Do you think your golf club guests and members recall every single moment of their stay at your golf club? I am sure that they will not.
People usually remember the peak moments and the lows during their stay at a golf resort or golf club. I would dare to say that the moments most likely to be remembered are the pits.
This is why most of us are focusing almost solely on filling the pits. However, your job is not yet done. It is just the first stage of a successful customer experience.
I encourage you to go for the moments that make a golf club guest’s or member’s jaw drop.
Today it is NOT enough to meet customer expectations since you are competing with millions of experiences, plus your customers are astute and empowered. You must exceed customer expectations and create a memorable experience.
A recent Accenture study found that 93% of consumers agree it’s essential that every interaction they have with a brand is excellent, regardless of the context or location, as it influences their decision to purchase from a brand or retailer.
We are living not just in a content tsunami (E.g. 500 million daily active Instagram Stories in January 2019), but in an experience tsunami as well.
This is why it is so hard to remember moments and impressions.
This is why we must avoid flat/”mostly forgettable” experiences and create moments that matter.
Defining moments
In my interpretation, „defining moments” are both memorable and meaningful. Usually, they don’t last long…maybe just a few minutes and rise above the everyday.
The defining moments often spark positive emotions. You can also call it “peaks.” Let me share a memorable moment from my visit to Öschberghof.
During my stay, I was happy to discover that they have a very impressive cigar (100 kinds, including their own brand) and whiskey (120 types) offer.
At the same time, they also have a very knowledgeable team that understands every aspect of whiskey drinking.
The first question we must ask ourselves is what can elevate our guests. You ask yourself what will make them feel extraordinary. To achieve this, we must:
- Boost sensory experience (e.g., pleasant scent in the clubhouse, cozy clubhouse interior design, etc.);
- Give them something highly relevant to the person.
- Give them something unexpected, but highly esteemed (e.g., based on the person’s game performance and pace of pay, you can offer customized golf lessons, golf equipment recommendations that fit the person’s level much more, etc.);
- Make them feel special! This requires you to analyze CRM data, their past purchasing behavior, and what they share with us on review sites and social media. Personalization is the new marketing!
Pride moments
Pride is also an essential part of a defining moment. Remember how proud you were at your first birdie/eagle/albatross and, of course, at your first hole-in-one.
We can also add many more achievements that make you feel proud, such as being a member of the club for over 10 years or being a member of a high-end golf club.
This can also be used for our golf club employees. Our employees really care about if we appreciate their work and contribution to our businesses.
Social and emotional connections to a golf club as a workplace can strengthen the bond between people and the place.
Transitions – moments
Not just milestones, but transitions are also critical in our lives. Just think about these crucial moments:
- First time in a new golf club: think about what would ignite these golfers and feel more comfortable, and how to present your golf club compellingly. For example, highlighting social proofs, awards, and connecting with like-minded people.
- First time in a new position in a new workplace (see employee onboarding process). Gallup’s Workplace Report found that 88% of businesses (in the US) do not do a good job of onboarding new employees. Measure your new hires’ satisfaction and expectations! The first 90 days are the most crucial. It’s essential to make employees feel welcome, appreciated, and at ease during the onboarding process. A 2015 study by Harvard Business Review found that 22% of businesses don’t have a formal onboarding program. In a recent study by LinkedIn, 72% of respondents listed one-on-one time with their direct manager as the most essential part of any pre-boarding or onboarding process.
- Moving to a higher position within the hierarchy of your golf club.
All this might sound were simple ideas and thoughts, but frequently overlooked. In short, missed opportunities. I consider them as ‘low-hanging fruits’ that we should utilize to create exceptional customer & employee experience in our golf clubs.
We should start to think in moments to spot opportunities when we can impress our guests, members, and employees too.
Suppose you are already using customer journey mapping to understand your guests’ and members’ needs, expectations, and goals. In that case, you can also use it to define the moments of truth, when and where you can create memorable moments for them.
To exceed your golf club’s guests’ & members’ expectations, you must first understand those expectations.