Kilkenny Bowl goes Cashless with IdealOne

After almost a year of closure due to the Pandemic, Kilkenny Bowl in Kilkenny, Ireland (K-Bowl KK), reopened its doors on September 20th, having installed the IdealOne Cashless and Redemption system into the Amusement Arcade during the latest lockdown.

“We had been thinking about going Cashless in the arcade for a while and after evaluating the different systems in the market we decided to install the Cashless System from IdealOne” said Shane Murphy, owner of K-Bowl.

“We wanted to modernize our arcade operation to not only improve the guest experience but to also streamline the arcade operation in general.

Now our customers will simply purchase or top up their game cards and Tap to Play the games and also store their redemption points on their card too, taking cash out of the Arcade will save us so much time and money and will also allow us to be more creative with our game pricing and giving us the chance to offer Happy Hours, upsell different packages and other promotions & benefits to our card holders.”

“The installation was straightforward and managed remotely by the teams at Ideal and K-Bowl and I have to say that from the initial briefing they really took their time to understand what we were looking to achieve and supported us all the way through from planning to installation and training to going live,” explained Murphy.

John Vallis, IdealOne’s VP International Business Development said, “We are delighted to welcome Kilkenny Bowl to the IdealOne family and would like to thank Shane and his team for their close cooperation and dedication during this first phase of the project.”

“Cashless systems are fast becoming part of the overall evolution of the Family Entertainment industry. The systems not only enable operators to remove cash from the game floor, which streamlines the operation and improves the guest experience, but they also allow operators to fully manage the business using one system to unite all aspects of the business. We look forward to working with Shane and the team to implement our Party Booking software and F&B POS in the near future,” Vallis concluded.

Helpful Tips – Edition 4

Bringing Entertainment Home

Your building may be closed for now, but you can still offer your customers entertainment experiences in their own homes. Read on for some creative ways of providing family fun and enjoyment to your customers.

Host Virtual Tournaments

Have families compete for prizes at creative challenges like back yard putt-putt. You provide the clubs and ball rentals for the contest entry fee. They design their own course using whatever they have available at home, and send a video of the result. Family with the most creative course wins a free round of putt-putt. You can even get your social media followers to vote on the winner.

Get Creative With Rentals

Let customers rent gear like karaoke machines, portable game systems, laser tag equipment, or bouncy castles for a weekend. Offer free equipment delivery and pickup. Let customers know that everything is sanitized between uses.

Family Game Night

Sell Escape Room or Murder Mystery puzzle kits for purchase on your website. Make sure the games are customized for in-home use with everything they’ll need.

Put Costumed Characters to Work

Does your FEC offer meet & greets with popular children’s characters for parties? Upsell advance party packages with personalized greetings for the birthday boy or girl. The character can let the child know that their birthday hasn’t been forgotten, and that they can’t wait to celebrate with them at a later date. Popular character ideas include princesses and superheroes.

Plan a Scavenger Hunt

Sell a scavenger hunt checklist that’s personalized for your city. Make it challenging but with activities in compliance with social distancing guidelines for your area. For example, require a photo of a certain landmark taken from the car. Families that complete the scavenger hunt successfully can then redeem their list for a game card equivalent to the entry fee. This is a creative way to get customers “purchasing” preloaded game cards while also enjoying an entertainment experience for the whole family.

Helpful Tips – Edition 3

Great Ideas for “Buy It Now” Promos

Generate revenue for your family entertainment center by selling discounted game cards and packages now, for validation later when you reopen.

Future Fun Pass

Get customers thinking ahead for future fun. Offer a special discount that’s only available for purchase now, with redemption at a later time. Make it clear that the validation dates will be for when your business reopens.

No Expiration Dates

Let customers know that the play time they purchase now won’t expire.

All-Inclusive Packages

Offer play packages that come with a fun extras like a free t-shirt, food & beverage voucher, redemption prize, and other freebies — when purchased in advance.

Flash Sale

Try offering different special deals for only 24 hours, once a week. Include a countdown timer to create urgency to purchase.

Create a “You Deserve Some Fun” Campaign

Offer special party packages that can be prepaid and gifted to a group of essential employees, such as the staff at a doctor’s office. Give customers the option to include a personalized message, and free surprise delivery to the business of choice. Market it as a way to let workers know they’re appreciated and can look forward to enjoying a fun coworker outing when life gets back to normal.