The Studio Director - Avis

Studio Director is a complete management solutions

Commentaires : My overall experience with this professional software is very incredible and strongly recommend the use of this software for management solutions.

Avantages :

Studio Directors provides its user a complete management solution at single platforms where we can enjoy their amazing features such as class management, attendance management, point of sale, online registration and many more. This is a cloud based software with very easy to use interface and they provides excellent customer services to their users.

Inconvénients :

The software is a complete package and i have not found anything problematic.

Great Support and Ease of Use

Commentaires : It auto computes my tuition, once I put my rates in, regardless of when the student enrolls. That is a huge benefit.

Avantages :

It is all encompassing containing class schedules, family and students information, teachers schedules, and tuition charging and tracking.

Inconvénients :

I would like to have my POS incorporated with this software so that I only had to use one system. Consequently I charge on my POS and I have to post in the SD, unless it is just a tuition type charge.

Dance studio with 400 students and several different seasons/programs

Commentaires : I started with The Dance Academy 3 years ago so that is how long i've had studio director. I have a feeling studio director has awesome functionalities and capabilities but my biggest obstacle is that i don't know how to use them and i don't know what i'm not using. For day to day, the software is great. Reliable, relatively user-friendly, and makes registration easy for me. Here are a few areas i think could be improved:
-building emails and email campaigns, i know there's a drip campaign feature but i tried and could not figure out how to use it. To pre-program our emails to send automatically would be super helpful
-I do not want my clients to be able to click the 'do not send me emails' option upon registration because they end up missing out on important communications from us
-i had to manually go through and delete over 1000 families from the system recently, could not believe i couldn't just filter a group via a tag and delete them all in bulk... instead, this took hours and hours of my time
-From a customer perspective, registration experience could be easier, better looking, and i want control over the emails a customer receives upon registering.
-Would be great if i could automate a customized 'welcome' email as well as an email that automatically goes out to everyone 1 month and one week before class starts to prepare them for class. My main wish would be for a studio director consultant to sit down with me, analyze our current use of the software, listen to everything we do, everything we wish we could do, and then teach us how we could be using the software better, show us things we don't know, and just make sure we are operating as efficiently and effectively as possible with the product. Sort of like a nice, thorough audit of our current usage followed by a tutorial to improve future use.

Avantages :

The customer service is AMAZING. They alway get back to me fast, are patient and kind, and willing to talk by phone or email any time of the day. I REALLY appreciate this and it is pretty much 60% of why i'd recommend Studio Director.

Inconvénients :

It's a bit clunky at times, report pulling should be easier, emails should be better (take a look at mail chimp, THAT is a top notch email software), there are some major inefficiencies i've experienced, I have a feeling i am utilizing maybe 30% the software capabilities so as great as the software may be, there's definitely a lack of awareness/education would like help using it more and better.

Studio Director customer support is top-notch! Timely return of phone calls and emails especially.

Commentaires : Way more for our money, especially in the areas of customer service and access to reports. The recital planning features were extremely helpful and made good use of my time.

Avantages :

The recital planning features are in-depth and yet very user friendly. Their customer service folks never rush my questions and are always willing to walk me step by step through a new process. The number and types of reports are amazing...they have thought of everything we need before we even knew we needed it! Setting up seasons and classes is very user-friendly as well. But again, Studio Director's Customer Service sets them far above and apart from their competition. They are thorough, yes, but most of all, they are ACCESSIBLE!

Inconvénients :

1. There is NO good way to let our families know their account history. All of the option are confusing. The summary does not have enough info, the statements have too much info or too many lines of info that the families don't understand, and the other options are lacking as well. The way the account is set up in the portal is also confusing to many of our families. 2. We need to have more font/bolding/italicizing options for the class/event confirmations. Also, we need less automatic information put in and more access to putting in our own info. Our families were confused by the fact that their class time was in the chart, but their rehearsal time in the notes and at the top of the chart was overlooked because I couldn't make it stand out. 3. The family/EC information on the class rosters should not be centered; it makes them very difficult to read.

Awesome program

Commentaires : Studio Director has been an incredible program. It is easy to use and has helped us be organized. I am continually learning about features that the program includes that have saved me hours of work. I am impressed by the customer service and how quickly they respond to my questions. I also love that your customer service takes feedback and requests from me and other studios and is continually improving to better serve our needs.

Avantages :

It is easy to use and has helped me improve my communication with my families through emails (including automated emails), event confirmations, etc. I also love the many types of reports I can run and the incredible amounts of information available to me in so many formats.

Inconvénients :

I have recently incorporated welcome emails, new student emails, birthday emails, etc (drip campaigns). I would love an option to set up several new student drip campaigns. Specifically, I would like to be able to set up a different email to be automatically sent for each season to new enrollees. I have one set up currently, but have to manually send welcome emails to every other season.

Not User Friendly - Downgrade Since User Interface Upgrade

Commentaires : Major billing issue that lasted 3 weeks. SD was slow in response, had lack of communication, and failed to accept responsibility. No explanation or apology was ever provided. SD is ignoring their clients begging to return to the previous user interface. This is documented in the SD Idea Portal. They are not responding to customer comments.

Avantages :

Currently, we do not like much since the User Interface upgrade.

Inconvénients :

User interface upgrade during peak season that changed info that once was on a single page into multiple tabs. At least twice as long to navigate, harder to find information, and possible human error for employees since pivotal information is harder to find.

Extremely Helpful

Commentaires : The Studio Director helps us track class attendance, keep account balances up to date, and the customizable reports are extremely helpful in tracking financial trends.

Avantages :

The Studio Director's Class Charge administration is what adds the most value to my day-to-day operations. The system seamlessly calculates special discounts, prorated tuition, and credits in a way that helps our clients and staff immensely. I'm able to keep all of our student accounts up to date as they add and drop throughout the season. The Studio Director is able to generate customizable reports that help us in almost every business decision.

Inconvénients :

While The Studio Director mobile website is helpful and agile, we still nonetheless continue to get feedback from clients who say that they would prefer to use an iOS app over a mobile site.

Lifesaver! Must Have!!

Commentaires : I started my dance business without the The Studio Director and thought I could do everything on my own...I WAS WRONG! In only a few short months of struggling and feeling overwhelmed I purchased The Studio Director and everything fell into place. I immediately shared this program with our sister studio and even though they have been in business over 25 years they started using it and love it too.

Avantages :

Even though I am not at all technologically savvy I feel like a strong business person when I can email and print out professional documents and have everything for my dance parents at the touch of a button.

Inconvénients :

well... it's not really a con in the long run but this system does a LOT more than I think I need for my small studio but the more I use the program the more I utilize it's functions.

Hands down, best customer service!

Commentaires : I researched several dance studio software programs, and this one was the most comprehensive AND user-friendly. I received amazing customer service both before and after my purchase. Not only was I walked through my specific questions, but when I explained some of my studio needs, the rep I spoke with, Peggy, came up with a custom-made solution to my wishes. She knew the business well and was able to give me great advise and walk through the pros and cons of different ways to set up the software for my specific business needs. Her help was above and beyond what was to be expected.

Avantages :

The class schedule is displayed beautifully, I have easy access to all kinds of reports, my teachers can input their attendance and costume measurements directly onto the system, and the system will calculate costume sizes according to the vendor size charts. I can then run a report of what costumes in what sizes and quantities that I'm ordering from each vendor. This is just a very small sampling of what the program can do to simplify my work. There are also many checks and balances on the program so that, for instance, costumes are not ordered for a student who is taking class but not performing.

Inconvénients :

I don't like how I have to enter a character for all the prospect info such as address and phone if I don't have it. But this is a very minor issue. The only other "con" I have is that if you sign up for the 2 week trial, you're just going to have to have it! It's just that awesome!

Easy to use class management tool

Commentaires : I am pleasantly satisfied with the functionality that this tool has provided me with, it has allowed me to establish a much more organized work dynamic, where I can carry out the programming of my dance classes and choreographies, according to the student group. In addition to establishing evaluative methodologies for students, so they can through the application see their performance in our classes, so that parents can also monitor the activities that their children do in my classes.

Avantages :

It is a very robust web platform, which also has a mobile application. It allows the programming and management of classes, instructors, billing, as well as the control and monitoring of students. Additionally, it is very easy to use and to configure since it has a very friendly interface, so it does not require a learning curve, on the other hand it has a very affordable price.

Inconvénients :

It works efficiently, I have nothing negative to add, it is a very complete platform and has offered me good results.

Excellent Software!

Commentaires : Our experience with The Studio Director has been fantastic! We love this program because it has saved us valuable time and money. We used to handle our enrollment with physical files were things would get easily lost or miss-filed, now we have a way of keeping accurate records of everything. Searching and tracking our enrollment numbers has never been easier and the enrollment in automatic payments has kept us accountable as well as our customers. Their customer service is some of the best I, personally, have ever received (Pam is awesome!). They respond quickly to any questions we have and their staff is very helpful, knowledgeable and kind.

Avantages :

Customer Service User Friendly Multiple Features/Reports Easy to search and find specific records or groups of records with the ability to tag groups and email groups

Inconvénients :

User fields can only be added on Student level and not the Family level. We do a lot of research based on our family population and not having that option is little difficult, but The Studio Director actually came up with a nice alternative. This may not apply to a lot of studios.

Good experience

Commentaires : Keeps my classes and enrollments organized and customers can access at anytime and pay

Avantages :

The software is easy to use. My customers can enroll and pay online at anytime. I like the reports for business.

Inconvénients :

Not enough options for credit card processing. It is too expensive especially when charged extra by the Studio Director. Wish there was also a way to set up two seasons differently at the same time. Really wish you could put in a minimum credit payment for it to process.

Full functional, but not easy to use

Avantages :

Awesome range of features, from class scheduling to automatic billing. Recital planning features are a bonus, too. Plus online registering is a needed feature in this day and age when parents want to be able to do everything online.

Inconvénients :

More expensive than other similar programs. Hard to learn/use - very cumbersome with multiple steps for each task.

Once the system is set up with our classes, it's really easy for me and all our customers to use.

Avantages :

The layout of classes is neat colourful And specific. I like the little icons that identify each genre

Inconvénients :

I would like a facility for parents to book private lessons and have them charged to Their account. At the moment I do not know who is having private lessons with which teacher.

Your customer service rep was a great help! She was very informative!

Avantages :

The system is quite easy to work with. Seems to take all information entered accurately. Also easy to run reports needed.

Inconvénients :

Sometimes it is a little hard to find what I am looking for, but now I know to call the customer service if I need to.

Excellent software and best customer support!

Commentaires : I could not run my business without Studio Director! It is hands down the best software, so user friendly, and the customer support that comes with it is priceless. Worth every penny!

Avantages :

Online enrollment, ease of running payments, automatic payments, and customer support

SSBT Review

Commentaires : We have loved working with studio director. While our technical prowess can limit us at times, the customer support staff always eases our difficulties efficiently.

Avantages :

overall capabilities

Inconvénients :

tuition troubles

Customer Service is excellent!

Avantages :

I like that this software has functions for every aspect of my business. Recently, I asked if a certain function was available, and they created this function for me within the day. Totally awesome.

Inconvénients :

The tabs are not always self explanatory, but with the excellent customer service, its an easy fix.

We absolutely could not run our studio without this software!

Commentaires : The Studio Director has been an invaluable tool for us in managing our studio and communicating with our students and families. The interface is easy to use to set up classes, payments, student, family information, and so much more. As our studio grows, we've appreciated the report tools to manage the volume of class and student information in our database. We really like the email tool, with enhanced graphic and layout options, which allows us to create professional email communications to our students and families. The technical support we've had from the Studio Director staff has been phenomenal, and they've been able to resolve any questions or inquiries for us within hours, not days. There is so much flexibility to this tool, and as we expand our business, we are able to take advantage of more features of the software. We definitely made the right decision in choosing Studio Director to manage our studio information.

I am very happy we made the switch to The Studio Director!

Commentaires : I am very satisfied with our choice to switch to The Studio Director. Our previous database software felt clunky and did not have a helpful client interface, so we never put our schedule or registration online. With TSD, we have and our families love it. I am still learning how to fully use some of the features, but Customer Service and Support is wonderful!!! Whenever I have a question I cannot figure out on my own, they are quick to reply to my emails. I do wish the program had a staff feature, not just for teachers, but for admin and assistant staff. I'd love to be able to track all my staff in one place. I also wish I could easily see item balances rather than running balances in the family ledger, but just today I learned from a webinar how to make that a little easier.

Best Software Out There!

Commentaires : I have tried 4 software program and this by far has been the nest experience. Customer service is excellent and the software is very easy to use.

Avantages :

There are so many... Mainly this software is very user friendly.

Inconvénients :

I wish there was a way to block out entire weeks for holidays. I also wish the waiver option was immediately following the dancer info page. Many of my clients don't know it is there.

Best choice I ever made for my Studio!

Commentaires : I looked at several programs before finally making my choice to go with Studio Director. I am glad I looked around because when I finally found Studio Director, I found everything I needed in one package (that all the others were missing). It has been worth every minute spent learning and every penny spent on services! Support is fantastic! Rates are fair and reasonable! I find it very user friendly and my customers love being able to do business on-line! I am just sorry it took me so long to find. If I would have known about them sooner, I would have switched a long time ago. Hands down, THE BEST program in the industry!

One satisfied customer!

Commentaires : For the first six years of our school existence we used a different software until I had it with those unlogical features. I wish we would have used The Studio Director from the start. We're now in our 4th year with this software and it couldn't get any easier but it does. They listen to our complaints and suggestions and update the software every few months to make it easier to use or to add new features. We're very happy to use it -every day!

Avantages :

That we can do anything within our business with it

Nice Way to Manage Dancer Account

Commentaires : The Studio Director has been a very convenient way to submit dance class payments.

Avantages :

The Studio Director allows me to make payments for my student's classes, as well as see her financial history.

Inconvénients :

Sometimes, I find it difficult to interpret the financial data and it is not always easy to tell which payment type is selected.

We love The Studio Director

Commentaires : We love that we email or call support and within 1-2 hours have a response from a customer service representative. They are helpful in setting up new rates on a yearly basis and offer excellent customer service complete with clear details of how to fix our concerns. They also have been receptive in taking into account our requests for updates and changes to the functionality of the system.