Swim school software buyer's guide: 20 questions to ask any provider
Every provider says they save time and keep families. The question is how. Ask each one these twenty questions, and write down the answers.
- 600,000+ studentshave passed through our systems
- 1 million+ workoutscompleted in FitDesk
- Since 2013an Australian company
How to use this guide
Ask every provider the same questions, in the same order, in a live demo with your own classes. Ask them to show it, not tell you. Where a question says 'show me', watch the screen. The right-hand column is how SwimDesk answers today.
Time: will it take work off your team?
| Question | Why it matters | How SwimDesk answers |
|---|---|---|
| Can parents enrol and pay without calling you? | Every call at the front desk is an hour you cannot use twice. | Yes. Online enrolment with payment at signup when you switch it on. |
| Can parents report an absence and book a make-up themselves, inside your rules? | Make-ups are the largest source of phone calls. | Yes, with limits on number per term and how long credits last. |
| Can instructors mark attendance and skills on the deck, with no signal? | Poolside Wi-Fi is unreliable. | Yes. Attendance and skills record offline and sync later. |
| Does the system send the routine messages without staff touching them? | Reminders and follow-ups are time you can give back. | Yes. Action rules send messages from events. |
| How long does a move from your current system take, and who does the work? | A migration that you do yourself is a second job. | We do the migration for you. A typical move takes about two weeks, depending on how much data is moving. |
| How are certificates produced? | End-of-term printing eats a weekend. | Certificates print by level, teacher, school or session, or download as PDF. |
Download this guide as a PDF
Money: will it protect and grow revenue?
| Question | Why it matters | How SwimDesk answers |
|---|---|---|
| Does it tell you who is about to leave, before they cancel? | Most reports show who left, which is too late. | Yes. Retention Intelligence flags at-risk families. |
| Does it show children who are stuck in a level? | Stuck children leave. | Yes. Progression Intelligence and non-progression lists. |
| Are waitlists per level, with automatic offers? | A spare place is lost revenue. | Waitlists per level, with trial lessons and trial make-ups. |
| Can you use your own payment provider and agree your own rates? | Payment fees are a margin you can negotiate. | Yes. Worldpay is connected today. Others on request. |
| How is it priced as you grow? | A tier that jumps is a tax on success. | One flat monthly fee. Larger programs and volume pay less. |
| What does setup or migration cost? | Surprises after signing hurt. | Any setup or migration cost is quoted up front. |
Delight: will families notice?
| Question | Why it matters | How SwimDesk answers |
|---|---|---|
| Can a parent see every child and class in one login? | Families have more than one child. | Yes. One login, with linked accounts. |
| Can instructors send a quick voice note after a lesson? | A voice note from the teacher beats a template. | Yes, where you switch voice notes on. |
| Can a child see their progress and rewards? | Children stay when they can see what is next. | Yes. Skills, certificates and Lap It Up rewards. |
| Is there a real mobile app on iOS and Android? | Parents live on their phones. | Yes. Parent, instructor and manager apps. |
| Can you add squads and school programs on the same platform? | A child who graduates should not need a new account. | Yes. Learn to Swim, School Programs and Squads share one platform. |
Trust: will it still work in a year?
| Question | Why it matters | How SwimDesk answers |
|---|---|---|
| Where is customer data stored? | Your families' data is your responsibility. | Australian customer data stays in Australia. |
| How fast is support, and for critical problems? | A pool full of children cannot wait. | A response within 4 hours, and immediate for critical problems. |
| Can you get your data out? | You should always be able to leave. | Reports export to Excel or PDF. Ask us for your data export terms. |
| Who owns the company? | You are buying a long-term partner. | GreeneDesk is an Australian company, operating since 2013. |
What to do next
Run the demo with your own timetable. Score each answer out of three. If you want to see how SwimDesk looks with your classes, we can set up a demo in a day.
Can I use this guide with any provider?
Yes. The questions are neutral and the right-hand column is only how SwimDesk answers.
Is the guide a comparison with named providers?
No. It lists questions only. Compare by asking each provider, not by reading about them.
See it with your own program in mind
Tell us your centre and what you run, and we will show you GreeneDesk in a short demo. After the demo you get a trial for your team. Setup and migration take about two weeks, and we do the move for you.
We do the migration for you. We respond to support requests within 4 hours, and straight away for critical issues.
