Overview

Based near Nairn in the Scottish Highlands, Bowhunter Archery offers visitors the chance to experience exciting outdoor activities like woodland archery, axe throwing, and bushcraft in small groups, guided by experienced instructors.

Being a small, family-run business, time management is one of our greatest financial challenges. Since we operate over 8 different outdoor, woodland-based activities, we aren’t always able to answer phone calls or respond promptly to emails, messages, or even texts. On top of that, our remote location means mobile phone signals are unreliable, making it difficult to handle bookings or reply to enquiries efficiently. As a result, we were missing out on potential visitors, unable to fill last-minute spots simply because we couldn’t receive those calls.

To address this, we realised the need for a system that would allow guests to check real-time availability and reserve their preferred slots at their own convenience—ensuring they can choose what best suits their memorable experiences in Scotland.

During our evaluation of potential booking systems, we prioritised flexibility to accommodate multiple activities for a specific number of participants. It was essential that we retained control over activity management to enable us to consistently deliver a high-quality service. Given that our activities are already competitively priced, minimising revenue loss due to fees was critical. And finally, having clear tutorials and human support that empower users to independently manage their systems was a winner for us.

Results

The main advantage we’ve experienced with Rezgo is significant time savings. This has translated into cost efficiency because the staff member who used to manage bookings can now spend more time in the woods leading activities, like Haggis Herding! Bookings are submitted, assigned to instructors, and all logistics—including mandatory waivers—are organised before the visitors even arrive. The system has greatly improved our efficiency and reduced administrative workload.

There’s been an increase–approximately 10%–in last-minute bookings that we were previously missing out on. Our resource-based setup provides real-time availability, giving customers control over their own experience, whilst we still have control over what is on offer for that specific date. And we’ve also made it easier for guests who plan ahead by allowing them to book well in advance.

Rezgo’s booking software allows us to concentrate on business growth and quality by managing notifications, payments, gift vouchers, feedback, and comprehensive reports—including data on visitor origins. This facility has really helped us track and anticipate trends within worldwide tourism. We also use the reports to establish what activities are the most popular, patterns in days and times, along with all the usual financial reporting (and the most popular session is always the Woodland Archery!).

With automated capacity management and instant communication, we can focus on growing our business and creating new experiences for our visitors–without losing our voice to the booking system, since we can customize it to reflect who we are.

Rezgo’s onboarding experience was handled smoothly, complete with tutorials and ongoing support. Adopting new technology can feel intimidating, especially when it’s something as complex as a booking system. Many of our staff aren’t comfortable with technology—they’re more at home in the woods with the dinosaurs, and using a phone is already pushing their comfort zone. However, thanks to excellent tutorials, a helpful support team, and a well-organized knowledge base on the booking platform’s website, our staff have received strong guidance so far.

As I prepare to add staff to the process, I am confident that any potential issues will be easily addressed by Rezgo’s support team. They are invested in our success and ensure our operations run efficiently.