guests from a single ticket to a membership.
We're drawing repeat customers in way more than we used to. Memberships have been the most positive outcome of switching to ROLLER.
Christina Stang
Co-Owner, Skateworld
Expansion on the horizon
Skateworld’s rapid growth in the last few years has enabled Christina to plan for a third venue, opening in around 12 months. At this new venue, Skateworld will expand its offering beyond skating rinks to include a range of additional attractions to draw in a family crowd.
Get a demo today to see how ROLLER can help you grow and expand your business.
