Technology is growing rapidly.
How we communicate, work and play continue to evolve and so do our expectations of what we can do, how we do it and how fast it can be done. As attractions, entertainment and leisure industry decision makers, it’s important you are familiar with these developments.
The choices you make about the technology you adopt is critical to ensuring your business remains competitive.
Here are five key signs that your business needs to upgrade its software:
1. Your customers are frustrated doing business with you
Think about how you feel when things are easy. It could be booking a table at a restaurant or trying to resolve an issue with your phone. If it’s easy, you’re delighted and you’re more than likely going to give them more of your business.
On the other hand, it’s so frustrating when buying a new product, service or experience is unnecessarily difficult. If your attractions, entertainment or leisure business is making it hard for customers to do business with you they will quickly form a negative image of you and your brand.
If you feel like your business should be doing better because it’s a great venue and a fun place to be, you need to think about how you can improve business processes and create a better customer experience.
2. Your business goals cannot be achieved with your current software
Increasing revenue and reducing costs are at the top of every successful business plan. Technology at its core is useful. It allows you to do more with less. But every business will outgrow its technology if it doesn’t upgrade. If it’s become rigid, makes it hard for you to take your business where you want it to go, it’s likely one of the leading causes of poor customer experience.
When your technology grows with your business you can easily create, sell and manage products that delight your customers, you will find it easier to run your day-to day operations and most importantly, create customer satisfaction.
3. Your competitors are overtaking you
In 1962, Professor Everett Rogers came up with the ‘Diffusion of Innovations Theory’, which attempts to divide technology adopters into five categories; Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority and Laggards.
Consider where you are on this curve and the risks and rewards that are involved. While those who take to new technologies quickly have more tools at their disposal, there is a risk the technology will not deliver as expected – after all, it’s in its infancy. Being a late adopter reduces this risk, however, your business is at a competitive disadvantage and can fall behind.
Ultimately, those of you make smart decisions and adopt the latest, yet proven technology, will stay one-step-ahead of the competition.
4. It’s been a while since your last update
How frequently do you update your mobile phone or laptop? The answer is different from person to person. The same can be said for business’ and their technology. If it’s been a couple of years and you’re still using the same software, it’s probably time to think about an upgrade. Business’ grow, old technology doesn’t.
Consider how frequently your current provider has improved the functionality of their product. Have they released new features? Have they listened to your feedback to make improvements?
The rate of change is a critical indicator of whether you should consider updating your software. Even a little change can make a big difference.
5. You are spending too much time and money maintaining your current system
Maintaining outdated systems is a costly exercise and has little productivity benefits. It’s also difficult to find the expertise to support hardware and other integrations that are far beyond their shelf life. Your customers and employees will also resent having to use old technology. Weigh up the true cost and ROI of investing in a software upgrade, with this front of mind.
Contact us if you’re considering updating your venues ticketing system, point-of-sale, CRM, or if you’d like to learn more about what ROLLER has to offer.
