Mario from Andes Touring in the Andes region of Chile founded the company out of a lifelong passion for skiing and backcountry culture. “We saw that the local market lacked a technical, specialized platform where people could not only buy equipment but also rent, learn, and connect with a community around winter sports,” he explained. Today, Andes Touring offers high-end ski and backcountry gear for rent and sale, guided trips, avalanche safety courses, and training programs.
Their customers are a mix of enthusiastic skiers, snowboarders, and mountaineers, from beginners to seasoned freeriders. But running the business at first was tough. Everything was managed with spreadsheets, email, and WhatsApp, which often led to errors. “It worked when we were small, but it was inefficient and created errors in inventory management,” Mario said.
The lack of visibility over inventory, double bookings, and no clear process for deposits made it clear something needed to change. By switching to Booqable’s digital order management, live availability, and security deposits features, Andes Touring found a way to make their ski rental operation work smoothly and give customers confidence. For a business like theirs, having the right ski rental software meant they could finally grow without being held back by paperwork.
Creating a hub for winter sports in Chile
Andes Touring is more than a rental shop. “We are not just a store, but a complete platform: retail, rental, training, guided tours, and community building,” Mario shared. They combine technical expertise with premium brands, while also teaching avalanche safety and running guided trips.
Opening their first store in Mall Sport in Santiago was a milestone, giving them a physical space to connect with customers and showcase the international brands they import and distribute. Before using Booqable, managing reservations manually caused mistakes and wasted time. “Lack of visibility over inventory and reservations” and “double bookings and manual errors” were daily frustrations. But after adopting Booqable, the effects were immediate.
“Booqable centralized everything, gave us control over our inventory, and allowed us to avoid double bookings,” Mario said. Now every reservation runs through the system, saving the team time and reducing product loss. Day to day, orders are entered directly into Booqable, deposits are tracked, and customers leave feeling confident their gear is ready.
Staying organized with digital order management
Like many rental shops, Andes Touring struggled with scattered information and manual bookings. The problem is familiar: reservations through email or WhatsApp create confusion, and staff spend too much time updating spreadsheets.
With Booqable, digital order management brings every part of the rental process into one place. From documents and availability to customer emails and payments, everything is created and stored on one screen so staff can manage an order from start to finish without switching tools. For Andes Touring, this achieves three things:
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Keeps all bookings and customer information in a single system
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Eliminates errors caused by switching between spreadsheets and messages
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Gives staff more time to focus on customers instead of administration
The practical benefit is clear. Digital order management has cut down on mistakes and allowed the team to spend more time doing what they love, helping customers get out on the mountain with the right equipment.
Preventing double bookings with live availability
A big issue for rental businesses can be double booking equipment. Before Booqable, Mario’s customers would sometimes arrive only to find their gear was unavailable. Live availability in Booqable automatically updates the moment an item is reserved, blocking it from being booked again and showing real-time stock to both staff and customers. This means the inventory you see is always accurate.
For Andes Touring, live availability means:
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No more double bookings
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Clear visibility over what gear is reserved and when
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Accurate updates for both in-store staff and online customers
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A smoother process when preparing equipment for pickup
This solves the original pain point. “Customers appreciate how easy it is to book online and how transparent the process has become,” Mario said. Now, everyone can see availability instantly, and equipment is always ready when customers arrive.
Building trust with security deposits
Handling deposits was another area that caused friction. Without a clear process, managing guarantees was inconsistent and time-consuming. With Booqable, deposits are calculated separately from order payments, tracked through the order status, and can be refunded with just a few clicks once the equipment is returned in good condition. Booqable also allows Andes
Touring flexibility to set deposit rules that match how they run their rental business. Options include calculating deposits as a percentage of the total order, a percentage of the product value, or applying a fixed fee.
For Andes Touring, security deposits achieve:
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A clear process for guarantees on expensive gear
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Confidence for both staff and customers
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Less product loss or disputes over equipment condition
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Deposits stored safely within the booking system
The practical benefit is that customers now trust the process, and the team spends less time worrying about lost or damaged equipment. Deposits are simple to manage, automatically calculated, and every record is stored within Booqable.
Looking ahead
Andes Touring started with a vision to connect Chile’s skiing and backcountry community. By adopting Booqable, they gained the tools to grow that vision into a thriving rental business. With features like digital order management, live availability, and security deposits, they have saved time, reduced mistakes, and built customer confidence.
As Mario put it, “We’re very excited to keep growing with Booqable.” For a company built on passion for the mountains, the right sports rental software and sports rental website made all the difference.
