The extraordinary opportunity to redefine service and how club management software can help
By Srishti Singh
When the pandemic hit, something happened that most people didn’t stop to think about. Something that almost never happens. Your members’ long-held expectations of service were altered drastically.
Members understood the need for things to change. Like reducing face-to-face interactions. In fact, that's why some clubs discontinued things like valet service.
Getting people to change their expectations is extremely difficult at best. That’s what makes the situation today so unique. The disruption of the pandemic has created a rare opportunity to reset the service expectations at your club. For example, when the pandemic started, some clubs set up self-check-in rather than having a staff member greet guests. Now may be the time to make this the standard practice. Another example is scheduling tee times. Pandemic concerns moved some clubs to recommend booking tee times online or through the club app. Again, maybe now is the time to make this the default.
Embracing technology
Along with changing expectations, the pandemic has sped member adoption of the technology. And not just among the younger generations. People of all ages have discovered how to use technology to manage through the pandemic. This is an important shift in behavior that clubs need to take advantage of. A post from GGA Partners helps reinforce the shift, “…clubs have also learned that the use of technology is far more accepted than it was two years ago...”
Of course, this does not mean automating the club experience. After all, that experience is very much defined by the attention and care your staff delivers. Rather, this is a clarion call for clubs to recognize the opportunity. To reevaluate the service they provide and identify ways to use technology to augment the service while streamlining operations.
But clubs should not hesitate or put off examining their operations.
The window of opportunity is closing. If you wait too long, you could lose the opportunity. In other words, your members will naturally expect things to go back to how things were as more time passes.
Powering the new paradigm of service
The easiest way for clubs to take full advantage of this opportunity is to look at their club management software. A complete solution will allow a club to easily look across the entire operation and uncover opportunities where technology is freeing up staff so you can reallocate team members to help streamline how you operate.
More importantly, a complete solution can help you identify where you have the opportunity to use the technology to augment the member experience.
This could mean giving your members options (book a visit to the club spa online, through the app, or at the club). Or putting the data at your staff’s fingertips so they can personalize the experience for each member (imagine your spa employee asking Ms. Smith if she would like the hot stone massage that she had last time with the masseuse she prefers.)
The right software solution can help you offer more options to your members and provide an even more personalized experience. And all while improving your image as a modern club.
Today’s unusual circumstances have created a unique opportunity for clubs. A rare opportunity that opens the door for clubs to reset member expectations and evolve the member experience. But that opportunity won’t last forever.
For more information on taking advantage of this unique opportunity to redefine the service at your club, request a demo of the Northstar system. You’ll discover a complete club management software solution operating on one database to give you the visibility and exceptional control to help you deliver the next generation of service at your club. Request a demo, today.