Family-run rental businesses often start with just a couple of people running them, and it’s easy to adopt manual processes for management. However, as you grow, this can become a painstaking process. When Jamie and Phil took over their father’s bike rental store, they decided to modernize it, and in 2022, they implemented Booqable for online bookings and management.
Trail Bike Hire
In 2003, Jamie and Phil’s father started his bike rental business, Trail Bike Hire, in the idyllic setting of Padstow, UK. This location was picked because of the famous Camel Trail, an 18-mile-long trail encompassing a large area in northern Cornwall. The store is based directly at the trail entrance, allowing visitors to pick up their bikes and head on their way without worry.
It ran successfully for many years, and in 2016, it was passed down to Jamie and Phil, who took over the store. They took on the responsibility of modernizing the business, offering a more comprehensive range of options, including electric bikes, accessories, and attachments. This has led to significant growth for Trail Bike Hire, increasing bookings and revenue.
However, managing bookings was still a very manual process, with requests coming in via phone and email. Considering the volume of requests they were now getting, keeping track of inventory became time-consuming and challenging. This made it difficult to prevent overbooking their bicycles, and eventually, the brothers decided it was time to look for a solution.
Automating time-consuming tasks
In spring 2022, the pair decided it was time to modernize, and after searching for rental software, Booqable proved to be the best solution. It has improved both booking efficiency and experience for themselves and customers. The process of taking requests via phone and email is almost entirely gone, as they have been able to add online bookings to their site.
Customers love that they can quickly check the availability and book their bikes online 24/7. While if Jamie or Phil are serving a walk-in or phone-in customer, they can utilize the same tools to check availability and ensure bikes aren’t overbooked. They now have much more control over their inventory and feel more secure knowing they’ll run into fewer shortages.
This is especially noticeable during the high season when it used to become overwhelming. They can more efficiently manage their operations and don’t fear being overwhelmed. It also means they can book their bikes out at total capacity, increasing revenue and ROI. Meanwhile, doing this from an iPad has made management much more convenient.
Increased out-of-hours bookings
As mentioned, implementing Booqable has led to a more efficient booking experience, both internally and for customers. The ability to accept bookings at any time has led to a noticeable increase in bookings made in the evening and out-of-hours. This highlights the importance of online bookings and availability and the impact they can have on a small rental business.
This has led to Trail Bike Hire being run at maximum capacity, and the brothers are now planning to expand their store size. This will allow them to store more inventory and accept more bookings, allowing them to continue growing the business for years to come. Undoubtedly, they will want to pass it down to their children when they’re ready to move on.
