Why time-slots are here to stay for the leisure industry

It’s a fact: the world has drastically changed, and it is not the same world we were living in four, six, or even a year ago. The COVID-19 crisis has brought forward a new way of living, socially interacting, and having fun; inevitably, as a result, new trends have arisen. 

The leisure industry has also seen several trends rise, such as staycations, online experiences, mobile devices, and, lastly, online bookings. Along with online bookings,  you can find a particular complementary feature that is being an absolute game-changer for the attractions industry: time-slots. 

Every industry has been impacted and has drastically changed its modus operandi. The truth is, one could write volumes about these behavioural transformations that have heavily impacted our markets, but today, we will only focus on the leisure industry, our favourite one! 

Why are time-slots great for the leisure industry?

Time-slots...

1. Combine flexibility and control at the same time. 

In times of such uncertainty, any amount of certainty is highly appreciated. Time-slotting creates an outstanding balance between giving your guest flexible options of different ranges of dates and visiting hours, while keeping control at the same time. 

It shows the guest that you care about safety, but at the same time, that you are giving them the freedom to choose and decide. 

Nobody wants to visit a crowded place; this is a post-COVID-19 reality that will not change any time soon. By being transparent on how many people are allowed per time-slots, your guests will feel much safer and more comfortable when coming into your venue. 

If you are using times-slots, make sure to communicate clearly with your audience how busy that time-slot will be, based on the purchased tickets. Remember: regaining trust is one of the essential post-COVID factors. 

Suppose you combine time-slot ticketing with clear information regarding the health measures you are tacking at your venue. Don’t you think it will add value in providing your visitors with an even greater feeling of safety when visiting your leisure venue?

From our experience, it clearly does. 

2. Enhance the guest experience.

When managing a leisure venue, ensuring a great guest experience is probably at the top of your priority list. Combined with the ‘feeling safer' factor,  not having a crowded venue drastically enhances your guest’s experience. 

A couple of weeks ago, in our Convious On Air Podcast, we talked with the YouTuber Influencers “Ride Review” about this particular topic. They are dedicated experts when it comes to visiting and reviewing leisure venues, and they confirmed it: they experienced that indeed, "time-slotting enhances the guest experience". 

Having reduced capacity in your venue only makes the guest experience better. Think about it: easy access at the entrances, no eternal queues for attractions, more space to enjoy the venue... everything builds up to a great, fun, and safe experience!

Why are time-slots great for your venue?

1. You are in full control

Selling through time-slots is a great way to keep everything under control. As most venues re-opened with limited capacity, time-slots are the best answer to optimise capacity with revenue. What does this mean? Your venue ensures a safe environment for their guests by guaranteeing a proper guest flow. 

You can use times-slots based on your visitor’s behaviours. Can they visit your venue in 1 hour? 3 hours? 4 hours? Then that will determine the frequency of your time-slots. 

Let me give you a quick example of how to use time-slots strategically. Say, a venue has two time-slots per day: from 10:00 am - 13:00, and from 14:00 to 17:00. This time-slotting allows the venue to have a free hour between 13:00 and 14:00, which they can use to clean and sanitate their location, keeping up with their guests’ health requirements. 

2. You can plan and forecast better

When you have a clear overview of what is really happening and what is about to happen in your venue, you can make wiser decisions. Suppose you have a more popular time-slot with more visitors. In that case, you can prepare yourself by rearranging staffing, making sure your inventory is up to date, and just having an extra pair of eyes to avoid any uncomfortable situations. 

Time-slots are a great way of distributing your guests evenly throughout your day. It eliminates those super crowded hours and helps flatten your visitors’ curve into a more evenly distributed line. 

If you want to use time-slots as a pro, let us give you an advice: combine your time-slotting with dynamic pricing. For example, this way, you can sell less popular time-slots a little bit cheaper to encourage more guests’ bookings.

You could do the same thing with more popular time-slots, but this time you could offer them for a little more in order to encourage your guests to book a different one or maximise your revenue if they are not so price-sensitive.

A smart ticketing technology like the one we offer here at Convious will do the trick! 

So what do you say, are you ready to use smart time-slotting? Let us know in the comments below!