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Stay updated with the latest news, insights, and trends from our team. Our blog is a space where we share valuable tips, industry updates, and expert advice to help you stay informed and inspired. Whether you're looking to learn something new or keep up with what's happening, you'll find fresh and engaging content right here.

The Vital Importance of Industry Veterans in Country Club Software Solutions

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The vital importance of industry veterans in country club software solutions

Technology has become an integral part of club operations. Clubs rely on sophisticated software solutions in order to stay competitive and meet the evolving needs of their members.

The best of these solutions recognize that they are most effective when they tap into the knowledge and insights of industry leaders who truly understand the unique intricacies of the club world.

This is the impetus to recruit industry veterans to help inform and advance a complete club management system. Here are some of the advantages for clubs.

An in-depth Understanding of Clubs

Country clubs are not just businesses – they are distinct entities with a particular set of operations, culture, and member expectations. Industry veterans have spent years immersed in the nuances of club management, giving them an intimate knowledge of the processes and challenges clubs face daily. This understanding is invaluable when developing software solutions that address the club’s specific needs, improving member experience and streamlining operations.

Tailored Solutions for Unique Needs

Country clubs have unique requirements, from tee-time reservations and event management to member billing and more. An industry veteran has unique experience with these specific needs and can offer guidance that helps optimize solutions.

A Member-centric Approach

The member experience is at the heart of every country club’s success. Industry veterans understand the importance of catering to members’ desires and preferences. Moreover, they have valuable experience gained from interacting with members. This results in knowledge that enables them to guide advancements that enhance member interactions, provide personalized services, and foster a sense of community.

Real-world Examples of the Impact of Recruiting Industry Veterans

Northstar has embraced the strategy of adding the experience and expertise of industry veterans to inform and enhance the evolution of the Northstar solution. Here are a few examples of recent recruits to the team.

Hugo Welch has joined Northstar as Client Relationship Director. He brings over 43 years of experience in the private club industry, including stints as general manager of platinum-rated clubs. That experience will prove invaluable in elevating the expertise that Northstar delivers to clubs.

Heidi Hilbert signed on as Customer Care Manager at Northstar. She has cultivated a passion for the private club industry over her more than two-decade career. Her experience gives Northstar customers a unique resource for business operations insights.

Tom Leininger operates as an Implementation Specialist at Northstar. He is a PGA member as well as a graduate of the PGA Golf Management Program. He brings the invaluable experience of working in the club golf operations, including in the role of Head Golf Professional.

Charles Fox joins Northstar as an Implementation Specialist. He is an active member of the PGA of America and has 12 years of club experience including serving as Head Golf Professional. His understanding of the golf business enables him to provide insights that elevate member experience and improve the efficiency of the operation.

Country clubs have evolved over the years, adapting to changing member expectations and technological advancements. A country club software solution with industry veterans on staff is not just a wise choice, it’s a necessity. Their experience, insights, and dedication to meeting the unique needs of country clubs make them invaluable assets in delivering software that enhances member experiences, streamlines operations, and ensures long-term success.

If you’d like a closer look at a club management software solution that helps you evolve your offering, request a demo of the Northstar system. You’ll discover a complete solution built on one database to help you deliver the optimal member experience today and tomorrow. Request a demo, today.

Golf Course Management Software Must-haves to Build Better Lotteries

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Golf course management software must-haves to build better lotteries

When the pandemic hit, people experienced unprecedented restrictions on what they could get out and do. They began looking for activities that gave them the opportunity to socially distance while taking part in something they enjoyed. Golf fit the bill.

People rediscovered the game. New players entered the sport. This unique situation created over the past couple of years has sparked a resurgence for golf. That’s been exciting for clubs as they’ve seen an increase in demand for their golf offering. Better yet, it doesn’t look to be waning even as social distancing requirements and mask mandates are fading.

Of course, this increased demand has also come with some challenges. More players means more competition for those coveted tee times. This has created some tricky terrain that clubs must navigate. After all, nobody on your golf staff wants to deliver the bad news to the member that he didn’t get the tee time he requested.

Of course, members will understand that tee times come at a premium these days. They just want to feel like they are treated fairly with the way those tee times are awarded. Managing that can be tough. And that’s before you throw in the need to ensure that you are also accounting for the club’s membership and guest rules.

All of this can create a crazy dance for golf pros as they work to maximize rounds while minimizing member frustration. And we haven’t even talked about the challenges that tournaments add.

The Crucial Role of Top-flight Golf Course Management Software

Top-flight golf course management software helps you tame the two-headed beast that is Golf tee time administration and member satisfaction. Here’s what to look for as you evaluate the technology.

For your Members

First off, your system should allow members to book tee times anytime and from virtually anywhere using the club app or website. The best systems also give members the ability to access buddy lists to easily fill out their foursomes.

The member should be able to request a tee time as an individual foursome or as a linked group. A smart lottery system will automatically assign linked groups to consecutive tee times.

Once the tee time is assigned, your system should have the ability to send out automatic confirmation emails and text messages to your group as well as reminders. This ease, convenience, and connection help you ensure member satisfaction remains high.

For your Golf Staff

Like your members, your golf staff should have 24/7 access to the online tee sheet. You should be able to set up random or weighted lotteries – for example, giving preference to certain membership levels.

The system should also allow you to easily incorporate club, membership, guest, and seasonal rules. Once set up, the lottery system assigns tee times based on the specific rules you set. During increasingly busy times, if members do not get a requested tee time, the system will look to assign the members to their second choice.

Of course, the best systems are flexible as well. As things change, you should be able to easily adjust the tee sheet to handle everything from cancellations to weather delays. Leading systems give you this kind of powerful functionality that allows you to manage the myriad of moving parts that naturally come with running your course operations.

Crushing it when it Comes to your Tournaments

Beyond your daily course operations, your system should also incorporate intuitive tournament management capabilities that seamlessly integrate with your tee sheet. This functionality should include the ability for you to define golf event types for your club. And it should allow you to set up recurring events and publish them to the club calendar.

When it comes to the tournament, the system should make it easy to define rules and rates, allow your staff or your members to set up teams, and give you the capability to manage shotgun and crossover starts. The smart systems will also give you the ability to send automated confirmations to all tournament players as well as updates and other notifications.

Finding the Sweet Spot

A top-flight golf course management system has one more distinguishing feature. It seamlessly integrates with your club management software.

This integration means you’re not having to incorporate yet another piece of 3rd-party software. And having to deal with the staff training burden that comes with that. Moreover, you’re not creating another data silo that makes it challenging to extract the meaningful insights that help you make smarter decisions for your club.

All signs indicate that the popularity of the game is not diminishing. In fact, some reports suggest that it continues to grow.

It’s worth taking the time now to evaluate your golf course management software to ensure you’re optimizing the operation for the club and the experience for your members.

If you’d like more information about what industry-leading golf course management software can do for your operation, request a demo of the Northstar system. A system that delivers the intuitive features your operation deserves, all built on one database to give you one source of truth to power the decision-making for your club. request a demo, today.

Why Pros at Premier Clubs Choose a Comprehensive Golf Software Solution

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Why pros at premier clubs choose a comprehensive golf software solution

There are a lot of systems out there vying for the golf pro’s attention. Everything from tee sheet solutions to pro shop management software.

Smart golf pros are always looking for ways to optimize their operation. But getting an honest evaluation of all these offerings can be a challenge.

So how do you go about determining if a solution is right for your club? Consider this. When it comes to the software they use to manage the golf operations, pros at some of the most prestigious clubs recognize the advantage of a system that provides a comprehensive solution.

A Comprehensive Solution Provides More Features

The comprehensive solutions have been architected to take into account the entire operation. As a result, they deliver a rich feature set that premier clubs look for.

For example, with Northstar’s system, you get a tee sheet module that is one of the best in the business. But then it goes on to include powerful functionality that helps pros run their lotteries and their golf events. Additionally, it ties in the POS system and even offers inventory management capabilities. The rich feature set of a comprehensive solution gives golf pros the robust functionality that helps them optimize their operations.

A Comprehensive Solution Provides more Integration

There are two types of integration you need to consider. First, does your golf software solution integrate with the rest of the club? For example, when you sell a prepaid golf package, does it flow seamlessly through to the financial module and get billed to the member? Can the member reserve a tee time through the club app and have it automatically populate your tee sheet? A comprehensive solution has these integrations built in which makes life easier for the golf pro and makes for a top-flight experience for the member (more on that in a bit).

Second, you want a solution that integrates with specialized third-party systems that deliver exceptional value to golf operations. For example, the Northstar system integrates with high-value specialty solutions like Cap Patrol in order to help your club determine accurate handicaps for your members. Northstar has also announced integration with Golf Genius in order to seamlessly integrate the software’s capabilities like the pairing functionality for tournaments. That integration will launch in the first quarter of 2023.

A Comprehensive Solution Ensures the Best Experience for Members

A comprehensive solution gives you the ability to access capabilities that deliver an exceptional experience for your members. For example, the Northstar system delivers website and app solutions. These allow members to see available tee times and make a reservation from the club website or the club app. Once they do, the reservation flows through to the tee sheet to block that time. Additionally, members can access their buddy lists to set up a foursome and even send an invitation. It is this kind of functionality that makes the Northstar system the quickest, easiest, and most convenient solution for members.

A Comprehensive Solution Reduces the Work for the Golf Pro

When you step back and look at your entire golf operation, a comprehensive system’s advantages become apparent. For starters, you don’t have to learn, manage, and troubleshoot multiple systems. A comprehensive solution allows you to do everything from one system. From scheduling tee times and selling golf packages to ringing up pro shop sales and tracking inventory.

With Northstar’s comprehensive solution, you can easily manage the club’s lottery system – whether its a random or weighted lottery. And it can handle multiple golf courses. It has built-in group management capabilities that allow the group’s leaders to manage the group and even send out invitations when they plan an outing. As mentioned before, it includes powerful pro shop management features – from the POS system to inventory management.

With a comprehensive solution, golf pros don’t have the burden of porting information from one standalone system to another. And since it is integrated with the entire club, it can deliver invaluable reporting that can help you understand your members like never before and optimize the workings of your operation.

It’s just a smart practice to stay on top of innovations in golf operations software. But before you make a decision, make sure you evaluate whether that decision can give you the features and member experience-enhancing capabilities that are native to a comprehensive solution. Once you do, it will become apparent why some of the most prestigious golf clubs around the country opt for solutions like Northstar’s.

If you’d like to learn more about the advantages of a comprehensive software solution for your operation, request a demo of the Northstar system. You’ll discover the features, integrations, and advantages that have made Northstar the choice of elite golf operations around the country. Request your demo, today.

A Tool at your Fingertips to Access Fast & Accurate Live Data for Managing Club Operations

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A Tool at your Fingertips to Access Fast & Accurate Live Data for Managing Club Operations

As a private club executive, have you dream of having a quick state-of-the-club overview at your fingertips? Remember when you needed to answer a board members’ question about operations, and you would have to interrupt the accounting office to create special reports that could take weeks? Well, now you and your department heads can access live departmental data to help manage the club directly from your laptops and tablets.

As a longtime Club GM, some of my most vivid, nightmarish, memories are of the confusion and pressure that precedes “THE BOARD MEETING”. The administration office is trying to get the committee minutes from the department heads, the financial statements, the GM’s report, the President’s report, the minutes from last month, the CFO’s report, the list of items to approve, new business, old business. etc., etc., etc. All of this data must be squeezed into a giant three-ring binder called the “THE BOARD BOOK” and all of the before-mentioned items must be correctly ordered and match the AGENDA.

How would you like to have an integrated system that electronically organizes all the information contained in the old three-ring binder? Each board member would get a tablet that has the Agenda and all the pertinent information (kept for a year or more if desired). This system would be flexible to accommodate all the typical club quirks. The system could expand into the individual committees as well as the Board Meeting. Well, Northstar has done it. It is called BOARD BOOK and it is available with CLUBVIEW.

ClubView does not stop with Board Books but covers many aspects of the club operations. You can access a member’s profile in the Member section, while the Just Arrived section will give you information about which member is currently at the club. Red Book lists all the events in the club including an instant Banquet Event Order system (so no more running about with outdated paper BEO’s). Got you interested? Wait there is more – I have not even mentioned the Leads Pipeline, the Metrics, the Milestones, the POS, or Kitchen Display System. See the attached video for a quick overview on ClubView or better yet see the video and then sign up for the Northstar Solutions Café Webinar on Improving Club Operations & Decision Making with ClubView on Wednesday, May 15th, 2019.

It’s Time to Treat F&B Like the Most Universally-Used Amenity That It Is

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It’s time to treat F&B like the most universally used amenity that it is

Your Food & Beverage offering may just be the most universally used amenity at your club. We don’t often think about it that way. But we should. Because, as a universally used amenity, it is one of the major factors affecting member satisfaction.

Think about it. Not everyone golfs, but everyone eats.

Building the Member-wowing F&B Offering

Today, members’ expectations are heightened. Whether we like it or not, they compare the offering at the club with every other experience they encounter outside of the club.

The good news is that you still have an advantage. The club is a place of belonging. A place where members can go to feel acknowledged, understood, and even pampered.

One of the best ways to streamline f&b management is to leverage technology. Smart clubs recognize the importance of deploying technology to align their F&B offering with these member-centric emotional drivers. In doing so, they build a complete offering that delivers personalization, convenience, and surprise & delight.

Let’s take a look at what makes for a complete F&B offering. First, from the member’s point of view. And then, from the club’s perspective.

The Member’s Point of View

Most of the technology will go unnoticed. And that is as it should be. There will have been hints of it. But the members won’t remember it. What they will remember is the seamless enchanting experience that the technology helped deliver.

There are a couple of exceptions. For example, there is the feature that enables members to make a reservation from the website or the club app. This allows them to make plans virtually anytime and anywhere. Premium solutions even allow them to access their Buddy List on the site or app in order to invite friends for dinner.

Another example is a feature like Northstar’s Grab ‘n Go which is part of a complete f&b management solution. This innovation allows members to order food for pick up through the website or app. Maybe a member is golfing and wants to grab a snack at the turn. A member can order through the app and it will be ready as she or he is finishing the front 9. Or maybe a member is heading to the club pool. She can order before she leaves home and find her order waiting as she checks in at the club.

And since Northstar’s Grab ‘n Go is part of a complete F&B solution, the kitchen staff can even send a push notification to the member through the app to let them know the order is ready.

The Club’s Perspective

The F&B POS gives your staff the tools to help create those exceptional guest experiences. For example, easy-to-use touch screen POS terminals in the Northstar system make it a snap to split a ticket by simply dragging and dropping.

Everything is integrated from all the F&B terminals to the Kitchen Display System (KDS) to the Tableside Point of Sale Tablets. All of which helps you create consistency of service throughout the club. And it gives you the powerful reporting that helps you continuously improve this valuable amenity.

Here are a few key features of a complete club F&B management solution.

Hostess View

The hostess station is where the table is set for an exceptional experience. The technology gives hostesses a full view of their dining rooms. So they can balance the workload among servers as they assign tables to members. This ensures waitstaff have time to spend with members, enhancing the dining experience.

Premium systems go a step further, giving hostesses real-time table status with course information. This enables them to better predict table turnover. Additionally, systems that run on one database like Northstar’s allow the hostess to call up members’ profiles as they arrive at the restaurant. This gives the hostess the opportunity to personalize the experience.

Tableside Tablet POS

When your waitstaff has time to dote on the members, the entire dining experience elevates. This is why a complete F&B system will equip servers with Tableside Tablet POS. The mini-tablets allow servers to input orders right at the table. That results in a reduction in lost orders and order errors. The tablets feature real-time communication with the Kitchen Display System. That means that the kitchen staff immediately has the order as it’s entered at the table. Plus, the system has been shown to save 4-6 minutes per order.

With Tableside Tablet POS, servers don’t have to constantly run back to the kitchen to check on orders. The kitchen sends a notification to the servers’ mini-tablet once the order is ready. This allows the servers to spend more time with members. Additionally, with Northstar’s system, the mini-tablets allow the servers to access the one database in order to see each member’s preferences. All of this gives your servers the ability to create a dining experience that will be unrivaled outside of your club.

Kitchen Display System

The Kitchen Display System is at the heart of the complete F&B management solution. With leading systems, it’s customizable to fit the unique parameters of your food and beverage offering. It monitors all kitchen operations, helping streamline the workflow. Moreover, it connects with all other components of your complete F&B system, helping improve communication, efficiency, and reporting.

Harnessing your Greatest Advantage

The greatest advantage you have is the sense of belonging at your club and the experience that you can create to amplify it. It is what separates you from the world outside of the club.

A complete F&B system helps you maximize that advantage by integrating everything from POS terminals, Hostess View, and Tableside Tablet POS to your Kitchen Display System, Grab ‘n Go, and Banquets and Catering. When you connect it all, you give yourself the opportunity to build something special with the most universally used amenity at your club.

Dig into all the advantages that a complete F&B system can bring to your club. Request a demo of the Northstar f&b management solution – a part of complete club management solution built on one database to help serve up an exceptional member experience. Request a demo, today.

What Artificial Intelligence Club Solutions can do for Country Clubs?

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What Artificial Intelligence Club Solutions can do for Country Clubs?

You may not immediately think of country clubs when you consider the industries where artificial intelligence (AI) will have an impact. But, the fact is that we all operate in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

AI is a major player in that landscape today. It is having an impact on everything from enhancing customer experiences to improving operational efficiency. Being informed about AI developments and exploring its potential applications can help your club stay ahead of the game. Here are some things to keep an eye on.

Enhancing Member Experience

AI will be used to analyze member preferences, track usage patterns, and provide tailored recommendations for activities, events, and more. Imagine AI making recommendations for everything from menu choices to tee times. All of this will help personalize and enhance the member experience at country clubs.

Optimizing your Staff’s Time

Analytics tools will help automate reports and insights, reducing the time your staff spends manually producing these. Furthermore, advancements like the virtual assistant can take care of tasks that previously would require your staff’s time. Imagine them freeing up to spend more time interacting with members and all the activities that boost the member experience.

Powering Member Management

In the not-too-distant future, country clubs will be using AI to maintain and grow their membership base. AI-driven databases will be able to track member engagement, helping clubs identify at-risk members and develop strategies for retention. Predictive analytics will also help forecast membership trends.

Through the acquisition of Happometer, Northstar has already stepped into this realm. Happometer is an advanced technology platform for managing member and team experience that deploys AI to analyze feedback and identify insights and sentiment.

AI will also help assist in identifying potential new members, analyzing demographics, understanding their interests, and mining social media data. Additionally, AI will be able to help create targeted marketing campaigns that improve the ability to resonate with potential members.

Engaging Members

Chatbots and virtual assistants will become integral to member services – all powered by AI. Imagine having a digital concierge available 24/7 to handle reservations and inquiries, and provide information about Artificial intelligence club facilities and events.

Northstar has already started to implement a robust solution into its complete club management system. The technology will help members quickly get the information they are looking for using natural language to query the virtual assistant. They can request to see open tee times and dining reservations and even have the virtual assistant book a time for them. This gives members yet another option for how they can choose to engage with the club.

AI will offer numerous benefits to country clubs, enhancing and advancing the member experience while improving how you operate. It is important to note that this is happening at a fairly rapid pace. That makes it important to identify the partners that are leading the way with incorporating AI, today. Leveraging that proactive approach will help clubs take advantage of everything AI has to offer.

For more information on the advancements in the Northstar complete club management solution, contact a Northstar representative. To see the system in action, request a demo. 

How your Club Management Software can Help you Get a Fitness Offering in Shape

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How your club management software can help you get a fitness offering in shape

Lately, clubs of all shapes and sizes have been taking a closer look at their offering when it comes to fitness facilities. Reports continue to confirm that a fitness offering ranks high in importance for younger prospects considering a club membership. After all, many in this group already belong to a gym and a fitness offering helps make the decision to join easier as they can see how it would replace their current gym membership fees.

Clubs are examining how they can take advantage of the trend. Those without facilities are looking to add equipment, classes and programs, and even staff. Those with an offering in place are looking at how they can up their game – evolving it from a minor amenity to a significant part of their club experience.

Technology does the heavy lifting

Your club management software plays a crucial role in helping your fitness offering become everything it can be. It should enhance the experience for your members while helping to streamline the management of the offering on your end.

Your younger members want the technology integration. They expect to be able to do things like check the workout class schedules from their smartphones – as well as sign up for a class, check their favorite personal trainers’ calendar and schedule a session, and even pay for classes right from the club app.

Of course, any time you add or expand amenities, it triggers a series of issues. From managing the new facilities to handling the staffing.

The good news is that the same technology that gives your members the digital tools they want can also help streamline how you manage the new or expanded fitness offering.

Manage it all without breaking a sweat

Top-notch club management software can help you track the usage of the facility and all the programs. This helps you identify the things that need your attention. It also gives you the ability to understand what classes are popular so you can continue to evolve the offering to fit your members’ preferences. Additionally, you can spin up new offerings and test them to determine their viability. Whether that means adding a pilates class or incorporating a high-intensity training session.

The scheduling component of the software makes it easy to see class registrations and then staff accordingly. You can even manage personal trainers’ appointment calendars.

Furthermore, the software can tie into the rest of the club. For example, with the Northstar complete club management software solution, your fitness offering’s technology can easily connect with your accounts receivable and accounts payable modules. This allows you to streamline the backend operations.

Since it all operates on one database, you gain valuable insight as well. Like what type of members are frequent users of the fitness facilities and what other offerings they use at the club.

All of the functionality, integration, and insights help you effortlessly build and maintain an exceptional fitness offering that fits the specific desires of your membership and prospects.

A fitness facility continues to be high on the list of wants of prospective club members. Capitalizing on the trend can help advance the success of your club. And finding the right technology ensures that you deliver a valuable offering that also helps streamline the work of bringing that offering to life.

See it in action. Request a demo of Northstar’s solution for managing your fitness offering. It’s part of a complete club management software solution built on one database. A solution that gives your members the advanced technology they desire while giving you the powerful management capabilities and invaluable insights. Hence, this helps you strengthen the offering at your club. Request Demo today.

How a Kitchen Display System can help you serve up an amazing experience and more

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How a Kitchen Display System can help you serve up an amazing experience and more

Running a successful F&B operation takes a talent for juggling a multitude of variables. And being ready to respond to the various curveballs that invariably get thrown at you and your staff.

Intuitive technology recognizes the unique set of circumstances you operate under. Moreover, it builds in features designed specifically for the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the operation. Helping you and your staff handle it all with ease. All while elevating the experience for your members.

Streamlining your kitchen operations

A smart kitchen display system can quickly become the indispensable heart of a streamlined operation. The system keeps everything organized, so each food preparation station knows what needs to be prepped and in what sequence. Plus it coordinates the orders for your staff, so all dishes for a table can be completed together – and delivered together.

Additionally, the system provides real-time monitoring of orders in the queue, alerting the staff if orders fall behind schedule. In fact, the system allows managers to monitor all elements of the kitchen operation and make adjustments to optimize the workflow.

Since this is an all-digital solution, it’s easy to accommodate changes from the members that come in after the order is placed – something that is more difficult with paper tickets. And speaking of paper tickets, imagine never having to contend with those again. No more jumbled or lost tickets (and the late or lost orders that accompany them). No more worrying about the printers going down.

There is an additional benefit to this as well. You’ll discover a decrease in food waste by reducing redundant or wrong orders. And you’ll eliminate all that paper use that comes with the old-school printers and paper tickets. All of which results in a more sustainable approach for your operation.

Elevating the service to your members

You members will notice the difference that this kind of technology can bring to the club dining experience. It will be apparent in all the little things. Like how all the staff seems to be in step. And how the exceptional service seems effortless.

This is made possible by tying together all the systems – kitchen display system, F&B POS, the hostess station screen, and the tableside ordering system. It starts with the hostess. The system allows the hostess to do a number of things that can set the tone for the experience. For example, the hostess can:

  • Get a view of server workload in the dining room in order to balance seating
  • See real-time status of courses at all the tables, allowing the hostess to gauge table turnover to accommodate future reservations and walk-ins
  • Assign a ticket to the member, reducing the servers work and the instances of servers forgetting to assign tickets

Of course, the tableside service also becomes elevated. And the servers can take orders on mini tablets, delivering the order to the kitchen and bar before the server has left the table. The instantaneous connection saves servers from going to a separate terminal to key in orders. Plus it saves servers from running back and forth to the kitchen to check on orders.

Order status and communication from the kitchen is accessed through the mini-tablet. As a result, order errors reduce. Orders arrive at the table 4 – 6 minutes faster. And servers can spend more time on the floor with members, helping improve the whole experience.

That’s impressive. But it can still go a step further. When all the systems tie to a club management software solution built on one database, the experience rises to a whole new level of personalization for the member. With the member’s information at their fingertips:

  • The hostess can deliver a more personalized greeting and even highlight specials that would align with the member’s preference
  • The server can suggest the member’s favorite food and drink, and suggest the way they usually like it prepared
  • The server can confirm any dietary restrictions

All of this helps the members feel like this is a place where they are appreciated and belong.

Delivering innovation that surprises and delights

A fully integrated F&B system allows you to deliver the innovations that impress your members.

Imagine offering members the flexibility and convenience of ordering from virtually anywhere and at any time through the website or the club app. Here are a few scenarios:

  • Through the website or app, members could make a reservation, access their buddy lists, and invite their friends
  • A member could order before she leaves home – reducing her wait time once she arrives at the club
  • A member comes off the course and orders before he showers and changes, then finds his order ready for him as he arrives at the restaurant

This all becomes possible through an offering like Grab ‘n Go. This integrates with F&B systems as part of a club management software solution built on one database.

Inspiring continuous improvement

An integrated kitchen display system is at the heart of delivering a great experience. Both today and tomorrow.

At any given time, F&B directors can get an instantaneous overview of the dining room, drilling down to individual tables in real-time to see service levels.

Robust analytics also allow for the review of workflow on any given day and time. For example, you could run a report of all entrees over the weekend that were over time. This powerful insight helps you pinpoint problem areas – from prep to assembly to serving. And it gives you the data to make adjustments in personnel, workflow, and more.

This data-driven approach can help you ensure your operation is on a path of continuous improvement.

Finally, the right technology in your F&B operation can make a world of difference. You’ll find yourself optimizing your workflow and boosting staff productivity all while giving yourself powerful tools to identify areas of improvement. At the same time, you’ll improve your servers’ ability to anticipate members’ needs. You’ll reduce wait times. And you’ll be able to introduce innovations that make it enticing for your members to increase their use of your F&B offerings.

The Northstar Technologies Kitchen Display System streamlines kitchen operations and improves member service. See what it can do for you – request a demo, today.

Maximizing Value to Members during Tough Environmental Circumstances Like the Pandemic by Leveraging Technology

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Maximizing Value To Members During Tough Environmental Circumstances Like The Pandemic By Leveraging Technology

Even before the end of the first quarter, 2020 became a landmark year as the COVID-19 pandemic struck nearly every inhabited corner of the globe. Clubs, like the rest of the world, had a severe impact. Thankfully, clubs throughout the USA are emerging from the “pandemic shutdown”.

A good club is known for its service: going above and beyond the norm to ensure the needs of its members are met. However, in the unique and challenging pandemic circumstances; clubs found themselves struggling to provide value-added service to their members when most of their facilities (dining rooms, golf courses, gyms, pool, etc.) had to be closed. Then when allowed to reopen, follow a whole new set of rules to enforce social distancing.

When existing paradigms suddenly shift, it behooves both technology providers and club managers to explore how the current software a club is using can be extended, stretched. And pushed to accommodate new circumstances. A good software suite usually tailors to the needs of its industry but should include flexibility that allows it to multipurpose.

As the environment changes, technology providers need to assess the situation. And see what they can do to help their customers cope with the “new reality”. We may need to have fewer people in the Pool Area, Grill, or Gym to maintain Social Distancing, for instance. This may involve:

  1. Modifying current modules to enforce social distancing rules on the golf course, or use of events & activities reservations to sign up for the gym, swimming pool lanes, etc.
  2. In many states, dining capacities reduce substantially. The use of Dining Reservations within areas of the club (such as the Grill) where traditionally “no reservations required” can be used to avoid too many members arriving at one time.
  3. Fewer Members at the club does not always mean fewer services. Member Self-Ordering for F&B Items, or online grocery/essentials items for pick up (or delivery) provide meaningful services. As a bonus, it may help the Member satisfy their minimum requirements.
  4. Lottery Systems for the golf course and member events may also help to equitably “share” limited capacities. If a club must cut back on seats available for that member event or tee times, a Lottery System can help avoid some getting more than their “fair share”.

As businesses re-open everywhere, clubs are no exception. There is a drive to eliminate “paper passing” as much as possible. Single use menus are now in place; use once, and then discard. Clubs can take that a step further: Eliminate the “Member Chit” altogether, with the ability for members to sign. And close their chit right from their mobile device.

During any change, communication is key. When the club must alter service levels or close operations temporarily, it is vital that the communication channels (email, push notifications, etc.) between the club and members remain open. Clubs sometimes have a limited amount of mass email capacity (SMTP Services) from their communication module or provider. This is one of the areas where a technology partner can help – to not just identify this limitation to the club. But see how it can help address the limitation by increasing email capacity if needed. Enabling clubs to communicate frequently, in a targeted manner, helps keep the members connected to the club. This happens in an environment where there is potential chaos.

The “Member Experience” is why we are ALL here. Technology providers have a front row seat in the vast club arena. And can see the myriad of unwanted trials clubs face today. As the providers see member services challenges arise, the good ones will assist to learn about. And facilitate best practices and share this knowledge (and resulting solution) with all their partner clubs. Clubs should communicate their needs and ideas with their technology vendors. It helps them grow – and thus improve the member experience. These times are certainly not painless, but developing new ways to amplify member services makes it all worthwhile.

The 8 Crucial Things Your Club Website Must Deliver

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The 8 crucial things your Club Website must deliver

Outside of the physical club itself, your website is one of the most valuable assets you have. After all, It can do everything from connect members when they are away from the club to help prospects discover the experience you create.

Successful clubs recognize the advantages a well-engineered and well-equipped website offers. Because of that, they are very thoughtful and deliberate in choosing the solution to help them build their online experience. Those clubs have something else in common as well. They check all the boxes when it comes to the 8 crucial things a club website must deliver. Here is an overview of those.

Enticing Engagement

First and foremost, your club website should be magnetic. It should present compelling images and offer a narrative that invites visitors into your unique story. That goes for members and prospects.

  • Members – they should be reminded of why they joined, and how enchanting the experience of the club can be. This helps increase visits and revenue for the club.
  • Prospects – your website is your front porch. For many, it may be the first way they experience your club. That experience should be captivating, moving them to the next step of becoming a member.

Your website solution should make it easy to add the elements that build this experience. That includes video that brings the club to life.

Intuitive Experience

Great websites feel effortless. The navigation is easy to access and it’s organized in a way that makes it simple for your users to quickly find what they are looking for. The design should also make it easy to understand how to use any of the functionality – whether you are scheduling a tee time or paying a bill. It should all be intuitive.

Additionally, your club website builder should automatically ensure that the exceptional experience translates effortlessly, whether your visitors are viewing it on a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. This is referred to as a site with a responsive design.

Usefulness

Your club website needs to be more than a digital brochure. It needs to offer the functionality that your users find invaluable. Here are some of the capabilities you should expect to build into your website:

  • Calendar – a complete list of events that refreshes regularly.
  • Updates – a place to access the latest news and announcements.
  • Reservations – robust capabilities that allow your guest to sign up for an event, look up available tee times and reserve one, make a dining reservation, make a spa appointment, reserve a court, sign up for a class, and more.
  • E-commerce – an online payment option for events, food on the go orders, buying merchandise from the club shop, and paying monthly charges.
  • Account management – the capability to review current bills and historical statements, including the ability to drill down into individual charges

A smart website solution will help ensure that your members view your website as a useful tool that helps enhance their club experience.

Ease in Administering

One of the hallmarks of a great website solution is its ability to make administering the site easy for you and your staff.

The administration functionality should be easy to learn so that multiple team members can make updates. This is an important point. Because empowering your team to make sure the site is constantly up-to-date results in a web presence that feels fresh and vibrant to your visitors. And it mitigates the problem of relying on outside vendors or waiting on the one “web guru” at your club to get to it.

Valuable Intelligence

A smart website solution will capture all the user behavior on your site and then make it easy to draw insights from that data. This can make your club website an invaluable tool for understanding what is important to your members and prospects.

That kind of intelligence can help you make decisions on how to evolve your website, and even evolve the offering at your club.

Powerful Marketing

Your site naturally offers real estate where you can promote different aspects of the club. Maybe it’s an upcoming event. Or a special in the restaurant.

A great club website solution also integrates seamlessly with your club management software to give you extended marketing capabilities. For example, you can promote an event on the website, also including it in your online calendar and updates. Then you can use the extended marketing functionality to send emails to a segmented list of those that you’ve identified as most likely to be interested in the type of event you are hosting. Additionally, you can send text messages promoting the event to the list as well as an in-app notification delivered through the club smartphone app.

This marketing capability helps you drive sign-ups and can help you improve revenue for the club.

Vigilant Security

Your website solution should offer you the assurance that your data is secure. That means putting the measures in place to protect that data. And, offering ongoing monitoring to detect and mitigate any suspicious behavior.

Always Available Support

Problems can have an irritating propensity for showing up at inconvenient times. Like after business hours. Or over the weekend. That’s why you need a web solution that delivers support 24/7. 365 days a year. Especially when you consider that non-work hours and weekends may be the times when your members or prospects are more likely to be visiting your site.

Great support ensures that this invaluable extension of your club is available to your users whenever they need it.

If you’d like more information on how to ensure that you have these 8 crucial aspects covered, request a demo of the Northstar system. You’ll discover a website solution that checks all the boxes to capture all the potential your website holds for your club. Request your demo, today.