goodleaf tree climbing
Bookeo Case Study
Now in its 11th season, Goodleaf Tree Climbing is the UK’s first and only solely recreational tree climbing business. Goodleaf offers a truly different visitor experience that takes advantage of the stunning natural environment of the Isle of Wight, a summer holiday hotspot. “Business is great,” says owner Paul McCathie. “We are increasing our numbers and our offerings every year,” he continues, “and have a growing customer base of new and returning families and schools.” Paul’s been a Bookeo client since 2012 when he realized he couldn’t handle the increasing demand of phone bookings. He relies on Bookeo for its customer-friendly interface, on-the-go mobile access, and cost efficiency. He also uses Bookeo’s reports function to target marketing activities to the most appropriate customers. Paul loves what he does for a living, and with Bookeo he can run his business and still have plenty of time to spend time with his family.
BOOKEO CASE STUDY | Goodleaf Tree Climbing | Copyright © 2016 Bookeo Pty Ltd | www.bookeo.com
"Bookeo offers a simple customer experience, it wasn’t too complex for us to set up and it is priced very fairly for our needs" - Paul McCathie, Goodleaf Tree Climbing
"95% of our bookings are made via Bookeo, the majority via a phone or tablet" - Paul McCathie, Goodleaf Tree Climbing
Paul's mission Raglan is a charming tropical town on New Zealand’s pristine west coast. It’s a fantastic place to surf and climb trees, and that’s exactly what Paul McCathie did while growing up there. He loved the outdoors so much that he studied arboriculture at the Waikato Institute of Technology, and was named Student of the Year when he graduated. After a few years as an arborist in New Zealand, Australia and the UK, he decided to start his own business sharing the joys of tree climbing with others. After training with the experts at Tree Climbers International, he established Goodleaf Tree Climbing in the most “tropical” UK location he could find: The Isle of Wight. Taking bookings while hanging in a tree is hard. It wasn’t long before Paul realized he was going to need to check out online booking systems.
"We take reservations in advance and Bookeo allowed us to set up our booking system in a way that suited our specific needs" - Paul McCathie, Goodleaf Tree Climbing
"Bookeo’s backup system was able to restore data we accidentally deleted." - Alex Beardsley, It’s A Trap!
The Challenges As Goodleaf Tree Climbing grew, Paul realized he needed a system that would let customers easily book online and pay with a credit card. Promoting an industry that was unfamiliar to much of his target audience, he also wanted to be sure that his customers’ experience would be as easy and pleasant as possible. Goodleaf is an outdoor business, so customer plans literally change with the weather. Paul also needed to find a system with a scheduler that was going to be simple for him to use on the go. Just as important, he needed a booking system that would let him store customer data safely and efficiently. It also had to be easy to set up and priced right for a new, seasonal business. He shopped around and found that Bookeo fitted the bill.
“Bookeo is easy to set up and easy to use”
The Solutions Since guided tree climbing is a relatively new service and business model, Paul had no blueprint to follow when setting up Goodleaf. He needed a booking system that was simple to use yet customizable, and sophisticated enough to safely store his customers’ financial and demographic data. Bookeo lets Paul customize his unique services and offer bookings directly on the Goodleaf website. It’s no secret that the weather in the UK can be... changeable. While the Isle of Wight’s southern locale does boast a sunnier microclimate, the weather remains at the forefront of customers’ minds. Paul says that people frequently book their tree climb the night before - sometimes as late as midnight for the next day’s session. No problem. Bookeo makes scheduling easy, even when customers wait until the last minute.
“We were keen to provide something that was simple for customers to use"
“As the majority of our bookings are done via a phone or tablet, Bookeo’s mobile interface has allowed us to provide a great booking experience to customers”
“Bookeo’s costs are very reasonable, with no per booking fee”
For Paul, the customer experience is paramount. His customers range from parents trying to plan a memorable birthday party, to teachers bringing school groups, to birders and geocachers seeking the world’s only independently verified and awarded (by Lantra Awards) certificates in recreational tree climbing. With 95% of these bookings coming in online, Bookeo has played a key role in keeping things simple for every customer. “It’s been vital to offer this option to potential customers,” he says, “as it’s often the fastest and most convenient way for them to book.” Being a seasonal business means Goodleaf earns income for approximately seven months a year, so Paul needs to manage cash flow effectively. He also feels that tacking a booking fee onto the price of a customer’s online reservation is confusing and, well, tacky. Not only does Bookeo’s low flat monthly fee fit perfectly into Goodleaf’s seasonal budget, but its customers never experience the cost or bother of a per-booking fee. “It’s easy for clients to understand,” says Paul, “and it suits our business.”
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