8 ms·

Isn't that included in the lane price? Always has been for me.

by tjoff 3mo ago

bee_rider 3mo ago
I think they mean the physical process of handling the shoes. At most places you rent your land and get your shoes at the same counter, basically in one transaction, which seems difficult to handle with a kiosk.
- section33 3mo ago
  Totally - we've got notifications wired in though, so our counter instantly knows "lane so and so needs such and such shoe sizes"
  - KennyBlanken 3mo ago
    You're removing human interaction, though. Nerds seem to forget that entertainment venues and sports are social spaces, interaction with staff matters, and is one of the more distinguishing features of a venue. Unless you've got someone walking up and down the lanes introducing themselves as the manager/owner/whatever...
    - Johnny555 3mo ago
      If I go out bowling with friends, I'm there to socialize with my friends. If I rent the lane from a Kiosk, I'm fine with that being the end of the transaction I don't need the manager to come introduce himself.
    - bluGill 3mo ago
      Most people don't know that the real money is food and alcohol. Buy pizza and drinks for everyone and they should throw the lane in for free.
    - tclancy 3mo ago
      How did you read everything OP posted and come to that conclusion?
    - section33 3mo ago
      You're not wrong, though I will say that I haven't forgotten it's a social space. The social aspect is why I bought it in the first place. In my mind, the kiosk terminal is there for convenience. We get a lot of people who A) don't want to interact with us more than necessary or B) sometimes people buy one game or one hour, then decide to stay -much- longer. My thinking on that is, don't make the customer get up if they don't need / want to. Long story short, the intent of the kiosk isn't to delete human interaction. Honestly, I implemented it as a way to summon servers or bowling mechanics, and any self-service options I could think of as-needed. One doesn't have to use the kiosk, they're just there as a convenience thing.
    - abanana 3mo ago
      > one of the more distinguishing features of a venue It depends a lot on whether your customer base is made up mainly of one-off walk-in casuals, or regulars. Getting to know the regulars, and having a chat with them, can improve the feel of being in work for the staff themselves, as well as providing a more friendly and welcoming atmosphere. The OP described this particular case as being in a small town, with not many other options for entertainment, i.e. a small captive audience. You could say the customers don't have much else to do so it doesn't matter if you're a miserable git, they'll still come. But just being friendly and chatty makes all the difference to a lot of people, and can help you build a loyal audience of core customers who'll choose your place over the few alternatives, will keep coming, keep bringing more friends and family, and sometimes even support your business in unexpected ways.
- tjoff 3mo ago
  Ah, most of what I've seen it's just an open area everyone goes to and does it themselves. Which I like because I always have to try a few sizes to get one that actually fits.
nomel 3mo ago
Which could be removed, which I, a customer, would very much enjoy. Bowling prices are absolutely insane these days. Haven't been in over 10 years. Related, nearly all of the bowling lanes in my area are empty, except for birthdays/work events.
- dpkirchner 3mo ago
  The last few times I tried to go bowling I was turned away because I was the wrong kind of customer. I didn't know when my kind was allowed (it wasn't on the outdoor signs). Layer I learned the right times but they were all weirdly inconvenient.
- quietsegfault 3mo ago
  My local center in a big northeast us city is very cheap during the week, and reasonably priced on the weekends. Surprisingly, even their food and alcohol is priced lower than what you’d expect - cheaper than the sports bar down the block. No idea how they make money, but my kids love it and I love being able to get a good beer while I spend time bowling with my kids.
  - bruce511 3mo ago
    I think this is the key metric. Get people in the door. Sure you can jack up prices on food and drink. Sure you can fleece the people who do come, but everyone who stops coming "because it's too expensive" is lost forever. The alternative is to create a space people want to come to. Yes sell food & drink. Being "good value" helps that. Being expensive fights it. While yes, the flashy electronics is cool, do people come for that? Does it make it more fun? I just saw the ball with my own two eyes. Does an animation make it better? What brings in a family? Work colleagues? Teenagers on a date? What brings in more competitive folks? Is there progression? What makes my friend group go once a week? Why do housewives want to hang out there at 11am? How to catch the bored teenagers at 3pm in the afternoon? It's not even just about bowling. Can you create a space people want to come to?
    - robbak 3mo ago

Isn't that included in the lane price? Always has been for me.

by tjoff 3mo ago

Isn't that included in the lane price? Always has been for me.

I think they mean the physical process of handling the shoes. At most places you rent your land and get your shoes at the same counter, basically in one transaction, which seems difficult to handle with a kiosk.

section33 3mo ago
Totally - we've got notifications wired in though, so our counter instantly knows "lane so and so needs such and such shoe sizes"
- KennyBlanken 3mo ago
  You're removing human interaction, though. Nerds seem to forget that entertainment venues and sports are social spaces, interaction with staff matters, and is one of the more distinguishing features of a venue. Unless you've got someone walking up and down the lanes introducing themselves as the manager/owner/whatever...
  - Johnny555 3mo ago
    If I go out bowling with friends, I'm there to socialize with my friends. If I rent the lane from a Kiosk, I'm fine with that being the end of the transaction I don't need the manager to come introduce himself.
  - bluGill 3mo ago
    Most people don't know that the real money is food and alcohol. Buy pizza and drinks for everyone and they should throw the lane in for free.
  - tclancy 3mo ago
    How did you read everything OP posted and come to that conclusion?
  - section33 3mo ago
    You're not wrong, though I will say that I haven't forgotten it's a social space. The social aspect is why I bought it in the first place. In my mind, the kiosk terminal is there for convenience. We get a lot of people who A) don't want to interact with us more than necessary or B) sometimes people buy one game or one hour, then decide to stay -much- longer. My thinking on that is, don't make the customer get up if they don't need / want to. Long story short, the intent of the kiosk isn't to delete human interaction. Honestly, I implemented it as a way to summon servers or bowling mechanics, and any self-service options I could think of as-needed. One doesn't have to use the kiosk, they're just there as a convenience thing.
  - abanana 3mo ago
    > one of the more distinguishing features of a venue It depends a lot on whether your customer base is made up mainly of one-off walk-in casuals, or regulars. Getting to know the regulars, and having a chat with them, can improve the feel of being in work for the staff themselves, as well as providing a more friendly and welcoming atmosphere. The OP described this particular case as being in a small town, with not many other options for entertainment, i.e. a small captive audience. You could say the customers don't have much else to do so it doesn't matter if you're a miserable git, they'll still come. But just being friendly and chatty makes all the difference to a lot of people, and can help you build a loyal audience of core customers who'll choose your place over the few alternatives, will keep coming, keep bringing more friends and family, and sometimes even support your business in unexpected ways.
tjoff 3mo ago
Ah, most of what I've seen it's just an open area everyone goes to and does it themselves. Which I like because I always have to try a few sizes to get one that actually fits.

nomel 3mo ago

Which could be removed, which I, a customer, would very much enjoy. Bowling prices are absolutely insane these days. Haven't been in over 10 years. Related, nearly all of the bowling lanes in my area are empty, except for birthdays/work events.

dpkirchner 3mo ago
The last few times I tried to go bowling I was turned away because I was the wrong kind of customer. I didn't know when my kind was allowed (it wasn't on the outdoor signs). Layer I learned the right times but they were all weirdly inconvenient.
quietsegfault 3mo ago
My local center in a big northeast us city is very cheap during the week, and reasonably priced on the weekends. Surprisingly, even their food and alcohol is priced lower than what you’d expect - cheaper than the sports bar down the block. No idea how they make money, but my kids love it and I love being able to get a good beer while I spend time bowling with my kids.
- bruce511 3mo ago
  I think this is the key metric. Get people in the door. Sure you can jack up prices on food and drink. Sure you can fleece the people who do come, but everyone who stops coming "because it's too expensive" is lost forever. The alternative is to create a space people want to come to. Yes sell food & drink. Being "good value" helps that. Being expensive fights it. While yes, the flashy electronics is cool, do people come for that? Does it make it more fun? I just saw the ball with my own two eyes. Does an animation make it better? What brings in a family? Work colleagues? Teenagers on a date? What brings in more competitive folks? Is there progression? What makes my friend group go once a week? Why do housewives want to hang out there at 11am? How to catch the bored teenagers at 3pm in the afternoon? It's not even just about bowling. Can you create a space people want to come to?
  - robbak 3mo ago