UKC

Just a heads up to anyone going to Awesome Walls in Stockport - they're changing the till and entry system, which should allow for quicker entry in future (which is a good thing). But we got caught by long queue times to get in last night.
Basically you have to re-enter all your membership information. You can either do this at reception on their ipad, but they said you can do it online from a link on their website, but I just looked and the only thing I can find are the membership forms in pdf format.
Hopefully the disruption will be short-lived, but I think they could have managed the changeover a bit better - with more warning/notification (no mention that I can see here, or on their website).

In reply to RichMoss:

Big Rock have been there as well. I guess it's Rock Gym Pro? Not a great piece of software, and I don't entirely get the use of iPads as (far cheaper) netbooks with keyboards would work better.

It took about a month for things to settle down.

Neil

In reply to RichMoss:


Amen to that, seemed ridiculous to go big bang like that with no warning

In reply to Neil Williams:

Agree with this - I've no idea who managed to sell them on the stupid idea of using tablets for data entry, but the same person could probably do well shifting a job lot of snow to the Eskimos.

In reply to RichMoss:
Its always been a problem there, I was told it was due to poor internet connection!!!!!
I know Dave has been corncerned about this for a while, and there is now new management in place, so hopefully will be sorted. (Am sure Dave or one of his staff will comment shortly).
On the upside, it , at least, filters the climbers slowly onto the routes, so everyone is not all fighting for routes at the same time, get there early and plenty of routes available, get there later and the earlier ones are knackered and ready for the pub.
So if you are an "earlybird" or "latecommer" is this agood thing?
However, if you are an "earlybird" and want a brew mid-session..it becomes a bit of a "mare" to get served.
Bring on a honesty brew point away from the counter??
Cheers
Nick B

In reply to astley007:

I was properly grumpy when they installed it at Milton Keynes - IIRC we arrived fairly late after driving from Cambridge after work, then had to queue up for ages as the staff were having to explain the new system to everyone, then queue up a bit more until a data entry point became free, then spend longer than necessary entering the data because touchscreens are totally lousy for typing on compared to a keyboard, then queue up again to get our photos taken and be given cards. Hence we ended up having a noticeably shortened session.

The whole system seems pretty reasonable once it's installed, apart from the fact that it's still slower to register than it would be if they didn't use tablets - but the switchover process is very poor.

In reply to Ramblin dave:

In the end they (Big Rock) turned one of their office PCs round so people could use a proper keyboard to make it quicker.

The 2-stage "create a profile then do the waiver[1]" way Big Rock did it is rather silly. I did note the Castle have started using the same system with a single-step registration. Which did Awesome Walls do?

[1] A horrible US term that isn't even accurate, as the wall cannot completely waive their legal liabilities.

Neil

In reply to all:

Yes we're changing over our entry system from Cybertill to Rock Gym Pro (RGP)

RGP details here- https://www.rockgympro.com

Sometimes things happen faster than we can keep up with so when the chance to install the new system happened we decided to bite the bullet and go with it. A full announcement will be made soon on here, via email and on our social media sites to put everyone in the full picture.

Any changeover comes with a bit of disruption but in the long run the benefits of RGP far out way the old system! The main benefit will be faster entry for everyone.

Please feel free to email myself or Jon Smalls our new centre manager with any comments, ideas or suggestions.

daved@awesomewalls.co.uk
jon.s@awesomewalls.co.uk

AWCC Liverpool is now fully operational with RGP, AWCC Stockport started on Monday, AWCC Stoke and Sheffield will be following suit soon. Full details and links will be on the forthcoming announcements.

Thanks for the support and please be assured that anything we do are for the benefits of you, our loyal customers.

Dave Douglas
Managing Director
Awesome Walls Climbing Centres Ltd
Liverpool/Stockport/Stoke-on-Trent/Sheffield/Dublin/Cork

In reply to Neil Williams:
I think the 'digital waiver' refers to giving them an electronic agreement rather than a written signature rather than avoiding any liability. I'm not sure what happens if you don't give permission for a digital signature - when I tried that, I got a message saying that I had to in order to complete the process.
It's worth filling the forms in online beforehand to save a bit of time when you get there - seems like I'm doing Awesome Walls customer communications for them
The links to the registration form are actually on the website - if you go to the Stockport wall page on the Awesome Walls website, ignore the adult and junior membership forms on grey tabs (these are the pdf forms) on the right hand side, scroll down to the ones in yellow instead which link to the forms as below.
Adult form here:
http://app.rockgympro.com/waiver/esign/awesomewallsuk/87519527-7283-4783-8c...
Junior form here:
http://app.rockgympro.com/waiver/esign/awesomewallsuk/c9bc8715-8a3c-46e6-a4...
Kids Club here:
http://app.rockgympro.com/waiver/esign/awesomewallsuk/c9bc8715-8a3c-46e6-a4...

In reply to RichMoss: thank you!

In reply to RichMoss:


Why?

In reply to FreshSlate:


Quite. Assuming the previous user registration data was stored digitally then one would have thought it not too difficult to develop a utility to export it from one system and import it into the other.

In reply to Willi Crater:

The way Big Rock saw it was an opportunity to update peoples' details - people have a habit of not keeping them up to date when they move house, change phone etc.

Neil

In reply to RichMoss:

I realise that, I was just making an off hand comment about it being a nasty Americanism. Really it's the same as an ABC standard sign-in form, just *really* cack-handed in how it works.

It wouldn't be hard to make a far nicer version of the software, though I guess the market is quite limited.

Neil

In reply to Willi Crater:

Yeah, that was what confused me a bit. They have one database with all our information on it, and a new database that they'd like all our information on. database migration is a VERY common practice and you'd think if it wasn't offered as a service as part of the new software it'd be preferable to pay someone to do it rather than inconvenience your entire customer base.

Hey ho, I'm registered now. Just in time for spring when my indoor pass runs out. Can't wait to enjoy that swift entry system in October.

In reply to Neil Williams:

OK, kind of answered my question whilst I was typing!

In reply to Tyler:


Nothing surprises me with Stockport wall. Its one of the worst organised walls I've ever been too.

Also, i went into the bouldering room recently at peak time, 6pm, and all the steep bouldering was out of action for at least 30 mins while the staff warmed up the youth kids by having them slide their arses across the mats. You couldn't make it up!

In reply to Adam Lincoln:

I dont agree, went in tonight and re-registered, quick and easy, staff where very helpfull (cheers andy)..queues didnt semm any longer than normal...and hopefully that should reduce. Non of the regulars seemed to moan.
Also they seem to be a lot a better on new route setting, so all in all I think its a bit of a "storm in a tea cup".
All I can say to Adam, is either ask the staff nicely to move them, or spend a little time warming up elsewhere..or even ask for your money backand climb elsewhere!!!
Cheers
Nick B ( not associated in any way with Awesome walls..but a regular user)

In reply to Adam Lincoln:
I've never come across a wall that was *really* organised. It's just not in the climber culture, really, is it?



Neil

In reply to astley007:

I did ask them, and they said it would be half an hour! It is the prime bouldering area. Madness.

In reply to Neil Williams:


Doesn't really sound like a good strategy to me. If this is really the reason then I'd be surprised. Perhaps Dave could comment?

In reply to Willi Crater:
That's about what they told us as well. You'd have thought that if they wanted to do that then randomly asking people to check and confirm their details every year or so would be simpler and less annoying.

In reply to Ramblin dave:

I'd expect along the lines of "typing all the old ABC forms in will take ages and we can get people to update their details, what's the problem?"

It was only a problem because it's a singularly awful piece of software used on devices that are completely unsuited to it.

Neil