When you’ve been in business for over 25 years, you build up a lot of paperwork and customer details. It can be challenging to keep track of everything after all this time, and eventually, you need a system to help you stay on top. Cape Island Bikes found themselves in this position in 2022, choosing Booqable as the backend for their inventory and finally starting to accept online bookings.
Cape Island Bikes
Tom and Anita Roth started Cape Island Bikes over 25 years ago as a delivery-only bike rental service. However, as the volume of bookings grew, they quickly opened three brick-and-mortar locations in Cape May, New Jersey. They offer bicycles for the whole family, from 16” wheel bikes for kids to 26” beach cruisers. In addition, they offer attachments like child seats, tagalongs, and trailers.
Cape Island Bikes’ customers range from South Jersey locals to guests visiting Cape May from all over the US and the world. They have built a reputation for excellent customer service and aim to be known as the friendliest bike rental business in town. Recently, they have also begun selling bikes at one of their locations and are eager to expand this service.
Last year, they welcomed the third generation of a family renting bikes from them for over 25 years. This is an incredible occasion, and they are just one of many families renting from Cape Island Bikes for many years. They are very proud that customers keep coming back, season after season, and hope to continue welcoming new and old families for many generations.
From paperwork to rental software
As a rental business established over 25 years ago when computers were less commonplace, they have operated through pen and paper for much of their time. However, this was becoming challenging to manage, making it difficult to track inventory and retain customer information. This contributed to a lot of time spent working on the business.
In 2022, they finally decided to find a digital solution to save their and their customers time. After trying a few options, they searched for a software solution and decided that Booqable was best for their needs. It has helped them organize and retain all their customers and rentals in one software, making it easier to keep track and save time when serving repeat customers.
Additionally, the ability to easily add online rentals to their Shopify website has allowed them to grow their bookings. Customers can now book bike rentals in their off-season, which would have been impossible with their previous way of managing rentals. They have also used the barcode feature, making tracking inventory even more straightforward.
Maintaining momentum
Over the past few years, Cape Island Bikes has seen excellent customer growth and revenue growth. They want to maintain this momentum for the coming years, and Booqable’s online bookings allow them to expand their reservation season even longer. This will help them serve many more customers over a broader period.
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