A Stroke of Genius
How a management platform for swim schools is making a splash with Payrix as its payments partner
SimplySwim is a leading cloud-based management platform designed specifically for swim schools. It was created by a team with 20+ years of experience in the swim school industry, including Kylie McGrath, Founder and Managing Director.
After years of managing swim schools herself, Kylie was talking with a friend that owned a swim school about the business admin issues they were facing. By combining the knowledge of the business, experience in the industry and expertise of her software developer husband, it was clear to Kylie that the right solution would alleviate some of the day-to-day stress this swim school was dealing with. Initially, the idea was to create a custom software for that one swim school to solve issues that no other software out there had been able to tackle.
SimplySwim went live in 2010 and word spread quickly within the industry — a swim school was running a program that was meeting their very specific needs. Before long, SimplySwim officially entered the market with a highly configurable cloud-based solution.
“We built custom software for one swim school at first, then we realised the demand and began growing our client base and users predominantly by recommendation. Now we have a few hundred swim centres of all sizes across the country using SimplySwim,” Kylie shared.
Perfecting their stroke with payments
Right out of the gate, the SimplySwim platform included a Direct Debit module so its swim schools could accept recurring or instalment payments. However, it didn’t take long to realise their provider was barely treading water in the eyes of clients.
Kylie explained, “The fees were too high and the customer service was not at the level our clients were used to getting from us. So based on that feedback, we decided to start exploring some different options.”
SimplySwim also offered an Australian Banking Association (ABA) payments solution, but it wasn’t enough. It lacked the flexibility they wanted to give their clients.
At that point, Kylie and her team realised that if SimplySwim was going to revamp their Direct Debit solution, they were going to do it the right way where they could offer clients the very best.
They wanted to implement a secure, API solution that provided clients with more flexibility and control. Modern features like electronic DDR forms would save clients time and money previously spent on completing paper forms that require manual entry and proper disposal.
Kylie and the team realised reinventing SimplySwim payments would not only require the right solution but also the right partner. She shared, “We did our homework and ended up with a great Australian-based team in Payrix. The ability to call anytime and actually get a local team member to pick up the phone was really reassuring to us.”
How Payrix offered a lifeline
It was important to SimplySwim to choose a payments integration partner that shared the same ethos and had the same sort of relationship with its clients as they did. Payrix proved the right fit on that level and many others.
“The customer service we get from Payrix has always been amazing. I know when we’re onboarding new clients, any trouble on either end of the portal will be quickly sorted out within minutes or even seconds. When an issue arises on an integration call with clients, it helps to have the problems resolved quickly, bringing a level of professionalism our clients have grown to expect,”
– Kylie explained.Between the dedicated, expert guidance and comprehensive API documentation provided by Payrix, SimplySwim was able to coast through the implementation process. Kylie expanded on the level of service further by sharing, “The support for end users has been fantastic. The Payrix team has taken the time to get to know how our Direct Debit module works so when our swim school clients call for support, they get someone who understands our product and how to help.”
“The support for end users has been fantastic. The Payrix team has taken the time to get to know how our Direct Debit module works so when our swim school clients call for support, they get someone who understands our product and how to help.”
In addition, Payrix worked with SimplySwim to create a special offer for its clients to switch to the new payments solution. Being able to reward clients for making the move was a big help getting past the hesitancy of switching providers or trialling Direct Debit in their business for the first time.
Monetising payments creates a wave of revenue
SimplySwim has grown considerably since partnering with Payrix. According to Kylie, “our partnership with Payrix has helped us increase our revenue. Allowing SimplySwim to hire extra staff a lot sooner than originally projected. It’s fantastic to work with a company that’s as invested in growing your numbers as it is in growing its own.”
“It’s fantastic to work with a company that’s as invested in growing your numbers as it is in growing its own.”
– Kylie McGrath, FounderHaving struggled with Direct Debit payments in the past, SimplySwim was met with some resistance from clients. The relationship with Payrix gave Kylie the confidence she needed to stand behind the Direct Debit module and assure clients that payments would continue to get easier from that point forward.
There’s also more time in Kylie’s day that can be dedicated to working with clients and enhancing the SimplySwim platform with new features for swim schools.
“I’m able to focus on sales, new leads and working with current clients to improve their processes now,” said Kylie. “We just spent last week reviewing our existing book of business and putting a plan together to attract clients to Payrix as a way to improve cash flow, business processes and reduce fees,” she added.
In addition to unique technology, diligent support and expert guidance, SimplySwim has experienced firsthand what it’s like to have an integrated payments partner like Payrix, that is just as dedicated to world-class user experience and customer service.
To view the SimplySwim website, head to https://www.simplyswim.com.au/.