‘Our Entire Business Runs on Recras’

Outdoor Adventure Company

These are the words of Fleur Remmerswaal, sales and event manager at Outdoor Valley in Bergschenhoek. The outdoor adventure company began with a canoe store and a self-built climbing wall of 34.6 meters, and today it is one of the largest in the industry. From outdoor survival, mountain biking, and team-building activities to hosting meetings, children’s parties, and major events like the Obstacle Run—Outdoor Valley does it all. They even have an outdoor ski slope that sees heavy use during the winter season.

Challenging Yet Achievable

Fleur continues, “Harrie, who knows everything about setting up Recras, found it a challenge but was always there to guide us. He was very accessible, and we had weekly meetings. We had to migrate all the existing bookings and quickly set up ticketing for new events. Initially, we had to let go of our usual ways of working to truly improve our efficiency. It was labor-intensive but entirely manageable.”

Faster and Simpler Booking System

Fleur reflects, “We wanted a faster, simpler booking system. We spoke to about fifteen providers before choosing Recras. Marthijn and Harrie, two of Recras’s founders, also own an outdoor company, so they truly understand our needs. They were the only ones who could meet our requirements. They were transparent about areas they were still developing but eager to grow in those areas. It was all-encompassing but different from what we were used to.”

Taking It Further

“We currently use Recras for customer contact, creating quotes, and scheduling instructors,” Fleur explains. “Soon, I’ll meet with Harrie again to implement email integration and gift card functionalities. There’s still room for more efficiency. The system evolves, but during peak season, we didn’t have time to explore further. After nearly a year, we’re still learning. There’s definitely more progress to be made.”

Accessible and Personal Support

“Recras’s support is very accessible and personal. I usually contact Harrie, but if he’s unavailable, I email him, and he responds quickly—even if he doesn’t have the answer right away. That’s a huge difference compared to our previous system’s provider. With them, it was always a gamble whether I could reach someone, and every question came with extra costs.”

A Resounding Success

“Yes, the setup process was a significant time investment, but it was absolutely worth it. We’ve even reduced one full-time position because of it. Though we’ve only been using Recras for a short time, we can’t do without it now. Our business experiences extreme peaks, leading to stress and high workloads. Recras has transformed that. Now we have more manageable days, which is a big relief. This transition was 1000 percent successful, and we’d do it again in a heartbeat. I’d recommend it to any recreational company—without a doubt!”