Bowlers Journal International - February 2008 - (Page 70) PROFITPROPHET 'BOUNCE BACK' INTO THE BLACK BY JIM GOODWIN HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO TELL EVERY CUSTOMER IN and Bowl New England has found a way to make theirs very your bowling establishment, “Thank you for coming to our effective. After a decade of distributing the coupons, they center, and please come back again soon”? now see a very impressive 7 to 10% return rate. Virtually every This amiable send-off is one of the basics of any retail open play customer is given the coupons when they pay for business. In a similar vein, most bowling centers train their their bowling, so they get much more than just a sincere employees quite well to perform this critical task. "thank you and please come back." Taking that simple salutation to the next level, many cente As it states on the Bowl New England bounce back ducat, operators not only are now asking their customers to return, the coupon is good for one free game for everyone in your they are giving them a great incentive to do so by handing out party, up to six people. “bounce back” coupons. “Based on full utilization and a base price of $4 per game, One group of very successthe perceived value of the couful centers that has proven pon is $24,” said Corley. “That the effectiveness of a bounceis a pretty strong incentive to back program is the Bowl New get them to come back.” England chain. Another detail that Bowl New Bowl New England Inc., England utilizes is to attach the headquartered in Colchester, Family Fun Pass coupons to Vermont, owns and operates other literature. 18 centers in the northeastern “Typically, we staple the United States. The chain has coupons to some of our flyers more than 600 lanes and almost for open play specials and our 700 employees, whose bounce short season league promoback program is predicated on tions,” said Corley. “We also what they call a “Family Fun have a six-week expiration Pass“ coupon. date on all of the coupons, and “Our Family Fun Pass coupon the coupons are usually valid is the most successful promoonly during off-peak times.” tion we have done in recent Corley considers the bounce years,” says Bowl New England back coupon the number one President Tim Corley. Tim Corley, seated, has taken the Family Fun Pass program to new vistas. promotion for the Bowl New As with all promotions, the Started about 10 years ago by his father, Dick, the bounce back coupons England centers for several most important aspect of this are a very valuable asset to Bowl New England's bottom line. reasons: endeavor is to thoroughly train 1. Foremost is the rationale employees. That means they must know how to utilize the that it gives customers a powerful incentive to come back. program, completely understand why the company is mak2. The coupon has a very high perceived value. ing the offer, retain all of the details of how to distribute the 3. It quickly alleviates any sticker shock when the customer coupons, and know what to do when they are redeemed. The checks out. employees also must be trained to explain how the coupons 4. It is easy for the staff to sell. work, as well as any restrictions that apply to them. 5. It gets additional program information into the customers’ Corley is proud that all Bowl New England staff members hands. are diligent in distributing the Family Fun Passes to open play “I can’t imagine a center not being successful with a procustomers. It's more than pride, however. He says it is one motion like this,” said Corley. "It is easy to implement, easy to of the biggest reasons his centers have shown significant motivate employees to use it, and most important, it makes the open play linage growth over the past decade. “It has always customers very happy.” been a priority of ours to get our current customers to bowl It also increases the bottom line. more frequently, and the bounce back coupon has been our In the bowling business, that makes it one of the primary primary means of achieving that,” he said. “no-brainer“ ideas that no center should be without. There are many ways to distribute a bounce back coupon, COURTESY BOWL NEW ENGLAND 70 bowlers journal international FEBRUARY 2008
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