Moving your registration to an online platform should be an exciting time for you and your organization’s parents. Communicate constantly and completely with everyone – parents and staff – during this process so that all of the benefits will come without the stress and anxiety that change can bring.
“Jackrabbit’s electronic payments and online registration features have probably been the biggest game changers for us. These features totally take time-consuming processes out of our hair and make them available to parents 24/7.” JR Zeringue, ACE All Stars Gadsden
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Stayed organized
Dread getting registration ready for another season?
When it comes to implementing online registration for a new season, organization can not be overlooked. You”ll find that methodically working through the necessary steps will help you complete this business-changing transition.
If organization isn’t your strong suit, don’t worry. We’ve put together some best practices to help your business stay on track.
Jackrabbit’s web-based registration is fully customizable and can look different from one organization to another.
A checklist is a great way to stay organized through your registration process so create one to match up to the steps that you take.
Here is a sample checklist to get you started:
- Communicate date(s) for priority enrollment and registration.
- Open classes for Online Registration and Parent Portal enrollment.
- Review registration and enrollment confirmations then adjust as needed.
- Post fees to families.
- Process payments.
- Email student schedules.
“Regardless of where I am or what time registration opens, I know how enrollment is going from the alerts that I see in my Inbox. I don’t have to have to be immersed in the process to be in the know.” Kelly Gaines, Charlotte Aquatics
First things first
Before you ever open online registration, there are several preparations that must be made.
What if there were a way to offer classes to returning students first?
Priority enrollment through Jackrabbit is a great way to cater to your returning students, allowing them to sign up for high-demand classes before new students.
What if you could ensure parents see any changes or updates to your policies from year to year?
Having the flexibility to adjust your policy agreement date through the parent portal is a great asset to your business. This gives you the ability to track when your customers agree or re-agree to your legal policies. This date can be adjusted on an annual basis, or anytime you have a change to your current policies.
What if available classes and descriptions were displayed directly on your website?
Save yourself time on the phone explaining the basics of every class offering by utilizing class listings tables for your next session to your website. This table offers your families the smoothest registration experience.
Make it easy for parents to use online registration. Display signage visible to those visiting your facility. Set up temporary stations with tablets/laptops that are ready for walk-in registrations. Make sure you have enough hands on deck. You’re likely to have to man the phones and encourage parents to visit your website to register. Send existing customers emails with information about enrollment through their portal. Email notifications also notify you the second registrations/enrollments come in.
Quickly Confirm New Registration Details and Process Payments
When the registrations start coming in, what do you do?
Your Jackrabbit Dashboard keeps you informed. Your enrollment numbers from both your online registration and parent portal are revealed here. Since you have your information at your fingertips, early in the registration process is the best time to begin checking in on them to make sure that all of the details are correct.
For instance, you can check that any age or skill requirements for classes are being met. Immediately contact parents to alter the registration and prevent spaces in classes from being incorrectly filled – and preventing other children from getting into that class. By the way, you can use the ability to set your own class names to make it easy for parents to identify the right class for their child.
You can also check that fees are correct and that all the credit card details are provided. Jackrabbit gives you lots of flexibility in how much you do or do not allow and automate in online registration so take advantage of it to take care of as many posting and processing details as possible. Jackrabbit will even do the math for you!
“We have replaced what was once a painstaking, laborious process with automation while parents enjoy the ability to register at their own convenience – no lines, no waiting, no worries that classes listed are filled.” Kyle Grussmeyer, All Star Legacy
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Communicating the Details with Parents
Jackrabbit does a great job with communication!
Not only do you have the ability to send emails that you create to your contacts in almost any way you can slide and dice them – individuals, classes, groups, staff – but you can also depend on Jackrabbit to automatically send an email to parents after they register online or through the portal. An automatic receipt of payment is also emailed.
Once things have settled down a bit, you can easily email student schedules to parents. You can even direct them to their portal to view and print their student’s schedule if your schedule is still changing when it’s time to send them out.
“Even the first time I used Jackrabbit’s online registration it was easy to step through the process. 4Cats attaches class costs to accounts instead of offering a direct pay option. But Jackrabbit made it simple to understand this through very direct instructions on an intuitive screen.” Drew Stainton, Parent User of Jackrabbit’s Online Registration
“Online registration makes the process a one and done event. Parents enter all information so completeness and accuracy of their information is in their hands – not in the hands of our staff. And the post-registration emails – automated via Jackrabbit – are great because they provide us with proof of registrations.” Jenn Buckton, Turning Pointe Academy of Dance
Online Registration is an attractive enticement for parents since they want to do all of their ‘business’ from their mobile devices of choice. It makes them happy and that is one of the biggest improvements you can make in your operations.
Read the others in this series:
Online Registration Saves Time for Everyone in the Dance Studio
Priority Enrollment: What’s the Big Deal?
Start Fall Registration Right with Jackrabbit Class Management
