WhoaZone runs three water-based entertainment venues across the United States. With a focus on outdoor active recreation for families, each park features a floating obstacle course and a range of other water activities.
Before switching to ROLLER in 2021, they used two separate systems – Fareharbor for ticketing and Square for food and beverage sales. These platforms lacked key online functionality that WhoaZone needed to scale and streamline their operations, such as integrated digital waivers.
ROLLER has helped us run a smoother operation. It’s made things easier, more streamlined, and more user-friendly, both for the guest and the team
Jen Rice
General Manager, Empire Recreation Management
ROLLER’s all-in-one, easy-to-use aqua park venue management platform allowed WhoaZone to consolidate its tools to increase operational efficiency and provide a seamless guest experience. Moving to ROLLER has saved WhoaZone hours each week, reducing staff admin time by 50%.
“ROLLER has helped us run a smoother operation. It’s made things easier, more streamlined, and more user-friendly, both for the guest and the team,” says Jen Rice, General Manager of Empire Recreation Management, owner and operator of WhoaZone.
Protecting revenue against the elements
Not only has ROLLER saved WhoaZone time, but it’s also opened up opportunities to increase online revenue. WhoaZone only opens in summer, so it’s critical that they maximize revenue during this time. This can be challenging when they have to close due to bad weather. “Our business is extremely weather dependent. If the winds or weather are high or heavy, it impacts us a lot,” says Jen.
WhoaZone have developed their own ticket insurance product to offset this risk. With ROLLER’s flexible online checkout, they have built a custom ‘Cancel for any reason’ add-on for tickets purchased online. “If for any reason they miss a session, whether a guest has to reschedule because they’re sick, or if WhoaZone is unable to operate due to weather, we will automatically refund their ticket purchase,” says Jen.
This will give guests peace of mind and provide a new source of revenue for WhoaZone. Guests will also have the option to re-book before a refund is offered, ensuring that WhoaZone can retain ticket sales.
Saving time and increasing sales with ROLLER’s Groupon integration
WhoaZone is always adopting new strategies to boost revenue and maximize venue capacity. They also leverage ROLLER’s Groupon integration to increase online sales, which has opened up a whole new audience. Last season they sold almost 600 tickets at their Texas park through Groupon, generating over $13,000 in revenue.
ROLLER’s Groupon integration saves WhoaZone time and eliminates friction in the purchase process for staff and guests. Before the integration, guests used a manual discount code to purchase tickets via Groupon and then reserved their spot on the WhoaZone website. Guests would often show up without a correct booking or code, making it difficult for WhoaZone to monitor capacity and creating headaches at check-in. “It was a nightmare operationally for the team,” says Jen.
Now staff don't need to consider whether a ticket was purchased through WhoaZone or Groupon. “The onsite team didn't even know we were using Groupon because the process was so seamless. It’s much more streamlined, so it’s a less clunky experience for the guests, which is much easier for the team,” says Jen.
To learn more about how ROLLER can help you improve your business, guest experience, and employee experience, click here to schedule a demo today.
