A member survey provides valuable feedback for club leaders as a standalone evaluation mechanism. But the full value can only be unlocked when a survey becomes part of a holistic member feedback plan.
There are three main components of member feedback that we believe are essential to a best-practice member feedback strategy. All three tie together and support insights that are stronger than the sum of the individual parts.
Real-Time Feedback drives tactical action for the club. While club managers need to be able to interpret positive and negative experiences on a daily basis, few capitalize on all of the potential feedback outlets and touch points at the club. In doing so, they are “reactive” rather than “proactive” in terms of making actionable improvements to the member experience.
*Open collectors can be implemented for each touch point at the Club, for example, at the conclusion of dining or a golf round.
Periodic Trending continues to be a critical measurement tool because it provides a baseline for satisfaction and a consistent trend year-over-year. Periodic trending feedback lends itself to benchmarking and is an effective tool for monitoring and measuring performance against goals. Real-time feedback can be sporadic, which is why a periodic survey, such as a satisfaction survey, of the entire membership that evaluates the overall member experience for a given period is an essential measurement tool.
Long Term Planning to define and refine the vision is a critical exercise of the strategic planning process, and requires continued member buy-in. As the world evolves rapidly, every few years comes the need to reassess members’ outlooks toward club usage, preferences, expectations, and capital desires. Effective long-term planning surveys then leverage periodic trending and real-time feedback to help measure the outcomes of each planning cycle.
As you contemplate any form of member feedback, we encourage you to take a step back and first identify a holistic member feedback strategy that is synergistic and aligns with your organizational goals.
This article was written by Director Ben Hopkinson.
