How We Helped Emmerich Tree Farm Transition to Online Booking

Emmerich Tree Farm is a Cut your own Christmas tree farm located in Warwick, NY. Like many businesses focused on customer experiences, Emmerich Tree Farm had a problem handling the seasonal influx of traffic and demand for their product. We recognized that shifting from traditional operations to a digital reservation system could help improve the customer experience by ensuring customers have access to the farm on a scheduled day and also build brand loyalty by providing returning customers with the first opportunity to return each year. Here’s how we partnered with them to make that happen!

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 1. Identifying the Needs: Efficiency and Upfront Sales

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Emmerich Tree Farm’s team needed a solution that would:

• Evenly distribute their traffic across their operating hours.
• Avoid bottlenecks by ensuring the farm does not exceed their parking capacity.
• Enable them to secure sales before customers arrived, providing revenue predictability.
•  Improve communication with their customers, to build brand loyalty.

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Through a series of discovery sessions, we identified that a reservation system integrated with email marketing could address these needs.

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 2. Implementing a Reservation System

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We researched several booking platforms and reservation systems to find a solution that could handle the volume of bookings required and the inventory for a full day of operation at the farm. After consulting with several scheduling options, we decided to work with Peek Pro

We wanted to deliver a tool that was simple but robust and had the following features:

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• Custom Time Slots and Limits:  We needed a system where visitors could reserve time slots that had inventory limits so that we could restrict the number of vehicles per hour.
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•  Payment Integration: To secure sales upfront with a deposit/down payment.
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•  Automated Confirmations and Reminders: To ensure clarity and reduce no-shows, we added automated email confirmations and reminders to the system.

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We knew that no online scheduling tool would be built specifically for this use case, so we have worked with Peek Pro over the years to build out a reservation system that meets the needs of the business and it's customers.

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 3. Enhancing Customer Engagement with Email Marketing

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With the reservation system in place, we turned to email marketing to drive reservation sales at the start of each season. Utilizing the data from the Reservation system, we asked new customers to opt in to our mailing list to notify them each year when reservations become available. This has proven to be an invaluable marketing tool for this business as it provides return customers with early access to book times and dates of their choice, while also securing sales and increasing cash flow for the farm prior to the start of their season. Their email list now includes 3,000+ subscribers and counting.

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 4. Measurable Results and Benefits

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Our collaboration brought noticeable improvements in both customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. The online booking system reduced on-site wait times and simplified attendance tracking, while upfront sales provided Emmerich Tree Farm with reliable revenue flow, and facilitated staffing needs. The email marketing strategy increased brand loyalty, as customers appreciated the opportunity to get early access to preferred dates and times.

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Helping Emmerich Tree Farm adopt a digital reservation and marketing system highlights the powerful impact of technology on customer experiences and sales. If you’re looking to simplify operations, boost sales, and enhance customer engagement, a similar approach could be a game-changer for your business.

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