How do you know?

  It is a beautiful Saturday morning, and your team has prepared the club for your golfers.  All have done their jobs well, preparing the course, the golf shop, and the restaurant for weekend play.  The greens are putting at 9, the shop is stocked, and the restaurant menu has good taste and lots of value.  My question to you and your team is: how do you know?  How do you know all that has been done for your golfers is what they want, what they will pay for?

  Questions are a valuable asset in finding out how you are doing.  The right questions can not only help each department head provide the best set of options, they can also provide the golfer with a sense of ownership in the decisions.  This may just drive more rounds, more members, more loyalty.  Although you are each deemed the expert on property, I suggest the team go into this process with a naive attitude toward what is right for your golfer.

  Building the best set of service standards means creating products and services people truly want.  That goes as much for the golf club, as it does the area supermarket.  When you create a strategy of working with your members and golfers on questions about your overall presentation, you can I believe, create the highest level of service, because you are hitting the service sweetspot over and over.  Begin a proactive plan of asking questions, working always to improve the day of golf from the parking lot to the 19th hole.  Here are 5 thoughts on making it better.

5 Thoughts on knowing:

1. Meet with your department heads, and then your entire team, discussing the plan and discovering the best questions
2. Get each team member a few questions (2-3 at most) to work with each day
3. Continue the plan for two weeks and then meet to go over the answers, the strategy, and changes to the service program.  Be very careful not to be overzealous with questions and each golfer
4. Be certain to have questions for men and women, planning to upgrade the level of presentation for all.  Ask questions about the facility, the course, the shop, the restaurant/beverage cart
5. You should summarize all information weekly.  This program can help the buyer, the superintendent, the F & B manager, and GM to create a strategy that improves over time.

  Create the habit of asking good questions about the facility.  After the team members become comfortable with the program, have them begin to ask the simple questions: “how are we doing?”, “what is the one thing we can do to improve your experience?”   Instead of believing you are doing things well, you will know.

Jack Dillon is the author of the highfives series.  Jack is an expert in the golf shop, in operations, and with creating great service standards.  Jack has a strong passion for growing the game, especially with women.  Jack is offering to speak FREE* to groups who read this series.   Jack is an advanced speaker with Toastmasters International.  You can reach Jack at 407-973-6136 or at highfives81@yahoo.com.  Jack lives in Florida.