It’s always important for club leaders to engage with their members and solicit feedback from them. Colin Read, CEO and co-Founder of Whoosh, shares that club officials should be more frequent and creative in how they obtain thoughts and views from their members.
I recently traveled for a conference and played a public golf course near the event. The course was beautiful: a nice welcome area, well-maintained greens, and a friendly golf staff. Then, our golf cart unexpectedly died on the 12th tee box. We called the pro shop. By the time we reached the 12th green, the staff had brought us a new cart and quickly transitioned our belongings. They did a great job rectifying the situation.
That evening I got an automated email message from the course asking me to rate my experience. After submitting my comments, I received a response thanking me for my feedback, assuring me that the cart is being serviced, and welcoming me to return (with a free cart for my next round). This was an “Aha!” moment for me. Shouldn’t my home club offer the same level of communication?
Private club members often belong to a club so they can relax and practice beloved pastimes in a pristine environment that, at its best, will anticipate and exceed member needs. Yet, what does a member do when that facility is less-than-pristine? Or a problem arises? No member wants to feel like they are complaining, yet all members have feedback they want to share to improve the club. A common issue for private club members is knowing with whom to communicate their issues.
Private clubs usually offer member surveys only once per year. Members complete their surveys and submit them, not knowing who will read them and often not receiving a response or follow-up to their concerns. Weeks later, members usually receive an email with the survey results extolling how great the club is doing. Perhaps this email will benchmark the club against its “peers” in the area. This is great for the club, but is it really helping the members? I argue it does not and that private clubs can and should be more frequent and creative in how they solicit feedback from members.
SEGMENT YOUR MEMBERS
There are a variety of software tools that allow clubs to understand which members use which facilities and how frequently. Therefore, it makes more sense to offer surveys about specific facilities to those who actually utilize them: a survey about the practice facilities, greens, and carts for golfers; a survey about childcare providers, hours, and the “Kids’ Corner” for members with young children; or a survey about practitioners and services for members who use the spa. Segmented surveys can also be based on member visits and usage. For example, your club could offer a survey to people every five times they dine within the club restaurant. The members who frequent specific facilities within your club will have the best, most-useful feedback.
HAVE MULTIPLE FEEDBACK CHANNELS
In your club, where does a member go when they have feedback? To whom do they address their issues? Do your members know who to go to in the event they have feedback? Have they met the person or people who can enact change within your club? It’s up to your club to create more avenues for member feedback. For one, anonymous channels can be established for members to make suggestions. Second, periodic segmented surveys (discussed above) should be pushed out throughout the year, not just one time. Now more than ever there are a variety of e-tools that can support a club in soliciting better feedback from members, more often, in more ways, and more easily. Get creative with how your club can better create real-time, dynamic communication with members.
ASK, ASK, ASK
Your club should not shy away from soliciting feedback because if members don’t want to respond, they won’t. To show interest in member experiences and feedback, you should be soliciting feedback on a regular basis, including before a season, during a season, and after a season. Most members have thoughts about what they want their club to be, and if a club continues to hear the same issues from members, that is important data. This is the information that can raise your club to the level of anticipating member needs instead of reacting to member needs.
Because of the abundance of software tools that are now available to clubs, you can more easily track members and member data. Therefore, with very little effort, clubs can more easily communicate with specific member segments to gain valuable feedback on club improvements. A once-per-year “annual member survey” is insufficient and borders on obsolete. Members want to be heard. And, members expect the same (if not better) care and communication from their home club as they would receive from a public course they played one time. There is no higher form of hospitality than respecting your members’ time. It’s these small steps, these little efforts, that make a big difference to your members.
About the Author
Colin Read is the CEO and co-Founder of Whoosh, a modern club operations software company recently recognized as one of the most innovative technologies in the club industry. He is a 4x founder with experience scaling companies in hospitality, automotive and telecom. Colin can be reached at [email protected].
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