What are Jackrabbit Dance users saying about the software?

Just What We Needed!

It is expensive but you get what you pay for.

Overall my experience has been positive. Jackrabbit is expensive, but they seem to offer the most features for a complex dance school. One way or another we can find what we need through Jackrabbit

Pros

What I like most about this software is the customer service. This is a robust and complex system that has evolved spectacularly over the 10+ years that I have used it. There are many features that can be confusing at first. But the customer service team is always ready to help and in a way that makes it easy to understand and replicate on my own later.

Cons

One thing that is missing is a retail feature for online sales. They have implemented a retail feature that can be done in person. But I would love to be able to sell our uniforms on our website through Jackrabbit. I would also love to see the email/communications features made more robust. It would be nice to know who is opening our emails and who is not.

Satisfied but could be more.

We love this for customer interaction and management. Bill pay is easy and straight forward. This falls short of being a total studio solution in my opinion however. Feel free to reach out to me for more ideas, I would even be interested in long term product development if you want.

Pros

I love how many options there are for reports and options within the report.

Cons

I would love for this software to have better inventory management and store management features. Also, hour tacking/employee scheduling is a little bit lacking. I have been using Homebase for hour tracking. Would be nice to us JR but the software is lacking.

Excellent Management System for Dance Studios

In a nutshell, we are very satisfied with Jackrabbit and will continue to recommend it to others.

Pros

The ease of allowing our business to move to online registration and class management's revolutionized our business. The ability to give families a Parent Portal system to register for classes, update policies, check attendance and purchases has been integral on reducing number of calls to the business freeing up time for other matters.

Cons

The Concert/Recital portal is very rudimentary and needs to me modernized. It does not make this process easier for planning. It also needs to figure out how to calculate and track class-pass scenarios.

Wish we had transferred sooner.

Tuition processing Mass emails Parent Portal ease.

Pros

Our dance studio had been using a software that didn't utilize any modern for some time now...basically we were using a dinasour program for studio management. We transferred to the Jackrabbit system during quarentine and it has been amazing. With great customer support and many resources my questions about the system are quickly answered. So far any problem that we come accross we are able to find the answer to with much ease. The program allows our staff to communicate easier and become involved more with the developement of each of our students. My families are so pleased with the upgrade as well. Our favorite part about the software is tuition processing. It is easy and can be done in minimal time. Everything is integrated! We only wish we had tranferred sooner.

Cons

Because of how many aspescts Jackrabbit uses and covers for your studio, there is a lot that goes into the set up of the system in order to meet the exact needs of your studio. However, after the set up process and allowing yourself to get to know the ins and outs it is easy.

Thank you!

The tech support is amazing!

Pros

We switched over to JR a week before we shut down due to COVID in 2020. We believe that we were able to thrive during that time because we had so many on line resources. Thank you is not enough!

Cons

We are still learning some things. There is a lot to learn. For the last two years, we have spent a lot of time just trying to make it and start to grow again. I need to dig in and learn a few more things.

Best Software System For My Business

Overall I love my experience because when there was a problem someone is always there to help, and as someone who does well with someone actually showing me in the moment it's been great. They're patient and there isn't anything that their software doesn't do for my studio's needs.

Pros

I love how they are always trying to find ways to make it easier for you to understand and use. Setting up my classes was easy, and even applying the necessary discounts and registration fees helped me out a lot.

Cons

Figuring out how to link the events that I set-up via the software to my website was a little tricky, and sometimes the software had problems with separating families with the same last name, but once I called for live help everything was resolved.

Jackrabbit review

Stressful. I have not gotten a full understanding of the program. I implemented it this year and each time I look at it, I tend do use the same features that I have figured out for sure. I am still unsure if certain things went through or if I did things correctly. Many things did not flow easily as the coach explained. I would not be able to do any of it without the coaching. I appreciate that it is easy for most of my families. It is just stressful for me.

Pros

It integrates well with websites another systems. It tries to address many dance world features for large dance studios/businesses.

Cons

There are so many things/drop downs/sections to click on to make one basic thing happen. It is overwhelming to use due to the variety and numerous details that are always on the screen. Some steps take 2-3 steps to accomplish. The overall look is congested with many reports, graphs, statistics and numbers that are visual all the time. It is overwhelming with so much information or steps to take to use the program. Navigating through it take help from their coaching no matter what. For artistic individuals, it is over the top business arranged with statistics and listings.

Helpful but could be improved

It's helpful, but we have to do lots of things on our own and in different software.

Pros

It's easy to navigate and search for student or a class.

Cons

There were lots of glitches and issues. Clients had difficulty navigating the website. There were several issues with money and payment. We wanted to be able to automatically apply discounts only to certain clients, but we couldn't. It is very expensive.

Affordable, versatile, easy to use

We continue to be happy with the affordability, integration into our website, and ease of use for students, teachers, and administrators.

Pros

This software was so much more intuitive, well integrated, and affordable than the studio management software we were using previously (MindBody). Easy to integrate web registration and class schedules into our website. Easy to create discount rules, enroll students, schedule make-up classes, and track student skills. The student portal is user-friendly. Our students never checked their accounts online with our previous software, and now they use their student accounts all the time. Jackrabbit also responded quickly to the pandemic, creating tools for sharing online class links and videos efficiently and securely with registered students.

Cons

We don't like the look of the mobile-friendly class schedule integration. Class schedules look great in desktop mode, but very clunky on our website in mobile mode. We'd also like them to change the name of the Parent Portal to Student Portal, or something else that is more friendly to adult students.

Lisa's Dance Connection

I learn the most with the live chat agents. I'm thankful for that feature. We have something odd happening every once and a while where "JTech" posts things and I cannot track which employee actually posted a charge or did something in the portal. I spoke with a live agent and she didn't understand why that was happening either.

Pros

After using DanceManager on a desktop without cloud capabilities since the 1990s, Jackrabbit is a breath of fresh air.

Cons

I want portal messages from customers as a notification or a tab on my executive dashboard. It is annoying to go to the sent emails in reports every day to check. (I know we receive emails but my email address sends all Jackrabbit automatic emails to spam because it would overwhelm my inbox.) We also were frustrated in the beginning because we bought a card reader through SafeSave and it was not Mac compatible and we are stuck with it. We are using our Chase credit card processor for in person purchases, SafeSave for online purchases (or in-person requesting to use card on file), and Square when at performances/competitions. We desperately need something to read cards and update the customer's account simultaneously. (Rather than us charging the card and entering that they paid)

The Cadillac of Webware for Dance Studios

My experience with JR over the past 9 years has been incredible. Their support has improved over the years and if I want a call, they call. If I need immediate assistance, they get to me. And everyone on the team is so well informed.

Pros

I love that everything is connected to everything in this webware. I love the search options, the report options, the constant updates, and how easily I can work it from my phone anywhere!

Cons

I'd love a timeline on the features they are currently updating, but really, no other program does what JR does. So I can't complain!

Love the customer service

It’s the people that drive this product. Employees are amazing and they are always looking to create new features to enhance the product.

Pros

The support is phenomenal! Their response time is amazing.

Cons

Some tasks have a learning curve and this can slow down productivity until you figure it out.

The best as far as customization goes

We like it, but it is a bit frustrating at times. It is definitely confusing, as well...and this comes from very tech-savvy people.

Pros

I really love that Jackrabbit has so many features and so many ways to customize it. It is replacing numerous different things we used to customize and create for ourselves — attendance sheets on Google Sheets, rolls and databases on Filemaker Pro, having to manually text parents through Google Voice, emailing registered families through Gmail add-ons or Mailchimp, and registering students through a mix of Woocommerce and Eventzilla. We felt that the charge was worth it.

Cons

I do believe that functionality sort of takes precedence with this company over ease of use. So, it is very difficult sometimes to customize things exactly the way you want it. There is also NO way — in our opinion — to effectively do drop-ins, like there is with Mind-Body. Private lessons will also require us to use a 3rd party solution. I wish there as a native app, free for all of us, not additional charge. I also wish there was a way to integrate video lessons or pay-to-take-online lessons (like drop-ins, online). I think that the way you integrate this into your website is also very convoluted, and could be improved.

Jackrabbit has been a lifesaver

Pros

One centralized location to manage most aspects of the business, whether at the office or at home. This product makes owning and managing a dance studio much easier. It is also a great service for our patrons.

Cons

There are a lot of possibilities and you have to be careful to check everything. It can sometimes be a bit persnickety and for people who are not computer savvy, it is not always intuitive.

Jackrabbit is a great software

Overall I love Jackrabbit. I love that they reduced their price yet increased their services when the Pandemic started. It’s a great software.

Pros

Easy to learn with videos and access to support.

Cons

That ideas are only implemented if we get enough votes. I have been waiting for years for them to not allow kids to double book themselves in a overlapping classes for example, and should be an easy fix. I also wish they improved their recital management that would a hard to use.

Review

It has been great! We have had few issues with bit of a learning curve from the old software, but it has been good.

Pros

The online aspect of it. The ability to have online payments also.

Cons

I would like to see a place for dance years at our studio. We like to do bench mark exams and keeping track on the student portion would be great!

Helpful, Useful, Resourceful!

Overall, it has made my life so much easier and has helped me get my business on the right foot!

Pros

I love the functionality of Jackrabbit and how it can store so much information and make it all work together. The parent portal looks professional and you can customize it to your companies logo, branding and welcome messages. My clients have had a fairly easy time using the portal and I love being able to send documents to their classes for them to always view instead of sending 90 emails a year.

Cons

I really wish there was a way for students to sign up for private lessons or occasional lessons. I wish there was a way to schedule classes to be set up on an every other week basis as well since that is how I run solo classes. I wish fees could automatically charge accounts instead of manually going in and charging accounts.

Jackrabbit Dance Review

I prefer this software over others. Easy to learn, easy to use; staff and parents happy with both sides of system.

Pros

All of the reports help with making our business run smoother. Client management is streamlined. Parent Portal is easily accessible.

Cons

I don't have anything that I like the least. It would be nice to mass archive and mass enroll students. Costume section needs improvement in order to actually place orders (if that's what the goal is).

Must have software program for recreational programs!!

Converting to using JR was the best decision I could’ve made for my studio! I felt like a weight was lifted off me when so no longer had to separately invoice each student, now it’s by family and once you set up multi student and multi class discounts it’s automatically calculated for you!

Pros

I have no trouble learning and implementing the software, JR assigned someone to walk me through the set up and have a library of self help videos!

Cons

I have nothing negative to say about the software, I’ve been using it for a little over six months now.

Can do most anything you can imagine

Customer service was excellent. Overall experience was great, being a small dance studio it was just more than what we needed. If we were larger, it would have been a life saver.

Pros

Accounting, reporting, and ease of use was the best feature for us. Also, just tracking customers and managing memberships.

Cons

Some reports for revenue were kind of confusing. So many features can be overwhelming. Cost was high.

A True Asset for Management

Contacting families, monitoring balances, keeping track of measurements and costuming... All of that has been a breeze with Jackrabbit Dance.

Pros

I love that, even though it takes a little practice, it's simple to get used to and becomes easy to understand quickly. Its features are concise and accessible, making managing our data so much easier than anything else we've used.

Cons

As I said, it does take some effort to learn, although once learned it's very easy to navigate. I'm sure that anything I personally find unclear is only because we haven't yet discovered how to use those features, and will easily be resolved because of how accessible the information becomes when you take the time to explore the program.

Get your office Organized!

First and foremost, any software MUST have excellent tech support or you will not use it or get the full benefit from it. Jackrabbit has the best tech support I have ever seen. From the initial demo representative to email and phone support later. All the techs have been easy to follow, extremely patient and very helpful. I have heard a few say that Jackrabbit is "complicated". Well, yes it is, because it gives you options and details to run your office the way you want to. The good news is that you can learn it slowly, implement a few things at a time and add more complex details later. I was so intimidated to try a new software program. I am an older studio owner and maybe not as tech savvy as younger owners. My initial representative put me at ease right away. She promised that she would help me understand everything that I needed and make sure I could do it by myself. She did and I couldn't be happier! I should have made this switch years ago.

Pros

It has pulled all the information and services that I need into one place. This makes for easy accessibility from any computer. I can work from my laptop on accounts, posting, payroll, emails, reports, contacts, whether I am at work, at home or on vacation!

Cons

The costume management has been the hardest for me so far. I think there is a lot of room for improvement here. Handling multiple costumes per class is very confusing. You can enter them, but when you look at the page, it is difficult to understand. We had to just put these classes on paper instead of in the soft ware.

JR Customer Service is top-notch, if only their programmers could keep up

Pros

JR Customer Service and training representatives are soooo helpful. The chat function within the database is crucial to getting answers, strategies RIGHT away. When the chat function is open, you are never waiting more than 90 seconds for a rep. If the rep needs to work on a solution they will always provide you with a response within 24hrs. It's incredible service compared to other software.

Cons

Let me get out my programming wishlist... 1. customize the staff portal attendance options, need more than just 'late', 'left-early', 'observed' and why only when they are absent, why isn't there options or even a notes field when they are in attendance? 2. closed dates vs. cancelled classes, there is no way to reflect a single cancelled class without marking the whole class as absent, that messes up the attendance reporting calculation, c'mon now, this one has been asked for for years in the idea portal! 3. google calender, apple calendar, etc. integration - this seems like a no brainer 4. there are no customized or ANY form fields in emails or text messages - why not? again a no brainer 5. private lesson module - it doesn't exists 6. needs to have integration with other cloudbase software, email marketing as an example

Best Decision We Could Have Made!

We made the switch to Jackrabbit in May of 2020. I use this product both from the office/business side and the parent side and I am thoroughly enjoying working with both sides! From the business side, it was very easy to set up and Jackrabbit walked me through and always answered my questions. Their customer service team is top notch! The software functionality is amazing! From the parent side, it’s very user friendly! We just had our rec level registration yesterday and it could not have been any easier for the parents! In fact, one emailed me to say “I just wanted to let you know this is the fourth studio we’ve been to and your sign up process was by far the best!!” That alone speaks volumes! I also love how parents can store up to 3 cards on file for payment. This software is far LESS than what we were paying before and it is light years ahead!

Pros

We are a larger studio and Jackrabbit helps save me time In many ways! One example, When parents have a failed payment, they receive an email automatically letting them know. I have noticed great success with parents logging in to update expired cards AND make payment without me calling them! I can also view A/R at a quick glance from my dashboard, and click to see who has balances, AND email them in mass. Time saver! If I post a fee with an incorrect amount I can easily edit the transaction instead of deleting it and starting over. I can apply credits to transactions in mass which saves me at least an hour/month! During registration, there is a dashboard that shows me everything coming in so I can easily keep tabs on the process, review registrations, etc. The Parent Portal is mobile friendly so parents can easily do things on the go! It’s very easy to navigate! Taking attendance appears to be quick and painless in the Staff Portal, though we have not gotten to use that yet as classes have not started. We also utilize the time card feature which got us away from paper. We utilize the store for front desk purchases and that has been saving incredible time and paper as well. Customer service team could NOT be any better! There is also an extensive help section where I can locate answers.

Cons

They are continually making improvements! One thing I would like to see is tuition payments processing automatically. (It is coming soon.) That is the single item our old system had over Jackrabbit. But there are so many other advantages to Jackrabbit and it’s very fast to process payments so not a huge deal. Their are so many reports it’s been a learning curve to figure out my favorites. On the flip side - there is literally a report for anything!