Case Studies
Chicago Line Cruises

Chicago Line Cruises’ 200 Guests in 15 Mins: A Video Case Study

Chicago Line Cruises, a family-owned business operating river architecture cruises on the Chicago River for over 40 years, sought to modernize their operations by integrating RocketRez into their ticketing system. This case study explores their journey, the challenges they faced, the solutions they implemented, and the remarkable outcomes achieved through RocketRez.

‍

The Client:
Chicago Line Cruises
Website:
https://chicagoline.com
Industry:
Tours & Transportation
KPIs:

Background

Chicago Line Cruises has been a staple in Chicago’s tourism industry, offering 90-minute architectural cruises, private events, and charters. With a peak season running from St. Patrick’s Day to Thanksgiving, the company relies heavily on efficient ticketing operations to manage high volumes of guests.

The Challenges

Before RocketRez, Chicago Line Cruises grappled with an outdated ticketing system that was both slow and cumbersome. This old system posed several challenges:

  • Training Difficulties: Seasonal hires, often high school and college students, found the system difficult to learn, resulting in inefficiencies.
  • Technological Limitations: The previous system lacked modern features like mobile ticketing, which hindered operational flexibility and guest convenience.
  • Operational Inefficiencies: The slow system caused bottlenecks during peak times, affecting customer experience and staff productivity.
"So before we integrated RocketRez, we had a ticketing system that was pretty old and pretty slow. It was very difficult to learn and difficult to teach. The primary source of hires and people who work in the ticket office are people who will just be here for the summer, like high schoolers and college students. So to teach someone how to use this previous ticketing system would take weeks and days, and they would, like, barely master it by the time that they would leave to go back to school.”
Reilly Johnson, Head of Ticketing

The Solution

Recognizing the need for a robust and modern solution, Chicago Line Cruises evaluated several ticketing platforms before choosing RocketRez. Key factors in their decision included:

  • User-Friendly Interface: RocketRez’s intuitive design made it easy for new employees to learn and use.
  • Modern Features: The ability to send and scan mobile tickets was a significant improvement, aligning with current technological trends.
  • Comprehensive Support: The RocketRez team provided exceptional support throughout the transition, ensuring a smooth implementation process.

Implementation

The transition to RocketRez was meticulously planned and executed with support from RocketRez representatives. This proactive approach ensured minimal disruption to operations. Key steps in the implementation included:

  • Dedicated Training: Customized training sessions were conducted to acquaint staff with the new system.
  • Step-by-Step Guidance: Continuous support from RocketRez helped address any issues promptly, ensuring a seamless transition.
  • Integration with Third-Party Platforms: RocketRez facilitated seamless integrations with third-party platforms like TripAdvisor, Viator, and GetYourGuide, streamlining ticket management.

Benefits

Since integrating RocketRez, Chicago Line Cruises has reaped numerous benefits, significantly enhancing their operations and customer satisfaction:

  • Operational Efficiency: The ticket scanning feature has streamlined check-in processes, enabling the staff to handle up to 200 guests within a 15-minute window efficiently.
  • Customer Satisfaction: Enhanced service delivery through easy ticket management and mobile ticketing has improved the overall customer experience.
  • Positive Team Feedback: The staff appreciated the system's user-friendly interface, which reduced training time and operational headaches.
  • Advanced Reporting: RocketRez’s detailed reporting capabilities have allowed for quick and specific data analysis, aiding in better business decision-making.
  • Integrated Systems: The integration of POS and booking systems under one platform has simplified operations and improved efficiency.
“With RocketRez, the simplicity of the system is the thing we like the best and the thing that has been the most beneficial since we've switched over, just to be able to teach someone how to use it and for them to master all the different aspects of booking a ticket and scheduling a ticket and getting people on boats. RocketRez proved to be very easy to use, very easy to teach people how to use, and their just entire team there was super helpful and informative and ushered us through that transition really wonderfully and has continued to be really helpful as we've used the ticketing system.”
Reilly Johnson, Head of Ticketing

Impact on Business

The implementation of RocketRez has had a measurable impact on Chicago Line Cruises:

  • Revenue Growth: While specific figures can’t be disclosed, the enhanced efficiency and improved customer satisfaction have contributed positively to the company’s revenue.
  • Operational Improvements: The time saved on ticketing operations has allowed the staff to focus on providing better customer service and enhancing the guest experience.

Conclusion

RocketRez has significantly transformed the operations of Chicago Line Cruises, delivering substantial improvements in efficiency, customer satisfaction, and revenue growth. The partnership has empowered Chicago Line Cruises to continue offering exceptional experiences while staying ahead in the competitive tourism industry.

Related case studies
Chicago Line Cruises

Chicago Line Cruises’ 200 Guests in 15 Mins: A Video Case Study

Water Taxi

How RocketRez Helped Water Taxi Increase Efficiency with Contactless Technology

Yacht Starship

Boost in efficiency and profitability with automated dynamic pricing and Revenue Management Suite

Take the first step today.

Working with RocketRez is as easy as 1-2-3. We've streamlined our process to help you upgrade your ticketing system effortlessly.

“We just love RocketRez. Everyone says it. It’s just so user friendly and intuitive.”
“When I started, I thought I would need a week to learn the whole system. It takes a somewhat savvy person ten minutes to learn it and figure it out.”
“It’s cut down on a lot of time for us! We have hours and hours of time saved from switching to RocketRez.”
“Change is always hard, but it is necessary  for all of us to move forward. I'd give RocketRez a try, it's one of the easiest transitions we have made.”