Thank you for visiting and considering Greenlite Check-in iPad POS for your Studio/Gym/Spa.  We thought it would be insightful to explain how Greenlite came into existence and shed light on some features.  We are not Software Engineers and we never planned on getting into the arena of providing an iPad app for other studios, like us, to streamline their front desk operations. Greenlite was made out of necessity, for our own sanity.  Maybe you can relate and appreciate what we have been through to proudly present Greenlite to you and your business.  If you have been in the business for years, like us, or new to the membership fitness industry, we encourage you to take a quick read. We feel like we present an honest look on what is out there and why we decided to create our own software.

Our Search for a Perfect Check-in Software:

The reality is, the perfect software for our Yoga Studio did not exist and still didn’t until we created Greenlite.  When we opened our doors years ago, we decided on the largest software provider in the industry. The most popular software tasked to handle our day to day operations such as check-ins, integrated credit card services, scheduling, Staff management, payroll, client followup/marketing, retail sales.  The list of features and nuances were enormous and while we didn’t see the need for a lot of them, to know they were accessible was comforting, at first. 24 hour support sounded nice as well. What we didn’t know was how many times we would be calling that support line for help. We didn’t consider the huge undertaking it would be to setup our studio, to maintain day to day tasks, to train our front desk Staff and Instructors who mostly work part-time 3-10 hours per week. We didn’t consider the amount of mistakes our Staff would make and not know how to fix.  We found that the options for how things were presented to the public and how to sell our packages in a certain manner was not user friendly. The addition of a front desk check-in app to simplify the software for check-in purposes did just the opposite. We had to have tablets at the front desk alongside laptops to lookup things the app couldn’t lookup or for when the app went down. The app was basically a worse, more unreliable version of the software. The list can go on and on of our woes. The straw that broke the camel's back was finding out that we were being lumped in with all other competing studios who use the same software locally. This software company was marketing to our students different competitors services when our students logged in to sign up for our classes. We found ourselves on the helpline every week, we were fixing front desk mistakes daily. We task our Yoga Teachers with the check-in process for their own class. We really sensed the unease of them doing things 100% correctly, even after years of use.  We could tell that over the years this software was pieced together with afterthoughts or suggestions. There was no flow, no cohesiveness, it was clunky at best. This software was made for people like us but was not made by people like us.   

We decided to go on a search for a better software solution for our Yoga Studio. It was eye opening, there were now several on the market but still none that fit us exactly. We took demonstrations of dozens of them. Software companies we had demoed were even calling us back. They asked us to describe things we were inquiring about because it was a great idea.  We thought this was ludacris, this wasn’t our business to tell them how to make an awesome software. It was very clear to us that the software industry in this arena, who were selling to people like us, just weren’t us. We finally landed on a new software that seemed popular, even though major modifications to our front desk operation had to be made to make it efficient.  The best solution we came up with was to have this newer Check-In Software run on a laptop. This software, amongst most others did not have credit card integration within the software. Meaning there was no swiping capabilities, only hand entering. Not only that, but it had no retail selling capabilities, only class packages. Then we had to setup tablets with a whole different credit card merchant services account to handle all the retail and be able to swipe credit cards for class packages and walk-ins.  Then we had to setup binders that sat on the front desk for paper waivers, because the waiver capabilities were less than impressive, if they existed at all. Finally we had a binder that contained groups of people that we comp for reasons of trade or employee families. This was our best solution! And would you believe this solution that cluttered our desk was twice as efficient as any other out there! Something wasn’t right! We couldn’t believe it!....Should we just keep our eye out for some software company that finally GETS IT to emerge?

Greenlite Emerges

We constantly talk about the efficiency of our Yoga Studio. The love for yoga, business, Clients, teachers, community, personal life with our children. It’s why we decided to open a Yoga Studio. To be able to live, go on vacation, set our own hours. To not worry every day if the studio would be ok without us. These are the most important thing to us.  We don’t want to be held captive to our studio or burdened any more than we could avoid. With further and further looks into the efficiency of our studio, one thing became overwhelmingly clear. Software was burdening us. The setup, the staff mistakes, money lost because of mistakes, trainability, the retention of that training, the flow of the front desk, the speed to get Clients checked-in accurately, the upkeep, the time on the phone with support, etc...These are all software problems presented to us by Engineers and people trying to sell us software.  People who haven’t checked-in millions of Clients over decades. People who haven’t checked-in lines full of Clients running late to class. Engineers who don’t see the importance of integrating retail sales capabilities. These current softwares don’t appreciate the value that retail can have on your bottom line and convenience for your Clients. We were being sold POS (Point of Sales) that weren’t good POS’s is the bottom line. POS’s should have an excellent flow, contain all the things you need to capture from your client. Point of Sales should be fast, easy, efficient, trainable. POS systems should have integrated credit card swiping capabilities.  We now know the reason why a lot of software doesn’t have credit card swiping capabilities, it’s hard to integrate. They hide behind the idea that you should make all your Clients get on an automatic withdraw membership, therefore keeping the Clients credit card on file.  While this is the preference of everyone who owns a fitness facility (and greenlite is capable of this also), it gives inefficient software company’s the scapegoat that makes their signing up a new client or welcoming a drop in so cumbersome. The software that was amongst our options just didn’t make anything easy...and we felt like it should be easy.  Afterall, when it comes down to basics, we just need to be able to take Clients money, permit them to enter the facility based on that payment and track when they need to buy again.  

We have personally checked-in millions of Clients. We have checked-out millions of retail items.  We have signed up new Clients scared to walk in the door of a new place. We have worked never ending lines, dealt with frustrated Clients and Staff, we have indeed been in the trenches of inefficient software and not only survived but triumphed. Greenlite is a result of this triumph.

Creating Greenlite

The Greenlite Concept: Red, Yellow, Green

Greenlite was named after the Green Light in a standard traffic light indicating GO/ Proceed. We wanted to subconsciously guide the Staff using the Greenlite App to the finish line.  Our App always starts and restarts in an obviously Red (stop) background. This lets our Staff know that nothing has been initiated, there is nothing pending.  When a transaction is initiated the background turns obviously Yellow (proceed with caution). Yellow is the background when you begin any and every transaction from membership package purchases to retail.  Yellow remains the color until a credit card is swiped or cash is received. Once a payment is tendered the screen becomes Green. We have made the Green a celebration. Greenlite Fireworks fill the screen and is the end goal of every transaction.  The Greenlite Fireworks give the Staff the reassurance that they did the transaction correctly! Our Greenlite is meant to show positive reinforcement time and time again, transaction after transaction. The client is then permitted to enter the facility. Inside the Fireworks Animation contain important and useful information for the Staff or teacher to consider. The Greenlite Fireworks contain the current time, how many people are checked-in to that current class, how many visits the client has left, expiration date of current package, name of client checked-in. Greenlite fireworks also contain a client message portion that the Owner/Manager decides what it says.  This prompts Staff to convey to the client a sale you are having, new hours of operations, or an incentive program you have started. The goal of our Red, Yellow, Green transaction is to be treated like a real life game, the goal is to always make it to Green. We are proud to have this unique subconscious process of checking-in clients and checking-out retail in Patent Protection and currently Patent Pending.

The Creation Process

Creating Greenlite was fun. Afterall, we were creating our dream software scenario. It had its challenges, but we knew what challenges those would be.  We knew that we would have to hire Software Engineers to put our Greenlite Software in to action. We wanted to be sure our requirements for Greenlite could be translated by Software Engineers. We didn’t want to bend on anything.  We wrote our program exactly how we would want it at our Yoga Studio. We would not settle or invest our time and money on anything but our dream software scenario. Afterall, why would we invest so much, and be distracted with all of this, if it wasn’t exactly what we envisioned in the end? We wouldn’t.  We kept a very close eye on the project with a group of extremely talented Engineers we hand picked, who seemed to “get it”. Yoga Studio Owners and Software Engineers just simply speak and think differently. We were involved in every single step of the way. We made sure our goals were met. Our goal was to not let Greenlite succumb to Software Engineer thinking like our competitors. Our ideas, front desk efficiency logic, speed, reliability, ease of use, and flow guided this project successfully.  What we needed to get done was indeed capable and possible.

Credit Card Swiping / Merchant Services

Greenlite has full credit card integration with swiping capabilities. Credit card services is a field that is highly guarded and not easily penetrated to perform as you would like them to perform.  The components of accepting credit cards has a lot of layers ranging from hardware, to merchant services, to gateways and integration. Our goal at Greenlite, was to take on that burden for our future fitness studios, gyms, spas, daycares, etc, who want to use Greenlite.  It was simple for us convey, we need to be able to swipe a credit card and it apply to membership packages, retail, gift certificates, workshops, private lessons. We need it to be able to start a recurring monthly membership. We need to provide our facilities with a webstore that their Clients could purchase these class packages and gift certificates online.  So we went straight to the top of the most highly regarded hardware company and they believed in Greenlite’s mission. We have secured the the worlds most reliable and fastest credit card reader that plugs directly into your lightning port. This isn’t your old school little square that you have to hold with your other hand to swipe and hope it goes through. We then partnered with one of the world’s most popular Merchant Services company that handles thousands upon thousands of service industry POS systems.  This winning combination covers every aspect of Merchant Services that is possible. The result is a super fast card swipe, the most secure transaction possible, webstore integration, recurring monthly memberships capable and so much more.

 IOS iPad App

Greenlite is an iPad app only. We are not a software company who created a check-in software and happens to have a supplemental app. We poured 100% of our efforts in being able to provide the best app on the market in the fitness industry. We wanted to be in full control of how our app looks in any scenario. We didn’t want to wonder what new company was coming up with what android tablet and how our software would perform on it.  We know exactly what you and your Staff will be looking at at all times. We found that the iPad systems are sleek, reliable, worth the money, have great security measures, and have a wide variety of enclosures. iPads also enable your studio to continue charging credit cards, checking-in Clients, checking-out retail even if your power or internet is down (and it will go down at some point). *Tip* We suggest you buy and connect at least one iPad to your cellular service for backup, your facility will never be down and you can travel with Greenlite. 

Greenlite Layout

Greenlite not only checks-in your Clients and checks-out retail but also manages your Staff payroll. Staff Check-in and Check-out through the greenlite app as well. This allows the Manager/Owner to monitor Staff hours and pay them accordingly.  Greenlite runs your End-of-Day Reports so you can reconcile daily transactions. Greenlite also allows your Staff to leave “Notes to Manager” in the app. These notes are directly emailed to the Owner/Manager (describing an issue Staff had, reminder to order supplies, problem with member, etc). The layout of the Greenlite App stays the same no matter what. It always has the same front facing page appearance. Greenlite is sectioned off into a “Class Packages Section”(Class Packages, Private Lesson Packages, Workshops). The “Shopping Cart Section” that loads all the items being purchased. The “Fast Retail Row Section” (Popular Retail Selections). Fiinally the “Staff Row Section”(Staff Sign-in/out, Class Profiles, Client Profiles, End of Day Reports, Notes to Manager, Today’s Transacations). The Greenlite App layout never changes and probably never will.  Our intention is that the Greenlite front facing page becomes so familiar and comfortable, like a good ole trusty friend. We want Greenlite to be second nature to you and your Staff.

Greenlite Comes Preloaded

When you first signup your business for Greenlite, you will not receive a blank template of an App to start building from scratch. Greenlite comes fully loaded with the most popular class packages, retail items, prices, and Staff categories.  This allows you to see what popular choices of packages and retail items are used across the industry. All of these are customizable in every way but we wanted you to be able to check-in Clients right away with literally zero setup time. We have even made it possible to start checking in people without any class times added or teachers uploaded.  This allows you to slowly grow and customize your Greenlite app or swifty change out prices, class package names, add teachers and class times.

Greenlite Guides the Staff/User to Prevent Mistakes

The Greenlite app eliminates many common mistakes and doesn’t allow the Staff/User to make them. The goal is for the Owner/Manager to not have to deal with these petty yet important instances at all. Some examples include: 

• A red “Sale” banner is draped across the top of every button that is on sale. This lets your Staff know what items to feature or push at a glance. When the sales banner is not on the screen, it means it is no longer on sale. The Manager decides when the sale drops off.

• Greenlite will not allow a client to check-in to a class where a teacher has not signed-in to teach it. This ensures all classes are accounted for, for payroll.  

• Greenlite will not let you add a class package to the cart without a client’s name loaded in the cart first to associate that class package to.  Class packages are visabley grayed out and unpushable until a client is loaded first. 

• Greenlite captures 100% of liability waivers from  Clients. It is impossible to sign up a new client without a liability waiver, it’s in the flow of a new client sign-up.  (Group memberships are slightly different)

• Greenlite will not allow Staff to sell or redeem gift certificates that don’t exist.

• Greenlite will not allow Staff to check-in a client who has not purchased a class package or has no visits left in their package.  There is no -1 for checking in someone. This eliminates anyone checking-in without visits left.

• Greenlite is always driving the Staff towards a Client check-in. If a client is checked-in to a class by accident it takes less than 3 seconds to back that client out of the class and credit them back the class.

• The same Client can not be checked-in to the same class twice but can certainly check in to multiple classes for the current day.

• Greenlite auto updates for the next class coming up on the schedule.  This means Staff don’t really have to think or scroll if they know Greenlite is always updating to be checking-in Clients to the next occurring class. Once the class starts, Greenlite switches to the next class in the schedule.

• Greenlite only checks for today’s classes. This eliminates any mistakes of accidentally hitting a different day, month or even year, therefore checking-in your current day’s Clients into the wrong day.

• When Comping or Discounting a Client’s transaction or visit, Greenlite makes the Staff ask the Manager for a PIN number that only the Manager knows. If the Manager ever has to give the PIN number to someone on the phone or leave the PIN for a day, it can be changed very easily in the Back-of-House.

• Greenlite will not let you add a duplicate client. It recognizes email addresses and phone numbers and will not allow duplicates.  If by chance a duplicate slips through the cracks because they have changed phone numbers and email addresses and not informed the staff they have been in your facility before, the Manager can merge the two profiles in the Back-of-the-House.

• Staff can lookup Clients by either First or Last Name, email address or phone number.  This makes it easy if you can’t understand the pronunciation or spelling of a Clients name.

• There are several more fail-safes throughout the Greenlite App and Back-of-the-House.

Customize your Greenlite App on your Desktop BOH

Your Greenlite App is completely customizable in the Back-of-the-House (BOH) from your desktop computer. Once you sign up for Greenlite you are immediately able to customize your Greelite App.  You can customize so much, but not so much it overwhelms you. You have full control over Prices, Names of Packages, Names of Classes, Class Start and End Times, Private Lessons, Workshops, Retail Items, How Many Visits Per Package, Payroll, Gift Certificates, and Liability Waivers. You can investigate Clients more in depth  in “Client Management” and also “Ban Clients”. We also feature a “Reports Section” that is simple and practical to use. Reports are used for marketing, financial reporting, downloading waivers, end of day reports, and attendance.

Group Membership Capability

One thing we feature in the Greenlite Back-of-the-house is something we have not seen in any software we shopped, Group Memberships. Group setup can only be done by a Manager/Owner. The “Group/Family Setup Section” allows you to create a group of comped Clients such as family members, trade Clients, or whoever else you want to enter your building for free and still track. You can also determine a group price per group depending on how big the group is or how many visits you are going to allow the group. Great for comp lists, families and corporate memberships.

customized client Webstore

We realize the importance of clients being able to buy memberships and packages at their own convenience. This enables your business to make money 24/7/365. Greenlite has included with your subscription a simple webstore that your clients can shop for packages and purchase gift certificates. It’s fun to make money while you are not at work!

Greenlite to Simplify Your Life and Facility

Finally, we feel it’s important to recap what we are and what we aren’t. We created Greenlite to simplify our life and our business. It has saved us so much frustration and time. We think it will do the same for your business if you are a Yoga Studio, Fitness Facility, Gym, BJJ/Karate Dojo, Spa, Daycare, etc.  Our Yoga studio values the drop-in and thinks the drop-in gets a bad rap in the industry, therefore charging astronomically more for it. We charge a fair rate for drop-ins because we can check them in just as fast as a normal member with Greenlite. They are not our burden and we don’t pressure our Staff or Clients to upsell. We do offer, mention and suggest. We certainly don’t try to convince future Clients to upgrade because it’s an easier check-in for them in the future... We believe, if people like our offerings and can afford us, they will come visit us over and over. We want our classes full all the time and we succeed at this. The speed in which Greenlite operates opens up a whole new world of doing business.  

You will also notice no mentioning of “Reserving Spots in Class” in Greenlite. It’s not who we are. The concept goes against what we believe makes a studio easy to manage. We used to make Clients reserve classes. It’s not the business we want to be in at our Yoga Studio or with Greenlite.  We are not interested in managing and facilitating others peoples schedules. If they can make class, great! When you open up your facility to take reservations for classes and not be a first-serve facility it complicates your problems by double. We found that when making our studio first-come-first-serve we cultivated a clientele of people who arrive early and on-time. This was the opposite of what we experienced with a reservation system.  People generally understand that if they arrive late, the possibility of them not being able to take class is an option.. Taking money/credits away from Clients because they were stuck in traffic or had a family emergency just invites confrontation and bad reviews. We have also found Clients just don’t want to have another thing to log-in to, reserve a class or be put on a waitlist. We don’t want to hear about how the reservation system wasn’t working (because they didn’t have internet reception) or their emergency or traffic.  It’s not in our interest or spirit to get involved in that as a Yoga Studio or Greenlite. Furthermore, we don’t believe in the practice of cancelling classes because there wasn’t enough people that signed up to that class. It’s a business practice we don’t recommend.

Thank you for reading about Greenlite and its creation.  If any of this resonates with you and your fitness facility, we hope you join Greenlite. We will always be here for you and look forward to serving you very soon.  If you succeed we succeed. We want to be in this with you. Peace and Love.