As another year comes to a close, let’s take a look back at what happened in the JRNI-verse in 2019.
In case you missed it...
Platform updates
In January, we announced the launch of Studio, our new staff experience. While there are countless benefits to using Studio, the features our customers love the most are:
- 360-degree customer profiles
- Multi-location staff scheduling
- New data and reporting section
- Enhanced calendar functionality
- Refreshed concierge interface
In fact, our customer JoJo Maman Bébé called it a “game changer.” 🤩
In June, we announced the launch of our Marketplace, an array of prebuilt apps and scalable integrations from technology partners, systems integrators, and developers. While we did have several integrations already in use, formalizing the Marketplace reinforces the importance of our RESTful APIs and growing partner community. Keep an eye on this space because we’re always working on building new partnerships and integrations!
With October came the launch of Adaptable Journeys! With Adaptable Journeys, our customers can now leverage a configurable catalog of pre-designed templates to quickly implement bookings for appointments, events, and queues.
These pre-designed templates were the result of analyzing over 70 million bookings from the past decade. This feature set showcases 18 unique layout options and more than 50,000 different permutations. 😲
Though there are several benefits, here’s what our customers have been loving the most:
- Mobile and tablet readiness
- Easy brand personalization
- Integrated Google Analytics
- Reduced total cost of ownership
- Rapid implementation, quicker ROI, and immediate improvements to customer experience
Company updates
May was quite busy for us! We announced the company’s rebrand from BookingBug to JRNI. We do so much more than bookings, so we needed a name that represents what our product is here to do and the impact it has for our customers.
We also announced a new CEO, John Federman, and a new role for Co-founder Glenn Shoosmith as Chief Architect.
As if we weren’t busy enough in May, we launched a new website and opened our first U.S. development office in Manchester, N.H. Why? Our Manchester office complements our development efforts in London and guarantees that we have around the clock availability.
In August, we closed a $6 million extension to our Series C financing led by PeakSpan Capital with participation from Downing Ventures and Somerston Group. The round brought our total funding to $23.2 million. We also announced our first Chief Technology Officer, Simon Copsey.
What a year! We’ve been working hard on some exciting projects for 2020, and can’t wait to publicly share!
New research
In 2019, we released our third annual research reports for the banking and retail industries. Here’s what we found:
Retail
- 67% of modern shoppers like the in-store experience.
- Consumers want to see improvements to staff behavior and knowledge, staff availability, speed, and the store atmosphere.
- 55% of consumers would schedule appointments with in-store staff if given the opportunity.
- If invited, 64% of consumers would attend a product demonstration in store, half would attend an educational event, and even a majority (54%) would go for DIY workshops.
To learn more, check out what retail stores should focus on next, or download the full research.
Banking
- 72% of consumers rate the branch experience positively.
- Customers want to see improvements to staff availability and the time it takes to complete a visit.
- 61% of respondents are interested in scheduling appointments online to meet with branch staff.
- While only 20% of consumers have been invited to banking events over the past year, 63% of them would consider attending events.
To learn more, check out what modern consumers actually think about banks, or download the full research.
Behind the scenes
This year, we also took time to gather with coworkers, improve our skill sets, and add to our JRNI community.
In early May, we gathered in London for a company meeting during which we announced the rebrand to JRNI, aligned on priorities and product updates, and launched our new website.
Between our summer party, Halloween festivities, and holiday gatherings, our team was able to gather together, reflect, and celebrate all our hard work.
What a year! We’re thankful to have great customers, partners, employees, and investors. Here’s to continued success in the new year!
Looking for us in 2020? Follow along with us on LinkedIn, our blog, or catch us at a conference or show near you!
