Sawyer Reviews

Pros
1. I love that HiSawyer is specific to use for children activities and classes. I tried other booking plugins or websites that were a "one size fits all" (appointments for nail salon or doctor's office) and well... they didn't quite fit for my business. For instance, HiSawyer allows the possibility to see the age and birthdate of the kids, having an "older sibling discount", adding semesters or multiple locations, specially because our class doesn't have only one location... Bookings are specific for a kid's class, and it's awesome. 2. Very easy to use! All what can be done in point #1, is very easy to set up! 3. Professional look. Some other plugins I had tried before look very outdated and amateurish. I love HiSawyer fresh and professional design. It's exactly what I was looking for for months until I bumped into HiSawyer.

Cons
I really love everything about it. If I had to really look for perfection: it would be awesome if there was an app. It might be just me, but checking it from mobile can be a little bit frustrating sometimes. Nothing out of this world, not bugs or errors, just think about checking social media from a web browser in your phone. But other than that, I love this!

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
I like how easy it is to manage and use. Our clients seem to enjoy it as well since it allows them a lot of accessibility and privacy especially when registering. I also appreciate all of the options that we can do for creating camps and classes. Overall, there are a lot of options that we can do for our programs now that we have Sawyer.

Cons
Because of how easy the program is to use, there are some options that we would appreciate having but do not have yet. For one, it would be nice to have the ability to send out receipts to clients on the financials page if we were to increase their balance or charge them through there. It would also be nice to have a notes section on the financials page so that our accountant and I don't have to look through all of our emails to find information regarding a client but instead have it readily available. Another thing, we would appreciate is if the financials alone had the ability to sort the clients by payment method and etc. And if we move to another page and press the back button, it would be nice to not have to restart but instead just have it still remaining on the clients that we searched for.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 7/10

Pros
Its ease of use. Many concepts make sense. To be able to assign teachers and increase parent communication. *** Please add ability to attach files *** and please *** update your form software for custom forms - it is terrible right now ***

Cons
This summer Chefsville had over 30 camps. The normal training schedule for Sawyer didn't allow for us being out working those camps so getting trained was twice as hard for Mollie. We actually had to test, play and figure it out until she advised us and we could follow. I still have no idea of what an acknowledgement/registration confirmation e-mail looks like and have customers calling me asking when there next payment is due and what dates our programs are. I have a great email that I use, but I can't use that when I am trusting your software to do it along with payment receipt. We still are not trained and know that your software does more than what we know. Mollie has been out and schools started for us this week. So we are having to scramble to find information. We still need help with our form, our form asks several questions that your profile automatically does. I need to find where and how to get this information, change our form so it asks only one time. Website Widget - we have no control of it! I had to figure out the coding to modify the short code to show Semesters and not camps. I did ask for help, but by the time customer service got to me, many people passed our programs over because they couldn't see how to register by changing "Camps" to "Semesters". I think your clients need to have more controls on their WordPress.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 5/10

Pros
This ease and functionality of this program was great when we were checking out other programs to convert from.

Cons
Most of the problems from this software was being able to charge customers/students either by the quarter or monthly depending on what classes they were registered from. The Rep that I was in contact with was suppose to contact me when it was ready to be implemented but never reached back out.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 7/10

Pros
Financials - reporting, payment plans, etc. I used to spend so much time creating and managing payment plans for parents! Our previous software made it almost impossible to get information about our deposits, fees, etc. It is very transparent with Sawyer.

Cons
It is more for children at this point and we have classes for children and adults so sometimes we have to do a lot of explaining to people. A little more flexibility for that would be nice.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 8/10

Pros
Ease & functionality for admin and user.

Cons
Not very customizable for class display.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
Always rolling out new functionality Great design

Cons
Lengthy learning curve - takes a while to get into the flow Few options for custom coding

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
Ease of use on the backend. Easily customize classes, coupons, view live registration in multiple locations on my phone, tablet, or laptop.

Cons
Some less than tech-savvy parents find it hard to navigate to register. Tracking financials could be clearer.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
I thought it was beautiful to use and look at and loved the design. I enjoyed the initial on boarding experience.

Cons
The software caters to companies that run camps and week long events for kids but it doesn't have options to view rosters and add kids in that way which has caused a lot of confusion and work for me this season.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 6/10

Pros
First of all one pro I'd like to point out is the price. The fact that the user fee is billed to the client. That is a definite plus. The software is pretty easy to use after some training.

Cons
What I don't like about the software is that anytime I need to make some changes on the website I have to contact the company.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 9/10

Pros
I like how easy it is to set up. They do all the inputting of information and then send you the code to embed on your website. I like that as a parent, it retains my information from year to year so registering my child is quick and painless. I like how they handle all the gathering of money. For the first time, all our accounts paid their tuition and I didn't have to track anyone down.

Cons
It's hard to get reports of how many kids have registered or print lists by ages. I would like for them to work on that capacity. The last software we used, you could print all kinds of reports but I have a hard time getting what I want on Sawyer.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
I love that it's so easy to use and very user friendly. I didn't need to "learn" to use it - it's very self-explanatory. I like that I get paid very fast with Sawyer direct deposits. I like this new party booking feature - haven't tried it yet but intend to sign up for that!

Cons
- it's less flexible in terms of creating one off classes. for example, in pearachute, i am able to create an "impromptu" class with a certain musician. On Sawyer I have to create a new schedule, then a new activity, etc. it's a bit overwhelming. I don't always necessarily want to create an event for one offs but the way the Sawyer system is no you almost have to. - some glitches along the way. i can't always access all the functionalities in my phone (like adding packs to people's accounts for example); certain coupon codes not working after awhile (even without me putting any time restrictions on it); duplicate accounts in Contacts and not being able to delete them (even when there is no packs attached to them) - Reports. I don't really understand how to use them. I will be calling support team to learn more about how I can customize them - If someone comes to studio and pays cash for the class there is no way for me to check them in and note that this is a paid customer because there is no such function in the system. For report purposes I would like to understand paid vs not paid customers. - Function that prompts emails/messages to customers who haven't come to studio in a while. Maybe not an automated email but a reminder email to me saying "Hey, Johnny Smith hasn't come to Tiny Tunes Studio in a while, maybe you want to send them an email offering some sort of a discount for his next visit?" and maybe have like a standard email that each owner can customize then.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
Their tech support is beyond compare. Anytime we have a problem, we almost always get a response, from an actual person with a name, within an hour. The response often comes directly from our account manager. They also listen to feedback from their users to continually improve the software.

Cons
My only real complaint is that it does not integrate with Quickbooks, which causes some additional accounting headaches, but still SO much better than the previous registration software we were using.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
I am a visual arts teacher and have a website where parents sign up their children to take classes from my studio. What I like most about Sawyer is how professional it makes my website look and how easy it makes my registration process. All my listings are set up in order of time of week and time of day with a bright red button that is irresistible to push! I love that parents can pay online using a payment plan or pay in full. I don’t have to hassle with trying to get payments each month as it is done automatically. All my forms are set up through the software so I get all the information I need about the parents and students. This is all kept in a client list where I can reference when needed. Total Organization tool!

Cons
Some of the things I would like Sawyer to fix or change about their software are the following: 1.) Allow more personalization to the registration page. When I don’t have classes to register for, I would like to have my own personal message instead of the generic one Sawyer has. I would also like to allow more personalization on the registration page to look like the rest of my website. I had to change my color scheme a bit to make the red button fit in my layout. 2.) The cost to use this software is not cheap when a customer uses a credit card. It is over 4% of the purchase price and that adds up over the year. I do like that if a parent pays by cash or check there is no charge for using the software. When you have a small business this really cuts into your profits. 3.) One feature I wish Sawyer had in the clients list was a roster you could look at that has your current students and what class they signed up for. As it is now, you have to go to each class and click on it to see who registered for it. It would be so nice to have a roster list separate from the class.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 8/10

Pros
I really like how Sawyer has great customer and created a product that reflects how they listen to their clients’ needs.

Cons
So far I haven’t had any issues. I like that they recently added monthly pricing, which made it easier for me to offer the pricing structure I wanted.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
I love that I can be doing something else -- anything else -- and I will look at my phone and see that I have a registration. It's always exciting to see who has registered for what and how much money I just made while doing something else! My customers love that they can register online without having to call in!

Cons
It's not intuitive. Even after all the years I have been using it I sometimes still have to search around to find what I want to do. But I am getting better at it! So far there is no way to create online registration for our rolling enrollment.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 7/10

Pros
Sawyer's customer service is stellar, they always respond quickly and usually are able to address the issue within a day or so. The interface is user-friendly, both on the admin backside as well as for the parents looking for classes. I appreciate that it looks good embedded in my website, and that each activity has an option of a direct link.

Cons
There are a few spots where I can't customize as much as I need. Particularly around summer camps.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
THe customer service is the most wonderful aspect of sawyer. If I ever have the smallest problem, the admin team gets back with me within minutes, and a fix is on the way. They are constantly working to make the software better, and really value the relationships they build with their customers. You get the sense that they really care about helping us grow our businesses.

Cons
As they grow, there are frequent bugs. They get worked out very quickly though! Also, as my business grew, I was paying thousands of dollars in fees. I wish I had known about a monthly payment option earlier. I could have saved a very large amount of money.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 8/10

Pros
From the very first time I reached out to Sawyer for an initial phone call, their team has been nothing but helpful, incredibly responsive, and easy to work with. I offer music/movement classes and find it helpful to see the full calendar in upcoming mode. Sawyer integrates well with my website, and parents (for the most part) have not had any issues registering for classes. Enjoy have a month to month payment option, too! As a small business that is just getting started I appreciate the flexible pricing and all of the support from the Sawyer staff!

Cons
The ability to customize a bit more would be nice. Software is probably great for a traditional run school/daycare program/summer camp, however my weekly music class program I find areas that I wish I had a workaround or option in the software to make registration easier for my parents. It would be helpful if the tabs could be changed to fit the names of my classes, as well as the ability to have people use class packs without there being a drop in fee associated. These things might just be specific to my program though!

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 8/10

Pros
I like that it automatically uploads directly onto my website. That I am able to contact everyone enrolled in a class at one time. That I can Use the app as my attendance. I can offer coupon codes or different registration set ups for different classes or locations. The list is endless. I love it!

Cons
Some customers have found the registration set up a little Confusing to find the right class. Messages sent to a group come from sawyer and often end up in junk mail.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 9/10

Pros
Cloud based, handles all sorts of online registration for educational programs; super support to set up and onboard; affordable; terrific support team; growing company --> adding new features to help me with online registration, class management

Cons
no training videos. Training videos on on-boarding, intro features, advanced features and troubleshooting would be helpful

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
It is really user-friendly. It did not take long to learn it and I can train my admin staff to use it pretty quickly. I like the interface, everything looks nice and is readily accessible. I LOVE the customer service team, they have always been really fantastic and totally understand my needs as a small business offering kids' programming.

Cons
It is simpler than some of the other registration systems, which I think mostly works to it's advantage. Sometimes though I need the software to do something more specific and there's not an option available. I do appreciate that their customer service team is always really responsive to these moments though. They either walk me through other options or even talk to the development team about adding further features.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
Sawyer "gets" my business. It is nice to have a platform that has already thought of what I need for my enrichment class platforms. I have worked with other online registration platforms, the interface is not as clean and beautiful as Sawyer and it required more time spent on my end customizing. Also, Sawyer sends payments DAILY rather than twice a month - which is huge for a small business.

Cons
Like anything new, it takes time to get used to the functions and how to set everything up. But if you do it well the first time, you will only need to go back to make minor edits for each class. The customer service is TOP NOTCH! This was a HUGE reason I did not get frustrated in those early days of set-up. It took time, but I had assistance at my fingertips whenever I called. Shout our to our support staff

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
What I like most about the Sawyer software is that it suits the needs of a robust program like ours in that it provides seamless attendance tracking , easy student and parent information maintenance, as well as accessible finance reporting.

Cons
I would say opportunities for Sawyer to improve its program is to make it feasible for prerequisites classes to be offered individually. Also, when reporting, the dates of transactions aren't visible which is helpful for our record keeping. Lastly, there isn't a comprehensive database feature in which one can view the entire enrollment list at a glance.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 7/10

Pros
I love how easy it makes for our patrons to sign up for our classes. We used to do everything by hand, take payments over the phone.... but now this system gives the ownership of the registration process over to the patrons. It's saved us so much time. Now we can get back to the work we need to get done without wasting time over paperwork.

Cons
I feel like the process of adding semesters and activities could be streamlined a little better. And I wish we could just choose every date of our classes instead of it being an automated feature. Our schedules change quite a bit so sometimes we may have a weekly class on Mondays, but some weeks it changes to Tuesday or the start time may change. It doesn't let you fix any of that which is frustrating.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 7/10