Bowling vs. Time

It’s holiday time and the kids, parents and grandparents are spending quality time while busy consumers are spending time during their free time to go shopping.  Later when they get home they will try to have some down time or free time or alone time or “chilin’ out” time.

You see time has become classified so many different ways that it has become, in many instances, even more precious than money, because once time is gone, you can NEVER get it back. With money, you always have a chance, even if it the lottery. 

It stands to reason then that when choosing how to spend their down time, family time, quality time, spare time and recreational time that consumers have become very choosy, especially since there are so many more options than ever.  Yes, very choosy indeed.

And there you are sitting in your nice bowling center waiting for them to come to you. This time of the year, they DO choose you more frequently than other times.

Why this time of the year only?

Because they have discovered that you represent a good value for their time, a way to spend quality time with the family and also can be a fun time. The fact is you have trained them to go bowling over the holidays. Is it because they like you MORE over the holidays then they do during other times of the year? Or is it because you’re close, convenient and relatively affordable?  

So how do you replicate Christmas week every Friday night thru Sunday and to some extent Monday thru Thursday after 9pm?  

It's about the battle for the consumer's time. And the battle for the consumer's time is a battle of survival. 

Restaurants, Casinos, Vacations,  Big Screen TVs, X Boxes, Movies, Hobbies, Roller skating, Ice skating, Little League, Soccer, Lacrosse, Basketball, Football, Golfing, Business meetings, Religious gatherings, Theaters, Concerts, Second jobs, Exercising, Visiting family and friends and God knows how many more venues compete with you. 

And because you say so little about your business, people forget you are there. The less you do, the more the consumer forgets about you.  Do you think these other guys are sitting around doing nothing? Heck No. They don't let us forget.They are in our faces every day.

It starts with letting the people, who come in this week; know you are available in January and February. If you can’t get their name or email, then hand them an old fashioned bounce back coupon with a real good offer to get them to come back.

Spend some time this week thinking about how you can be more valuable and likable during other weeks. How can you be one of their top three "time choices?

Oh, one other thing, if the consumer is coming to your center to spend some time, why aren't you charging by time instead of a game?  But that's a whole other rant!

Yeah, take some time.