"I have found that CourseTrends is simply capturing another audience of golfers that we were missing before and the financial rewards have been simply remarkable." - Rick Reid, Blackthorn Golf Club |
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And the Survey Says….?No matter how big the staff at your course, you have a whole network of consultants who can improve your business for free: your customers. Granted, no one should know your business as well as you, but customers offer a unique perspective that can help make your course even better. The best way to tap this perspective is a well executed survey. Use the following guidelines to create your own effective survey: Schedule it: Conduct a survey about every six months. This gives you plenty of time to prepare your questions and promote it to your customers. Two surveys a year also allows time to act on customer recommendations. Promote it: Let folks know the survey is coming and you genuinely want their feedback. Put signs on your carts, in the pro shop and at checkout so people know when to expect their survey email. (Be sure to include a way for them to provide their email address as a way to participate.) As with any effective campaign, train your staff to ask for participation. If you’ve done previous surveys, be sure to include examples of how surveys have brought about a positive change. Structure It: No one wants to blow an hour on a survey, so keep it brief and uncomplicated (12-15 questions at most). Multiple choice questions allow survey participants to express themselves in a way you can easily measure. Include an open comment field for each question so a participant can elaborate if necessary. Focus it: When writing your questions drill into specific areas (course, F&B, merchandise, etc.) Set up a rating scale from 1 to 5 for areas like your cart operations, course conditions, etc. Be sure to ask about the human element like staff friendliness. Knowing this information helps you constantly improve. Launch it: On the day you’ve promoted, get the survey email into people’s inboxes and track responses. Available web-based software allows you to not only see who responded and what they’re saying, it can also tell you who read your email and didn’t participate. Read it: Working in golf management requires thick skin. It can be tough to hear criticism of your course. Read each response regardless. As you sift through negative feedback, look for the grain of truth. Although potentially painful, honest evaluation of this feedback can push your team and your course to new heights. Use it: Once you’ve compiled the responses, rank them in order of relevance starting with safety concerns. Put together an execution plan, whether that’s fixing the railing on a bridge, regularly wiping down your carts or buying new rakes for your traps. The improvements will be noticed and appreciated. Share It: Let your customers know the results of the survey and how you’ll be addressing their concerns. As improvements are made, mention their completion and thank the survey participants. When customers see you care about their needs, their loyalty, facility usage and recommendations to friends will increase. That’s good for the bottom line. If you’re ready to put the power of online surveys to use for your course, visit www.coursetrends.com or email us at requests@coursetrends.com. |
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