SKYLANDS ICE WORLD

Rita Mitchell
General Manager, Skylands Ice World
Consultant, Firlands Management

Facility Background

Skylands Ice World opened in 2006 and has been operated by Firland Management Group since 2012. It is a twin sheet facility with ancillary services, including ballet, performance training and physical therapy. We are home to the Skylands Kings, Black Diamonds Synchro Teams, Camp Skylands, Skylands Developmental League, Future Rangers and the Skyland Junior Kings of the NA3HL. Throughout the year, we host a variety of leagues, tournaments and activities, attracting approximately 250,000 visitors annually.

What are your position and responsibilities at Skylands Ice World/Firland Management?

I am the General Manager of Skylands Ice World, located in northern New Jersey. On top of that, I act as a consultant for current and prospective Firland Management facilities. I have been with them for the past three years, and am responsible for all P&L (profit and loss) reporting and financial performance, as well as day-to-day management of the ice rink.

How was your previous experience with any facility management software or website services that you have used in the past?

I’ve worked with multiple organizations in the past for both facility management software and websites. They were limiting, in the sense that they weren’t willing to expand the product meet our needs, and any enhancements that they did make came at an additional cost. Customer service was typically poor and slow. We felt that because they had a corner on the market, that they were willing to hold unreasonable levels of customer support and response time.

How long have you been using AthleteTrax as a facility management tool?

About a year and a half.

How has your experience been with AthleteTrax?

It’s been great. The customer service response time is bar non – within an hour on most instances. Even on a weekend evening, I’ve heard back within 30 minutes. Just as importantly, their willingness to expand the platform to fit our needs has been tremendous. They care enough to make the software work for us, and the interface for our employees has been very simple to use. For new product updates, the majority of the time I don’t even need training and it’s easy to teach myself. Whenever we bring on a new staff member, it takes no more than 15 minutes to train an employee fully on the Point of Sale. Overall, it’s been great.

Is there anything else that you’d like to add?

The whole company just seems to give a crap that we’re pleased with the product. The pride that they take in their work is not matched by any other company out there. It’s great that they’re mobile-friendly and more cost effective, but the primary thing that made us switch has been the people. Everybody that I’ve had to deal with has been willing to bend over backwards for me. As a customer, AthleteTrax has made us feel like they truly care about our needs and keeping me happy.

Well what are you waiting for? Request a demo, already!