CenterEdge Software Blog

Time Clock and Scheduling Tricks

You probably have a few point of sale software tricks that help you better manage your business on a daily basis. We have collected some of these tips from clients and team members — and today, we’re sharing a Pro Tip from Jill Rempert at Epic Air in South Elgin, Illinois.

Best practices to help you manage your facility’s charitable giving better, easier and faster.

If you’ve been in the fun business for long, you’ve probably been asked by local fundraising organizations, schools, sports teams or companies about partnering or donating. Should you simply write a check, offer a fundraising event or donate a portion of a night’s proceeds? There are many ways that you can make partnering with your community a win for everyone. And what’s even better, tracking and managing your donations can be done seamlessly, without causing administrative headaches or complicated staff procedures.

Don’t guess at how to give to your community – read on for the ins and outs of these five approaches that can help make your fundraising efforts pain-free experiences.

Upgrade your guest experience and increase revenue and efficiency with these six tips.

Mobile point of sale stations are a no-brainer in large facilities with a fluctuating traffic flow, but nearly any size facility can use mobile stations to improve operations in the front and back of the house. They allow your park to operate flexibly so that you can provide your guests with the best experience and fastest service possible. But are you doing all that you can with your mobile stations? Read on for six ways to take full advantage of mobile stations in your park – and reap all the benefits.

Meet the five Excellence Award winners and finalists of the 2018 Customer Service Week Challenge

We had such a great response for the Customer Service Week Challenge! Responses came from all over the U.S. and it was great to read about all the terrific things your team members are doing. From party hosts to admissions staff all the way to maintenance, it’s so obvious when team members have that “it” thing that makes a difference. It was so hard choosing winners, but here are the top five winners and finalists who prove that “Excellence Happens Here” at their facilities.

Understanding, hiring for, and cultivating creativity could be the key to growing your business.

Nearly every operator in every business finds themselves considering how to find, develop or keep their competitive edge. When asked, “what makes the difference between you and your competitors?” many managers, especially those in the family entertainment industry, will automatically answer, “it’s our people that make the difference.”

Tips to help teams be ready with the right language to present your offerings with confidence.

In family entertainment, I think we all aim to help our guests, both new and returning, experience our entertainment venues in the most meaningful ways possible. And of course, we hope that by doing so, we can build relationships, encourage them to become loyal and increase revenue. As your front-line sales team, admissions staff are your welcome committee, your information station and (should be) your sales ninjas. But often they see themselves as no more than order takers, letting guests tell them what they want, taking money and moving on. This kind of thinking doesn’t achieve goals. Only a well-trained, committed front-line team wows guests and earns more revenue. But it doesn’t happen by chance.

Maximize efficiency and grow your revenue with these easy to implement tips.

Group and birthday party business are critical elements of virtually any successful amusement and entertainment venue. They provide a facility not only with revenue, but also serve as an excellent source of exposure to new patrons. But some facility owners and managers still operate their special event business as a separate entity from the rest of their operation, with separate systems and processes for everything from booking to admissions to payment. For example, many facilities operate in a cashless environment in the day to day but fail to realize the full revenue and operational potential your business can gain by going cashless for special events. Here are five reasons to take your special events cashless.

Being a great leader isn't a skill people are just born with, it's developed over time. Whether it be through training seminars or reading books, the best managers — both new and experienced — are always learning new ways to improve their skills. 

You only get one chance to make a first impression: Spoiler alert – Admissions staff are the key.

Frontline training is obviously a must in every entertainment venue. But many organizations take a haphazard approach to training which can put your facility at risk for creating a negative first impression. Don’t teach your team how to smile but forget to include how to make change (no, it’s not as common sense as you might think). Also remember that your cashier interaction must go beyond the transaction. The key is an effective training process that ensures you have all the bases covered. Here are five steps to help you implement point of sale training that sticks.   

The benefits of offering classes at your facility and how to make the leap from the marketing to the technical.

I just finished a yoga teacher certification this summer, so imagine my surprise when I picked up the July issue of Funworld and saw the cover article was none other than Namaste! How Museums Are Attracting New Audiences with Creative Ways to Enhance Guests’ Well-Being. Talk about worlds colliding! I love their idea of using healthy-living classes to introduce new patrons to the art museum. 

The article inspired me. How can entertainment and amusement facilities also capitalize on this idea and create a meaningful—and lucrative—set of complementary and alternative activities during off-peak times?