Avoid These 5 Common Pitfalls When Buying a Booking System for Classes
According to the UK government, “the average small business owner spends over 33 hours every month on internal admin”. This means that for many kids’ activity providers, the real work week doesn’t even start until Tuesday.
That’s 20% of your work week gone before you’ve even started your core tasks – imagine that! No wonder so many children’s activity businesses are turning to booking systems to streamline their operations.
But before you commit to a booking system for classes, it’s important to understand the common challenges that could slow you down and, more importantly, how to stay ahead of them.
1. Customer Support That’s Nowhere to Be Found
There’s nothing more frustrating than running into an issue with your booking system for classes and being met with… silence. Whether it’s a technical glitch or a parent having issues with online payments, slow or non-existent customer support can waste your time and even hurt your reputation (hint: parents talk!).
How to avoid unhelpful customer support
✔️ Check reviews. Look for consistent feedback on response times and quality of customer support.
✔️ Ask about onboarding. The best booking systems for classes offer a thorough onboarding process that walks you through setup and answers your questions.
✔️ Look for live support options. Having real people to chat with (not just bots, though they’re great for quick fixes) makes a huge difference when you need real-time help.
2. Surprise Fees That Keep Adding Up
Life is full of surprises, but not all of them are great. For example, 34% of software buyers in the UK regret their purchase due to higher-than-expected costs.
And it’s true that while some booking systems for classes look affordable at first glance, extra fees start popping up over time. You get charged extra for processing offline payments, upgrading your features, or adding more users. Suddenly, that "affordable" booking system is costing you way more than expected – surprise!
How to avoid unexpected costs
✔ Look for transparent pricing. Ask for a full pricing breakdown before committing. Find out what’s included in your plan, what the transaction fees are for online payments, and whether you’ll be charged for features you actually need.
✔ Make sure key features are included. Some booking system providers use tiered pricing models, meaning you have to pay extra for key features like financial reporting, automated invoicing, or even multi-user access.
✔ Read the fine print. Watch out for any fees or charges. Do they charge extra when you process offline payments? Will you need to pay extra if your team or student count grows past a certain limit? Some booking system providers even charge setup fees or add extra costs for customer support beyond basic troubleshooting. So always ask what’s included.
3. A Booking System for Classes That’s Hard to Use
When searching for a booking system for classes, don’t just go for the one that shouts the loudest about how many features it comes with. Why? Because there is such a thing as “too much of a good thing.” If your booking system is packed with features you’ll never use, that’ll just make things harder for you, your team, and your customers.
In fact, 30% of UK software buyers regret their purchase because the features that seem impressive at first end up being unnecessary and make the system overly complex. Instead of focusing on bells and whistles, create a clear plan of what you actually need from your booking system for classes and make sure it delivers on those essentials without the extra clutter.
How to avoid a clunky booking system
✔ Test before you commit. You can sign up for a free trial to test how user-friendly the booking system is. This helps you see whether it actually fits your needs without the risk of regretting your choice later.
✔ Check customer reviews. Look for feedback from other kids’ activity providers. What do they say about ease of use? Are there recurring complaints about confusing navigation? The best booking system for classes should be easy for both you and your parents.
✔ Ask for a demo. A quick walkthrough will show whether the system is intuitive. Some booking system providers offer interactive demos, so you can explore how the platform works before committing to a trial.
Click below to start your 14-day free trial with ClassForKids, the best booking system for classes, trusted by kids’ activity providers for over 10 years.
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4. No Features Designed for Kids’ Clubs
A generic booking system might work perfectly for a hair salon or a sip-and-paint class for adults. But as a kids’ activity provider, your needs go beyond basic scheduling and payments.
You need a booking system for classes that simplifies child safeguarding, parent consent collection, and attendance tracking. If a system isn’t designed with these specific requirements in mind, it won’t fully support your children’s activity business.
And that’s why the best booking system for classes should make managing child-specific requirements effortless.
How to avoid a generic booking system
✔ Look for a system designed for kids’ clubs. A booking system for classes built specifically for children’s activities won’t just handle bookings. It’ll also support your unique needs, from managing parent communications to giving your team access to medical notes and emergency details of the kids in your care.
✔ Check for automated registers and parent consent collection. These aren’t just nice-to-haves, they’re essential for running a successful children’s activity business.
✔ Make sure safeguarding and GDPR compliance is prioritised. The best booking system for classes will have built-in features that simplify safeguarding and data protection.
Curious to see how you can simplify child safeguarding with a class booking system? Check out [.blue__text]our blog on simplifying safeguarding with ClassForKids[.blue__text].
5. Security: Protect Yourself and Your Customers
With AI-enhanced cyberattacks on the rise, security is becoming a top priority for businesses. In fact, 36% of UK software buyers say IT security is their main software concern for 2025.
As a kids’ activity provider, security should be at the top of your list when choosing the best booking system for classes. Why? Because you’re not just handling bookings and payments, you’re also storing sensitive personal information about parents and children. A data breach could put families at risk and damage your reputation beyond repair.
How to avoid security risks
✔ Look for an ISO-certified booking system. Currently, ClassForKids is the only ISO-certified class booking system for children’s activity providers, which means it has built-in security measures that meet the highest standards.
✔ Ensure data is encrypted. Encryption safeguards parents’ personal information from cyber threats, keeping their details secure and private.
✔ Check access controls. Your booking system should allow you to manage who can view or edit customer details.
Thinking about switching to a class booking system to manage your kids’ club? [.orange__text]Read our blog to get all your questions answered[.orange__text].
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