The two recent Young Managers Group meeting at Formby GC threw up loads of discussion points, especially around hospitality and staff management – here are just five from Manager Stuart Leech to kick things off:
Have all your staff seen your golf course?
Many of your team members may have never actually stepped foot on the course, and therefore have no chance of engaging your customers on conversation about their golfing experience. Even if they don’t play, make sure you take them out onto the course, and point out the highlights that many golfers are likely to comment on when they return to the clubhouse.
When hosting an event, do a final walkthrough of the customer journey
The final stage of preparation for an event of any scale should involve doing a walkthrough of the journey that your visitors will be taking. This will give you an opportunity to spot any final tweaks that need making, and reflects an attention to detail that turns good events into great ones. Occasionally you’ll spot big problems, which would have given your event no chance of success.
Service levels can be flexible and encourage staff to use their initiative
Just because your hospitality policy doesn’t include table service, that doesn’t mean your bar staff can’t occasionally use their initiative to offer enhanced customer service. If the bar is more or less empty, encourage your staff to deliver over and above the expected level of service and attend to customers at their table. Golfers will understand that this isn’t a permanent service, but will appreciate the extra attention.
Offer your non-golfing staff free lessons
Many of your staff may not play golf, nor have any inclination to take up the game. However, offering free golf lessons to staff will give them an insight into the sport, and offers them an additional talking point when engaging with your customers. It breaks down the barriers between the golfers and non-golfers on your staff, and may end up gaining you an extra regular participant one day!
Involve your staff when choosing their uniform
Staff who were consulted when a new uniform is being put together will immediately feel more invested in the choices. Aside from maintaining team morale, staff members who were involved in the process will require less reminders regarding their personal presentation, and their increased investment in their role will be reflected in a higher standard of service. A well presented hospitality team offers an invaluable first impression to your customers at a relatively low cost.
We’ll be sharing more quick wins in the coming weeks; find out more about the Young Managers Group.
By Mike Hyde
