Communications

With the launch of Book a Court at the venue, having a timeline is key to ensuring the rollout is successful.

When we ran the pilot program, we took feedback from clubs about their strategy on informing members before the rollout and they have shared their feedback 

1. The gate is setup and training has been completed by the Club Spark champions

This is recommended as the first step as you will want to make sure all the backend of the hardware is setup correctly and that understanding the functions of the gate and how the integration works when booking online. You can reach out to Clubspark support to arrange a session by emailing them here

2. Email to members informing them on upcoming access changes

Use this opportunity to give your members time to understand what is happening, give a date on when you would like to go live on the gate and explain to them the journey the club is taking to use Book a Court. Clubs have gone an extra step on providing meetings or using existing club events to help train members on how to use the hardware - you can provide dates or times in these emails. 

3. Run teaching sessions on the usability of the new hardware

Social nights or mid-week seniors are great opportunity to show the gate access to members and give a demo on how this works. 

4. Use your social channels to promote

As you get closer to the launch of the Book a Court, use the social media tiles and stories to announce the date of launch. 

5. Start inviting your members to sign up to a Club Spark Account

Some of your members may already have sign in accounts but if not, you can invite your members to create a account so they can book courts as well as renew memberships (when it's that time of the year) Inviting your members is easy and you can follow this guide here

Letting your members know about the changes to court hire is key to keeping them informed and prepared. The best way to let them know is via email and any Member specific communication channels such as a private Facebook Group or WhatsApp chat. 

By referring to your timeline as mentioned in the previous section above, you'll be able to get the right information ready to roll out. 

We have provided some templates in the next sections to help you build an informative message to your members. 

Below you can find the template if you are emailing your members about Book a Court at the club. 
Please adjust any tone or information before you hit send. 

------

Subject: Book a Court is coming to <<XXXXX Tennis Club - Here's what you need to know!>>

---

Hi Everyone

Something exciting and new is coming to <<XXXXXX Tennis Club!>>

Book A Court is a nationwide initiative to allow clubs & venues to open their courts to paid casual players with an integrated gate access which allows members & casual players to enter our courts without the requirement of a key or a volunteer to let someone in.

Our Club is keen to change with the times and join this journey with a Smart Padlock.  This will be attached to the <<GATE INFO HERE>> - Connected to ClubSpark, casual players can book a court, pay, and be granted access to the court at their specified booking time. NB. This will not interfere with regular scheduled bookings.

To help casuals and members book a court, an instruction sign will be provided and be placed by the access.  Non-members can book a court on the spot & be given access immediately.

This will be effective from <<Monday 1st July 2024.>>

Account Setup

If you have not set up a ClubSpark account before (i.e. not purchased a membership via the website) then you will receive an email inviting you to create an account, your current membership is linked to the account which allows you to book a court without paying.

If you have an account currently, you can proceed to sign in.  Password reset tools are available in case you forget.

To check your membership status in ClubSpark you can verify by clicking your name at the top right > Profile > Memberships

If you are unable to see your membership as active, reach out to us as it’s possible you may have used a different email / account previously.

Booking your court

 There are two ways to book a court at <<XXXXXX Tennis Club>>

1. Via QR Code at the gate
   An Instruction sign is located next to the gate with a QR code and address, you can scan the QR code which opens up the booking sheet for you to make your court selection, You will need to sign into your account to ensure you won’t get charged for court hire.

1. Via our website

If you prefer booking in advance you can use your phone, tablet or computer to make your booking. Once you have signed in you can head to our booking sheet <<HERE>>

When you arrive

Once you have made your booking and have your code (also sent as an email) approach the gate.

1. Touch any key on the padlock to wake it up
2. Enter your PIN code and then press the unlock key and wait for the beep
3. Release the shackle upwards to unlock the gate
4. Leave the padlock unlocked at the gate while you play
5. If you are the last one at the club, relock the padlock.

Info Sessions

The club will be running a padlock instruction session to show members the new padlock and how this works, If you are unsure on the process or need a look physically we have set up the following sessions to help

Date XX/XX/XXXX Time XX:XX

Date XX/XX/XXXX Time XX:XX

Date XX/XX/XXXX Time XX:XX

Need Help

You can reach out to <<NAME>> on <<EMAIL>> & <<phone>>

Placing a poster at the club or noticeboard can help communicate to your members about the upcoming changed, Tennis NZ will soon be providing a template you can use to place on your club room or near the court access gate.