Worst possible rink mistakes

[Query]

We've had threads on rants and raves about your rink.

And we've had a thread on how to create the best possible rink.

How about how you would create the worst possible rink?

I'll start, with one of the worst possible business decisions any business can make, changing contact information, such as:

  Name of rink
  Phone number(s) of rink
  Web site of rink
  Address (i.e., location) of rink

When most people try to find a rink or any business a way they have found it before, and it isn't where they look, they assume it is out of business.

This is a guaranteed way to lose most of your business.

A lot of rinks make this mistake. Usually when they change management, but other times too.

[davincisop]

Not repairing your ice for over 5 years. (my rink.... my boss wants to get it repaired, but the owner of the rink doesn't understand that it needs it, he just sees lost revenue)

Not offering skating specials.

Not advertising.

[sarahspins]

Selling the property and closing

[FigureSpins]

(((sarahspins)))  The community needs to make some noise and the figure skaters should NOT sit back and let the hockey orgs do all the work.  A rink in my area closed and reopened under new mgt/ownership - lucky right?  The hockey groups worked together to make that happen and surprise, surprise, the only programs running right now are hockey.  I don't know who dropped the ball there, but the figure skating club didn't step up, that's for sure.

[sarahspins]

Well, the interesting thing is that the facility being sold was built under similar circumstances... the mall our other rink is in was being sold/remodeled, there was talk of removing the rink (which never happened, long story, but the same company that built the new facility took over management of the old mall rink and eventually completely rebuilt that rink) and so one family organized investors and essentially built another rink so their daughters (who were maybe 7 and 11 or so back then?) could continue to skate.  The local figure skating community was actually larger back then than (I feel) it is now and there was more support back then for a new rink than there would be now.  There have been rumors for about the past year or so of another rink being built "within the next year" but at this point rumors still have that rink at about a year out from now (when I first started hearing them, they said the new rink would be opening right about now)... so I'm not sure I believe those.

The last rumors I heard prior to this confirmed sale was actually that one of the hockey orgs was trying to secure funding the purchase the property and take over the operation of the rink, but that clearly won't be happening now.

That said though, we won't be left without a rink and honestly I spend more of my time at the one that isn't closing, but it's still very disappointing news because it probably means that existing programs will be scaled way back... until the area sees another rink being built anyways.