Beamish, The North of England Open Air Museum

Darren Jensen, Head of Commercial Operations at Beamish has been using Desti.ne Frontdesk since late June 2006. The software for the new system was installed on 20 June 2006 and the system went live on 23 June 2006. We asked Darren what difference Desti.ne Frontdesk has made for the busy Beamish team during their peak summer period:

Q. Historically, how have you managed your bookings?

A. Until now, customers have had to queue and pay for admission at the entrance. We were considering upgrading our website to include our own online booking facility, however Desti.ne Frontdesk has given us the opportunity to measure demand for online booking. We have been really encouraged at the volume we have had to date - over 100 transactions - that's an average of 8 or 9 a day.

Q. What difference has Desti.ne Frontdesk made?

A. One of the major benefits is that online booking removes people from the queue, reducing time spent in line for them and others. Long term it will help us predict volumes of visitors and better manage our resources to meet visitors' needs. Another benefit is the quality of information we are getting about our customers.

Q. What percentage of tickets to the attractions have been sold online?

A. Approximately 1% in one month, but this is only the start of the trial and we have not yet begun to advertise online booking in any of our publicity materials. The potential to develop is clear.

Q. How much time has been saved by staff in the ticket office and reallocated to other tasks?

A. At present we have a dedicated member of staff at the entrance to fast track perhaps only six online bookers a day, so it is taking up more time than it is saving. However, as online bookings increase, customers and staff will benefit from a quicker admissions service meaning we can spend more time providing visitors with a really good Geordie welcome!

Website: www.beamish.co.uk

email: museum@beamish.org.uk