How North Richland Hills Innovated Their Online User Experience With Xplor Recreation

Key Challenges

After being with their previous provider for years, it became clear to the NRH team that they needed a change, well before their contract was even up. From talking to their colleagues in neighboring communities, Antonio and Garrett discovered just how much was missing from their management software experience.

In particular, their conversations with other agencies highlighted that the NRH team saw opportunities to improve in several key areas: including customer support responsiveness, platform functionality, and a desire for a partner committed to ongoing innovation.

Recognizing the Need for Stronger Customer Support

Garrett shared that it often felt like the previous vendor’s support approach didn’t fully align with their goals for maximizing the software’s potential. When assistance was available, it frequently came with added costs, which made it challenging to build a truly collaborative partnership.

“Over time, we realized there was a real opportunity to improve the level of support we were receiving. We wanted a partner who was invested in helping us get the most out of the software, not just through the technology itself, but through a collaborative, solutions-oriented relationship. That kind of partnership had been missing, and it became clear how important it was to our long-term success.” - Garrett Peek, General Manager, NRH Center

Needed Multiple Third-Party Solutions

Their former recreation management software had significant functional gaps that the NRH team needed to support their operations, resulting in the team needing multiple software solutions to handle their needs. From a third-party emailing solution to an online sign-up platform, Antonio and Garrett both described how difficult it was to not have a management software that provided the majority of the functionality they needed, in one place.

"One of the biggest challenges we were looking to overcome was finding a solution that would combine a lot of what we were doing and help us bring everything in house. We didn't have the communication piece with [our previous software], so we had to utilize two systems together to communicate with our guests. We weren't even utilizing [previous software] for our group fitness sign-ups because it was just easier for our guests to do it through a third-party platform we’d found. Basically, we realized that there had to be a way to bring it all into one and make it easier for our team and community members.” - Antonio Evangelista, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director

"We needed a more effective way to communicate directly with our program participants. T he tools we had in place made that a real challenge for our team. On top of that, we didn’t have a built-in solution for group fitness registration or attendance tracking, which made it difficult to manage those programs efficiently. It was clear we needed a more integrated and user-friendly approach.” - Garrett Peek, General Manager, NRH Center

Seeking a More Evolving and Responsive Solution

The NRH Centre began to notice that their existing solution wasn’t keeping pace with their evolving needs. Over time, it became clear that things weren’t likely to shift, and that signaled it was time to explore new software possibilities.

“We felt like the software we were using had reached a plateau in terms of development. For me, that was a concern because we needed a platform that could evolve alongside our organization. It had become what many would consider a legacy system, and we were ready for a solution that offered more room to grow.” - Garrett Peek, General Manager, NRH Center

The Solution: A Partnership With Xplor Recreation

After identifying some of their key challenges and connecting with other parks and recreation professionals, it became clear to both Antonio and Garrett that they would need to go to RFP. As Antonio handled much of the formal, high-level portion of the RFP process, Garrett dug into what he felt they’d been missing with their former vendor and what they wanted in their next software partner. After evaluating five different platforms, including Xplor Recreation, it became clear to the North Richland Hills team that we were the solution that met each of their key needs and priorities.

A Commitment to Innovation and Continued Growth

Both Antonio and Garrett shared how important it was for them to find a software provider that is as equally committed to growth as they are. With our cutting-edge products, like the Xplor Recreation white-label recreation management mobile app, and overall commitment to innovation, the team at NRH grew excited by the possibilities of a partnership with us.

“We were really looking for ways to grow our operations. So, we wanted a software that was going to help us do that. One of the big deciding factors for us to go with Xplor Recreation was your mobile app. Everybody we talked to had an app at different levels with different ways of using it. But your team had a commitment, not only to the app, but to actually growing it. It wasn't just, ‘This is it.’ You intended to make it even better and make it a key part of our operations. Whereas everybody else was like, ‘This is the app we have and, hopefully, it helps. ” - Antonio Evangelista, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director

“We've been really impressed with the software right out of the box but, more importantly, we see all the things that are possible and see ourselves continuing to grow with Xplor Recreation.” - Garrett Peek, General Manager, NRH Center

A Comprehensive Platform to Support All Users

As mentioned, Antonio and Garrett recognized how difficult it had been for both their team and their guests to use the multiple third-party solutions that NRH had needed to cobble together. So, it came as little surprise when Garrett told us just how important finding an all-in-one solution was, sharing how excited he was when he learned that Xplor Recreation could offer a comprehensive platform that met everyone’s needs.

“We saw firsthand the challenges our members and staff were experiencing with our previous system. During our demos with the Xplor Recreation team, I was genuinely excited about what both groups would gain with Xplor Recreation: from the simplified online registration process to the ability for staff to communicate quickly and efficiently with program participants. For those of us who use the software every day, those improvements are incredibly important. What really stood out, though, was the flexibility of the platform: it offered a level of adaptability we hadn’t seen before, and we knew that would be a game changer.” - Garrett Peek, General Manager, NRH Center

An Easy-to-Use Software for Staff

Another priority for the NRH team was finding a software that would be relatively easy for their staff to learn and start using immediately. With our platform, they found a solution that they recognized would be a streamlined and intuitive user experience for their team, particularly their Guest Services department, right from the get-go.

“We wanted to be able to teach our Guest Services team to use whatever software we brought in. With Xplor Recreation, we knew it’d be a great user experience for not only our members, but for those people in our Guest Services department. Right off the bat, they’ve realized how much easier it is, and how much they don't have to worry about things. We saw during the RFP process that the software is very flexible, but it seems even more so now that we're actually using it. This experience has been really good for our staff.” - Antonio Evangelista, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director

Software Built for Parks and Recreation

Garrett also shared with us a more unexpected reason as to why North Richland Hills selected Xplor Recreation as their software of choice. After meeting with multiple different providers, he said that our solution was the only one that felt like it was made for the parks and recreation industry.

"What stood out to me was that Xplor Recreation really understood what we do. Some of the other providers offered similar features, but they didn’t feel like they were built with parks and recreation in mind. So when we were deciding who to bring back in during the RFP process, I told the team, ‘These guys get it, they understand what we do.’ And when a partner truly understands your operations, it makes it that much easier to grow together. That, along with a few non-negotiables they delivered on, made choosing Xplor Recreation a no-brainer.” - Garrett Peek, General Manager, NRH Center

The Results of Our Partnership

Since selecting Xplor Recreation as their new software, North Richland Hills has taken their time learning and rolling out our platform to their users, resulting in some pretty incredible benefits. Antonio and Garrett shared that they’ve both noticed a positive difference since day one, from eager staff and streamlined operations to a comprehensive platform that’s accessible for users of all abilities.

A Better Software Experience from Day One

Even though NRH was confident in their decision to go with Xplor Recreation, Antonio mentioned that they feel like the software and all-around experience has been even better than they expected.

“The best part of the experience for me has been that the Xplor Recreation software has really lived up to our expectations. We got a better solution, day one, right out-of-the-box, which was really exciting. We felt the benefits a lot faster than I thought we would after switching and the transition has been really easy.” - Antonio Evangelista, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director

Supportive Onboarding, Structured for Long-Term Success

Making a big operational change like switching recreation management software can often be stressful. But Antonio and Garrett noted that thanks to our team’s support and well-laid-out onboarding, they didn’t have any hesitation in launching our platform.

“We didn’t have any hesitations as we started to go through implementation because we saw the ease-of-use pretty quickly. It stood out for us right away that our staff was going to see how much easier Xplor Recreation was to use and that we were going to see the benefits in the long run.” - Antonio Evangelista, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director

“Onboarding was really well thought out. Kudos to your team for giving the power users the more detailed training but also bringing in that second layer of staff that only needed to know certain functionalities. That was incredibly helpful. It was smooth and helped prevent confusion. ” - Garrett Peek, General Manager, NRH Center

A Software Partner Who Understands the Industry

Another noteworthy result that North Richland Hills has noticed since partnering with us mirrors one of the reasons they decided to go with Xplor Recreation in the first place. That is, our team has continued to showcase that we truly understand parks and rec. This has helped put the NRH staff at ease and feel confident that the answers we provide about our platform are specific to the industry.

“During the implementation process with Xplor Recreation, what really stood out was that we were working with people who had actually been in our shoes. They came from parks and recreation backgrounds, so they understood the day-to-day challenges and could offer guidance that was specific and relevant to our world. They didn’t just show us how the software worked, they showed us how to make it work for us. That level of insight made a huge difference in setting us up for success.” - Garrett Peek, General Manager, NRH Center

Eager Staff, Excited to Use Xplor Recreation

Garrett shared that their staff had been looking forward to a change in their management software for years, and that they have eagerly embraced Xplor Recreation. Their excitement combined with the ease-of-use of our software resulted in a productive training process and effective transition.

“The launch process went really smoothly. Our staff had been ready for a change for quite some time, so there was a lot of positive energy going into it. From the demos, I already had a strong sense that this was going to be a great fit for our team. The training process reinforced that confidence, it gave our staff the tools and clarity they needed to feel prepared and supported from day one.” - Garrett Peek, General Manager, NRH Center

User-Friendly Platform for All Tech Abilities

Regardless of how tech-savvy a member is, Garrett noted that everyone in their community seems to understand how to use the software, they “just get it”. This simplified user experience has not only helped their guests but has also allowed the NRH team to streamline things on the staff side, like with their membership renewal process.

“The software has truly been a game changer for our members. The way users can now view and manage their accounts is much more intuitive and visually clean. It’s easier to navigate, and everything is just simpler to find. From start to finish, the transition has been smooth for our membership. Even those who aren’t particularly tech-savvy can register for a yoga class or withdraw from one in just a few clicks. That kind of ease-of-use is critical. In fact, we rarely hear questions or concerns about the system, and to me, that silence speaks volumes about how user-friendly the experience really is.” - Garrett Peek, General Manager, NRH Center

Rewarding Change That’s Streamlined Operations

From discovering how to build reports without the need of additional support to streamlining their closing procedures, Antonio told us he’s excited about the changes our software has brought about. He shared that the transition to a new platform has been well worth it.

“I've been excited from an operational standpoint. Garrett's easily learned how to build some of the reports himself that he utilizes regularly. So that's been very helpful and it's streamlined our closing procedure pretty significantly. We thought transitioning software was going to be somewhat painful but we knew that we wanted to get better. And the way to get better was to change and put in the work, it's been well worth it.” - Antonio Evangelista, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director

Simplified Workflows Due to Automation

Antonio also shared that their team has been better able to fill their group fitness classes, thanks to our all-in-one solution and the automation it offers. Instead of needing staff to manually fill details out in their backend and call people on their wait lists, they just let our software do its thing.

“When we talk about those software integrations and the things that we've been able to incorporate back into our workflows, it's been really nice for us to see everything work the way we expected it to. Something as simple as the automated wait list has been huge for us, and with the group fitness piece, it’s been amazing. It's helped increase class participation significantly. We spent years trying to perfect our online registrations and, even then, we were doing a lot of it manually by phone and in person. Now, our Membership Services Manager has seen the benefit of sitting back and automating it all. At the end of the day, he doesn't have to field numerous phone calls or manually enter things. He just watches it all in action as people sign up and get on the wait list. It's been really great.” - Antonio Evangelista, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director

Custom-Branded Mobile App is the “Shining Star”

After launching their white-label app powered by Xplor Recreation, it was met by their community with a lot of excitement. Garrett shared that their guests love simple things like having such easy access to their profile details, as well as being able to pull up their membership cards right on their phones.

“The biggest response we’ve heard from our members has been about the mobile app. It delivers that modern, familiar experience people expect, and it’s made a huge difference. Members can easily access their digital membership cards, see their expiration dates, manage their family members, and view upcoming activities they’re registered for. They can also browse our full catalog of programs and courses, and even make changes to their registrations, all from their phones. It’s those thoughtful, user-friendly features that have really elevated the experience. The mobile app has truly been the shining star of our rollout.” - Garrett Peek, General Manager, NRH Center

Customer Service Rooted in a True Partnership

The final result that Antonio and Garrett shared with us revolved around our customer service and commitment to a real partnership. They both said that they’ve been impressed by our collaboration, support, and proactive outreach ever since they signed the contract with us.  

“Customer service has been a big highlight of partnering with you. From implementation to now, there's been proactive outreach from the Xplor Recreation team. We get the sense that you want to make sure that we’re doing well and that we're getting everything we need. Not just through that initial process in the beginning but even now, we feel like we're part of the family, part of the team. In that sense, we’re getting the attention we need to continue to expand and improve our operations. That's been the part that's most exciting for me.” - Antonio Evangelista, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director

“I'm so excited about the software, our partnership, and how you can support our growth. I'm always looking forward to seeing where we can go from here. And that's what's important to us, I don't want to just improve today. I want us be better tomorrow. I believe we can have the support to do this together, and that's what I'm really excited about. ” - Garrett Peek, General Manager, NRH Center