Charlotte Country Club’s transportation program gives members the opportunity to be shuttled around town—to the airport, to and from the club, and even for all-day services.
Members of the Charlotte (N.C.) Country Club are going places—literally.
Last July, the club created a transportation department to better serve its active membership. “Our club is considered a destination location, as the majority of our members live on average 15-20 minutes away,” explains Assistant Manager Gregg Leonard. “This presented us with the opportunity to offer a safe and affordable transportation service to accommodate our members and their guests.”
THE GOAL: Offer safe and affordable transportation services to members of all ages at Charlotte Country Club.
THE PLAN: Purchase two dedicated vehicles and manage a daily schedule for transportation services, balancing requests for all-day rentals and shorter trips to the airport and to and from the club. THE PAYOFF: Added revenue for overall business, plus 325 trips booked in less than a year, with 75 percent of ridership as repeat business. |
Prior to launching the service, the transportation program was marketed to members via brochures, flyers and the club’s website. “This proactive approach helped to mitigate many questions and issues from the membership,” explains Leonard.
The club purchased two dedicated vehicles to shuttle members around town: a 2014 Ford E350 StarCraft All-Star, which seats up to 14 passengers, and a 2014 Buick Enclave SUV, which has room for six. The luxury mini-bus is ideal for larger groups, while the SUV works well for airport runs or transporting members to and from the club for a meal.
Eight club employees, who were each required to complete a five-hour national safety class, handle the driving duties. When they are not serving as chauffeurs, these staff members are busy in other areas of the club, such as the greeting center, the food-and-beverage department, or as part of the security team.
Since its inception, Charlotte CC’s transportation department has grown steadily, with a report of 325 trips as of May 1. Pricing is determined using zip code-based zones, and the trip fares are billed directly to member accounts. “We encourage members to [share rides] and split fares,” notes Leonard.
While the service began as a means to transport members to and from the club for dinners and other banquet functions, its functionality has blossomed to handle the club’s increasing number of junior activities. “We even pick up [and drive] children [to the club], so they can spend the day at the pool,” Leonard adds.
Members also have the option of renting the vehicles for an all-day service, at a flat rate of eight hours. These include trips to weddings, wineries and tailgating at collegiate sport- ing events. Most recently, the vehicles were used to shepherd guests to the 2015 Masters Tournament in Augusta, Ga., as well as to and from the Wells Fargo Championship at the neighboring Quail Hollow Country Club.
With so many requests for car service, the transportation department has learned to manage a high volume of demand, especially for more popular events like the Club Ball. “To alleviate any problems, we worked out the logistics to accommodate the maximum number of members,” explains Leonard.
Overall, the personalized concierge transportation has been a tremendous hit with Charlotte CC’s members. And with returning ridership making up 75 percent of its business and translating into positive word-of-mouth marketing, the fleet isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. “Members spanning all age demographics use the service, including our senior members, who have said they would not be able to use the club anymore if it wasn’t for the transportation department,” Leonard reports.
On the agenda for this summer are children’s field trips to the zoo, amusement parks and the lake, as well as member golf trips to clubs around the Carolinas, including mountain and beach golf courses.
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