Monster Mini-Golf
USA
Parafait has brought us into the 21st century,” states Ryan. “We didn’t realize how many sales we were missing because we were a cash-only facility.”
Aside from gross sale increases, he realized how much of a liability being a cash-only business was, where he could never leave the facility as the manager. Now he gets to focus more on the business in lieu of worrying about where the money or prizes are going. The sales-collection kiosk is accurate with what the software says, extra points and discounts are watched more closely, and inventory is now measured, as opposed to being “eyeballed like before.”
“We were worried switching to a card-based system would take part of the fun out of the experience for guests. We wanted to stay true to the end goal – providing entertainment. Not only have our guests been happy with the transition, but Parafait has also brought us into the 21st century. We didn’t realize how many sales we were missing because we were a cash-only facility”
Situated on the classic Sea Isle City boardwalk in New Jersey, the Kiska family owns and operates the Island Breeze Casino and Boardwalk Casino arcades. While these arcades have been around for two and four decades respectively, the Kiska’s have only been in ownership of both for a few years now. They’ve used their position of having “fresh-eyes” within the facilities to bring the arcades to a place where traditional, multi-generational visitors and younger generations alike can get the most out of their experience.
Standing out from the typical arcade, the Sea Isle casino arcades boast themselves as having the unique feat of featuring old-school favorites, and the newest releases, all while providing the top-of-the-line prizes guests are excited to bring home.
In the nature of being a boardwalk arcade in Sea Isle, the casino arcades face the challenge of having a relatively short business window compared to other year-round venues. Ryan Kiska, the owner of Boardwalk Casino arcade, shared that 90% of their annual revenue comes from between Memorial Day and Labor Day alone.
On top of staffing, training, and maintenance difficulties, keeping the traditional atmosphere of the Boardwalk arcade was crucial to the family. In fact, prior to talking to colleagues within the arcade and attractions industry, the Kiska’s were very against transitioning away from the token-based revenue system they’ve always utilized in fear that the alternatives wouldn’t be as entertaining.
“We were worried switching to a card-based system would take part of the fun out of the experience for guests. We wanted to stay true to the end goal – providing entertainment – it’s not all about the money for us,” Ryan Kiska stated.
After attending the 2021 IAAPA Expo (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions), they realized that not using cards wasn’t really an option. Without implementing newer technology like cashless card readers, not only are the arcades not maximizing their revenue potential, but their competitors were also going to leave them in an unsatisfying position.
Hiring has been an issue for most businesses post-COVID. With the help of Semnox Solutions, GameTime decided to make some operational changes to help reduce labor needs, which led to the removal of all game card host stations to make way for self-service kiosks instead:
A versatile, full-sized self-service kiosk from Semnox that lets guests buy cards, recharge, and check balances — built for high-traffic entertainment venues.
A versatile, full-sized self-service kiosk from Semnox that lets guests buy cards, recharge, and check balances — built for high-traffic entertainment venues.
A versatile, full-sized self-service kiosk from Semnox that lets guests buy cards, recharge, and check balances — built for high-traffic entertainment venues.
A versatile, full-sized self-service kiosk from Semnox that lets guests buy cards, recharge, and check balances — built for high-traffic entertainment venues.
“We had a positive shift in guest behavior when we implemented the self-service kiosks for game card purchases, so adding the redemption kiosks just made sense,” explained Mike. “About 55% of redemptions have moved to the redemption kiosks, which removes the selection process and cuts back on staffing. We were able to really impact not only labor but the guest experience because it’s a better self-driven experience.”
As self-service kiosks became the new normal, there was a substantial shift in the guest experience that resulted in 65 percent of transactions being done on the kiosks with a 14 percent increase in upsells within the first 30 days. With the success of the self-service kiosks, implementing the Semnox Self-Service Redemption Kiosks was a no-brainer.
The Kiska’s weighed their options after exploring all the choices of companies with their products on display at the IAAPA Expo and eventually whittled it down to a few options. After speaking to other operators coupled with the factors of customizability, unparalleled customer service, and an on-premises server, the family decided to implement Semnox’s Parafait management system.
Ryan noted that “some other systems seem very cut and dry, with limited options.” They also liked the ability to discuss business and options regularly with Bepin Jose, the Semnox Americas President. “He made us very comfortable with the decision and does whatever he can to make our life easier,” Ryan shared of him and his mother’s experience dealing with the Semnox team.
Some of the features of the Parafait system that were implemented include RFID-based debit card systems, the LuminOS reader for “tap-to-play” functionality, POS and Redemption systems, and on-demand roaming between Ryan’s Boardwalk Casino location and his mother Kathy’s Island Breeze Casino location for cross-venue play and upsell options.
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