The Little Things or Los Pequenas Cosas

If you want to distinguish your facility in today’s competitive market, seek out individual and collective opportunities to exercise an extra level of customer service. Whether it is having your pro walk up and down the tee line offering on-the-spot advice or insuring there is adequate seating for the elderly or others with disabilities. If seniors can rest while practicing, they will buy a larger quantity of balls. If a customer gets a few free pointers from a pro, the odds are increased they will come back and possibly take one or more lessons or take advice when it’s time to replace or update equipment.

We had the chance to learn this important lesson several years ago on a very warm and muggy day. My wife and I were working at one of our ranges. The range was quite large almost 1000 ft wide and 1000 ft deep. Just about all the way at one end of the tee-line, we noticed an elderly gentleman holding his chest while bent over at the waist. I was concerned that he might be having a heart attack. I sprinted down to his location and by the time I arrived, he was getting ready to strike a golf ball off a rubber tee. I waited until he finished his swing and asked him if everything was ok. He said yes and stated that he was in a cardiac rehab program and was starting to exercise after surgery. He said it still hurt him to bend over. I asked him if he had a few minutes and suggested he sit down on the nearby bench while I recovered a piece of equipment from one of the storage rooms. What I had sitting in the storage room was a small mechanical automatic teeing machine that worked reasonably well but was not durable enough for constant use on a commercial range. I would always buy these gadgets to see if they were feasible for use at our facility. I set this teeing machine up and showed the gentlemen how to activate the delivery arm. Within a few minutes, he was hitting away with a smile on his face. When I saw him packing up, I went to recover the tee machine. He was very thankful and promised to return everyday if I would let him use the machine. He also promised to tell his cardiac rehab group about the accommodation. Not only did we have one satisfied customer, but also his positive review of our efforts led to a regular flow of folks needing a little assistance.

Remember, often times it is the intangible, no cost effort that will lead to positive results for your business.