Bowling Music Blog

Our sales and marketing team attended a new version release seminar for ACT!. We utilize ACT! as our primary contact and customer manager.  As most businesses, we have a set of tasks we complete with the use of the software. I  believed there was so much more we could be doing but were not taking the time to research what it could do and what we should be doing.

At the seminar, a certified software professional demonstrated basic and advanced best practices used with the software and how the new version makes some tasks even easier to accomplish. An added value of the seminar was the question and answer period. Like minded business owners and managers were able to identify challenges they face with the current software and make suggested improvements for future development.

At the conclusion of the ACT! event we immediately identified three best practices we needed to implement to improve how we serve our subscribers and communicate with prospects. Interestingly enough, one of the tasks was providing a similar program for our subscribers to provide best practices training to accelerate the benefit of our services to their business.

Bowling Music Boot Camp was born. Our goals are to ensure that subscribers are effectively utilizing the marketing , entertainment and enhancers services to increase their business revenues while improving their customer’s experience.

Our Boot Camp is created and directed by Adam Melrose and Atilia Daminelli . They have done an excellent job in putting together a program to meet our goals. The first Boot Camp was completed on July 20^th and it exceeded our expectations. There was an incredible amount of interaction and our post polling has come back with a rating of 9 out of 10! As the program matures, it will become a significant added value service to our subscribers.

We have effectively taken someone else’s idea, modified it to make it our own and improved our business. Interested in taking some of our ideas and making them your own to improve your business? Register today for our next Boot Camp, it’s August 18^th on a computer near you!

Once in a while you just need to go out into the real world and see how badly other companies can mess up their customer service. I had an absolutely miserable service experience this week. Halfway through, I figured out what was happening. First off, the company leadership has forgotten what business they are really in. In other words; why people use their service. Secondly, their lack of focus has the people on the front line left with no clue of how to service the customer.

Why do people use your service? We believe that Bowling Proprietors subscribe to our service for an easy to use tool to make their customers happy while providing prompt, professional technical service when they need it. We do this by creating entertainment programs that are conducive to family and friends getting together and having fun. These programs are supported by friendly, trained, motivated front line staff. I have often said that you will go much further doing a few things exceptionally well, than doing a whole lot of things kind of good.

I happened to read an article by the company CEO in the magazine produced by the company I had earlier referenced. He was excited about all of the new features and upgrades they were investing in for their service. Seats that turned into beds, on demand video entertainment and chef inspired meals. I hate to break it to him, but if I want a bed; I’ll go to a hotel. If I want video entertainment; I’ll go to a theater. And if I want a chef inspired meal; I’ll go to the restaurant were the chef applies his or her craft. However, if I want to get from point A to point B in a specified time, I’ll book a flight with an airline. That is the business you are in! Most importantly, when something goes wrong (and it is going to happen periodically), I want to be serviced by people who understand what my real need is and can proactively work to fulfill that need. How about investing in creating schedules that work? Maybe training on proactively assisting the customer when scheduling changes need to be made. How about taking ownership of your delivery promise?

I signed up for seven hours and in twenty three hours you got me there. Oddly enough, I owe you some gratitude, because it has us extra focused on what is important to our subscribers.

That is the world according to me and I would not recommend Delta Airlines.

Congratulations to Bowling Music Network partners Jim Juniper and Aaron Lewcock for being named BCM Business People of the Year for 2009!

“We would like to thank the bowling industry, all our loyal customers, and our excellent team for making it such an exciting year,” said Aaron Lewcock. “BMN is built on the support of the bowling industry and we strive to create easy and compelling entertainment and marketing products made for bowling. We are honored to be recognized and we look forward to another great year ahead!”

Click here to read or download the article.