Page 26 - GBC Spring 2021 English

It may simply be an acknow- ledgment with eye contact and a smile. These small gestures let your golfers know that you see them, and they matter.
Restaurant/Lounge
The 19th hole is a great place to bring the experience to a pinnacle. Use this opportunity to keep the momentum with the welcome greeting. Make sure your team is upbeat and in the moment. Everyone needs a bit of levity during COVID-19, so get creative with your specials. Consider Lockdown Lunches, Social Dist- ancing Desserts, post a Quarantine Cocktail Menu, including the COVID-ninetinee or the Pandemic Punch.
Understand that human behaviour is the one variable that will overshadow all mandated safety guidelines. What your customers think and feel will be the most influential factor in where – and if – they choose to golf and dine with you again. Keep in mind the customer experience doesn’t end following their departure. Instead, it happens across many time frames and continues throughout the lifetime of the relationship.
At each touchpoint, employees will either cultivate or corrode the experience. As owners, you need to create and manage a positive and memorable customer experience throughout the full cycle.
INFLUENCER #3: Provide People Skills Training to Drive Emotion Owners may think their teams are connecting with customers on an emotional level, but too often emotional drivers are overlooked or forgotten. They are called drivers because they have the ability to drive the positive emotional response from your customers. They may seem like common sense, but they are uncommon in daily execution.
Acknowledge customers
This is a basic principle, but a very important one. Whether you are passing a customer in the parking lot, the clubhouse, pro shop, or on the course, apply immediate attention using the 10 feet and 5 feet rule. When you are within 10 feet of them, acknowledge them with a facial expression and when you are within 5 feet of them, acknowledge them verbally. By doing so, the customer will know that you see them and that you are available to assist if needed.
Smile
When interacting with customers, remember to share a smile. It’s a small, but powerful gesture that fosters a positive tone and creates a better one-on–one connection.
Providing greeting & parting statements
These statements make customers feel welcome, appreciated, and give them a sense of belonging. What you say to a customer upon arrival sets the tone for the rest of the experience. The farewell is equally important. The last words spoken are the first thing they think about in relation to your brand. Ensure your parting statements include a thank you and an invitation to return. This lets your customers know you appreciate them and want to see them again.
Name recognition
If you know the customer’s name, use it anytime you see them at your facility. Or, if you’re hosting a tournament, welcome the parti- cipants by their group name. Using their name makes customers feel important and respected. Providing your golfers with a sense of recog- nition goes a long way in improving their customer experience.
Anticipate unexpressed needs
When you surpass customer expectations and respond to their unexpressed needs, you deeply impact their emotions. For example, send an email reminder the day before their game with the weather forecast. These actions show that you are anticipating their needs and will make them feel appreciated.
Say thank you
This best practice takes very little time, but has a very big impact on customer experience. Share copious amounts of gratitude throughout the day and end with a sincere thank you to golfers for choosing to play your course. This will make your customers feel truly valued and appreciated.
EARN A POSITION IN THEIR MIND
By adapting these key influencers, you will be able to put processes in place that remove variation and guide employees to delivering a consistent customer experience. In doing so, you will be able to cultivate the way your customer feels about your brand.
Gratifying human interaction is the connection, when emotions are evoked and the customer experience is measured against intuitive moments of contact. This is the connection that is lacking in many business interactions and is more essential than ever in creating renowned customer experiences.
Remember your competition isn’t just golf; it’s the varied indus- tries vying for your customer’s share of wallet. To earn your customer’s loyalty, you must earn a position in their mind. Let your customer experience be the differ- entiator and earn you a defendable competitive advantage.
Golf Business Canada
26 Golf Business Canada