Tag: latest news

Opportunities to Reinvent Club Service Standards

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The club industry is facing one of the most challenging labour markets in years. In addition to labour issues, most clubs have had to adjust their service levels to protect the health of their employees, members, and guests, as well as adhere to constantly changing public health guidelines within their regions. Added to this is the reduction in revenue associated with a decline in event business. The net result presents a challenging environment for clubs, but with challenge also comes opportunity. Clubs are provided with the opportunity to refine their service standards to meet the expectations of todays’ world and avoid allocating resources based on standards that are no longer relevant.

Changing Service Expectations

Over the last two years, service expectations have shifted. Some clubs have taken advantage of this transitionary period to redefine their future service models , with the goal of increasing operational efficiency while delivering a level of service expected by their members and guests. Utilizing member/guest focus groups and listening sessions, as well as well-constructed surveys, clubs have learned that service expectations have changed over the past two years. Some services that were once considered standard are no longer priorities for members. Valet parking, staffing a bag drop and driving range attendants are just a few examples of services that some clubs are moving away from. These clubs have also learned that the use of technology is far more accepted than it was two years ago and represents an opportunity to reduce labour costs. Moving all tee time booking online or to the club app rather than having a staff member answer phone calls is a common example.

Defining Service Standards

“Service Standards are clearly defined descriptions of the service experience that customers can expect to receive consistently with every interaction they have with your club”

On the surface, the above description is straight forward, but when it is applied to defining these standards, it can become a bit challenging. In particular, the four words, “…consistently with every interaction…” is what sets well-defined service standards apart from aspirational service delivery. For something to become a standard, it must be something that your team has the talent, training, and resources necessary to achieve the standard every time. If one of those factors is missing, it cannot be a standard. For example, it might be a service goal to answer the phone within two rings with a live individual. If you do not have the resources to achieve this every time, even during busy periods, it cannot be viewed as a service standard.

Written from the Customers Perspective

Our organization has assisted both small teams and large organizations in the hospitality industry to develop service standards. One common theme that we encounter with service organizations is a lack of clarity between operating standards and service standards. To put it simply, service standards is the service that a customer can expect to receive every time they have an encounter with your business. Operating standards are the internal processes that are in place to ensure that your organization achieves the service standards. For example, a service standard in a restaurant might be that all customers will be greeted at the host desk immediately upon entering the restaurant. The operating standard that would support this might be that during restaurant hours, the host desk will always be staffed. The difference is minor but important.

Train and Support

Once you have clearly defined your service standards across every touch point with customers, the challenge becomes ensuring that your team is consistently delivering. This requires that all employees clearly understand what is expected of them and that they have the necessary training and resources. Employees also require ongoing support and coaching from their supervisors.

Measure, Coach and Reward

The final step in a successful service standards program is measuring success. A consistent measurement process involves the creation of a scorecard and utilizing mystery shoppers who can objectively measure your team’s delivery of service standards. The scorecards help to identify areas where standards are not being met, and help management understand where additional training and resources might be needed. Scorecards also provide a benchmark score that provides a snapshot of how you are doing overall and a measurement that can be considered in your senior team’s annual goals and objectives.

Clearly defined and measured service standards have become a standard in the hospitality and club industry. If your club does not yet have a service standards program in place, we encourage you to develop one. If you already have a service standards program in place, it may be time to review it and determine if it is right for today’s service environment and evolving customer expectations.

Contact a GGA Partners professional today for more information.

Putting your data to work: 3 strategies to optimize your private club data

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In the ever-changing private club industry, organizations must continually ask themselves, “Are we managing operations to the best of our ability?” Peter Drucker, widely recognized as the founder of modern management said, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” Drucker’s words hold true today as the field of data science evolves at an increasingly fast pace. While the club industry has generally adopted data-driven approaches, our experience at GGA Partners highlights three common metrics that, when utilized effectively, are powerful contributors to success:

Revisiting member resignations

Clubs should aim to take an integrated view of their membership and while many have made great efforts to better track active membership profiles, there are significant opportunities in evaluating thorough data on resigned members. Clubs interested in reducing membership attrition are well-served to obtain a clear picture of resigned members. Collecting information on resigned members actually begins with appropriately tracking the members’ joining date and demographic information. With this, clubs are not only able to analyze what the typical lifecycle of membership is, but also how this lifecycle may differ across a variety of demographics. With this method, a club will obtain more insightful findings than a general resignation metric. For example, a club could determine when female members resign and whether this differs to male members, the conversion rates of intermediate category members to full, or whether members within certain geographic areas showcase distinct resignation patterns. Utilizing this lifecycle analysis, clubs can subsequently evaluate current active memberships and analyze who may be nearing the historical “end of membership” timeline. Digging deeper, if a club tracks the historical spend and usage habits of members leading up to their resignation, there comes an opportunity to utilize analytics to observe active members who display similar spend and usage patterns exhibited by resigned members (i.e., reductions in spend and usage).

Diving into usage details

Another area of opportunity is increased tracking of detailed amenity utilization statistics, such as rounds played, fitness check-ins, tennis court bookings, and food and beverage covers. As an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, many clubs adapted their booking technology to meet both safety regulations (where necessary) and membership demand.

Numerous clubs currently track this information on an aggregate basis (which is a great start) but incredible value comes from tracking the data on a per-member and time-associated basis. For example, for a private golf club, knowing how many rounds of golf your club saw in a year is valuable, but being able to assess which groups of membership played more than others during certain time frames offers a much more focused and actionable scope (particularly if utilization concerns continue to impact membership dissatisfaction across private clubs globally). The same impact could be had for a private multi-sport facility with tennis or fitness bookings. To generate this level of insight, clubs must track any sort of booking to the given member and attach a time with said booking. For example, if a specific member is playing a tennis match at 9:30am on a Saturday, this would be tracked within the club’s internal systems. At the end of the month, the club could export all match data and run various analyses, such as which members played the most, what are the busiest days and times, were there days of the week that would benefit from having additional programming to reduce higher-capacity times, and so on.

Managing membership movements

At a basic level, clubs should be confident in their knowledge of year-end membership category counts. With this information, assessments can be made on how certain categories have changed within a year, and then further investigated. Delving beyond the basics are those who have accurately tracked new sales, resignations and transfers within each category. Clubs should consider collecting and reporting data according to membership categories. Looking at the table below, including the previous year-end count to act as the baseline moving forward and the most recent year-end count provides context on increases and decreases. New sales, resignations, and transfers in and out for each membership category are also included, and updated throughout the year for easy input.

This comprehensive analysis allows clubs a detailed look at how membership is truly moving throughout any given year. For example, a category may appear steady from a year-over-year perspective, but upon further analysis, the reality showcases an incredible amount of pressure on new membership sales due to increased member transfers or resignations. With this level of insight, the club can then investigate why there are so many members moving out of this category and take actionable steps to stabilize its membership.

Improving and sustaining business performance is always top of mind for club leaders. A deeper approach to data and analytics plays a critical role in maximizing performance across club operations. Increased awareness into trends emerging from resigned members, the usage patterns of specific membership groups, and how members are migrating will lead to better understanding of the membership, and more effective actions taken by the club.

How our research & analytics professionals can help

Research and analytics are fundamental to GGA Partners’ proven approach to analyzing club performance and to continually improving the tools and solutions we offer our clients. With a team of professionals that carry over 28 years of experience in the golf, private club, and leisure industries, we can show your club how to leverage data and analytics to drive success.

Contact a GGA Partners professional today for more information.

 

Whitepaper: Unlocking the Strategic Power of Member Feedback

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This GGA Partners whitepaper discusses new approaches to understanding private club members. By re-imagining the potential of member feedback and charting a path towards maximizing feedback in strategic planning, private clubs can increase their attractiveness and competitiveness further.

This whitepaper reviews how Medinah Country Club strengthened its position in an increasingly competitive environment and uncertain economic time. By supplementing its understanding of member satisfaction to identify how to allocate limited resources, the Club was able to significantly impact member satisfaction and identify the greatest areas of opportunity.

Key topics and actions that are highlighted in this whitepaper include:

  • Advanced data analytics, including the Member Feedback Loop
  • Approaching data differently to pivot towards feedback opportunities
  • Unlocking the true potential of member surveys
  • Leveraging Satisfaction Impact Assessments to support club strategy
  • Delivering on the promise of data-informed decision-making

Download the whitepaper

For more information, please contact us.

Building the Membership Models of the Future

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Pandemic-driven changes to member usage has thrown off the balance of membership numbers and access privileges at private clubs around the world. What trends are being observed, and more importantly, what does the new normal look like for re-balancing membership capacities and usage patterns?

The impact that the pandemic era has had on private club member usage has not been subtle. Usage rates across private clubs for golf and racquet sports observed double digit usage growth. Among GGA clients, a 25-30% increase in total rounds played from 2019 to 2020 was not uncommon. On a per member basis, the average private club member increased their annual number of rounds played by 5-9 rounds. And while we predict there will likely be a slow regression in the years to come as other leisure alternatives become available, we still expect that the new ‘norm’ for private club member usage levels will be elevated from pre-pandemic experiences.

Why is that?

The flexible work-from-home trend brought on by public health measures brings with it two key benefits. Firstly, the saved time from commuting can now be dedicated to leisure pursuits and more time spent at the Club. The second is the flexibility of leisure usage. Traditional tee-sheet compaction on weekends is partly a function of this being the only time that many members can play, for those with rigid weekly work schedules and/or long commutes from the office. Flexible work hours offer members the option to use the Club at unconventional times, especially on weekday afternoons/evenings. If we think of the end result in terms of ‘occupancy rates’ for amenities at the Club, we expect higher levels as a function of more balanced demand.

As you plan for the upcoming season and work to identify the optimal structure for balancing members and access, consider the following practices that we have observed to be successful for managing a changing membership model:

Ensure member capacities are based on current usage patterns – This may seem obvious at first glance, but we continue to observe clubs focusing on their existing by-law capacity for members, a capacity that may have been calculated decades ago. Usage patterns may not always change as drastically as they have in the past two years, but there will never be a time where they are not evolving in one way or another. Member capacities should be calculated based on an ongoing monitoring of utilization levels, even if that means adjusting internal capacities annually.

Waitlists with Flexible Usage – As more and more clubs approach waitlists as a result of the demand increase over the past two seasons, consider a ‘soft’ waitlist category that still provides limited usage of the Club, at the discretion of the Board of Directors. This typically involves a deposit that can be applied to the entrance fee, and dues/access that likely resembles a sports/social category. The goal would be to steer all access towards non-peak times while still allowing new members to experience the Club and keep them ‘hooked’ until room opens up for a full membership.

Avoid the temptation to restrict the young member pipeline – Five years ago, many clubs were clamoring for members under the age of 40 and rolling out incentive programs to capture the new millennial generation of private club members. Naturally, when a club approaches capacity, it makes sense, in the short-term view, to cap the number of young members joining the club because they often receive discounted dues and/or joining fees. However, it is important to remember that the demand surge from this audience is likely to dry up again in the future, and the long-term value of a strong pipeline of millennial members (with the potential to pay dues at the Club for the next 40+ years) should be a higher strategic priority than the small incremental gain in dues revenue in the short-term. Due to the flexible nature of working from home, under 40’s have been playing considerably more golf, on average, and as a result, there may be an opportunity to reduce the intermediate discount (rather than turn them away) to match usage and their improved perception of value received.

Looking ahead, clubs must get comfortable with ‘change’, and the ability to monitor and react on a continuous basis. Do not assume that members will revert to the same patterns and preferences as they exhibited pre-Covid. Those who can react and adapt to the ever-evolving member trends will be positioned for success

How our Membership Strategy and Planning professionals can help

GGA Partners specializes in developing the most appropriate membership, lifestyle and amenity solutions that will position a club or project for long-term success in the context of its financial circumstances and competitive landscape. We invest heavily in tracking and understanding global trends and best practices specific to club membership.

Contact a GGA Partners professional today for more information.

 

3 Reminders for Every Leader

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Now, More Than Ever

Three reminders for every leader, every day – from a coaching perspective

Over the past 18 months after speaking with managers and their teams, I have found myself frequently saying “Now More Than Ever”. I rarely leave a coaching session or conversation without being reminded that there are some principles of leadership that can’t been forgotten or taken for granted, especially now.

Sometimes managers think they are displaying these “leadership musts” more than they really are. The truth is that managers are tired, their teams feel exhausted and overworked, and the challenges keep arriving.

In the midst of fighting the fires of urgencies like the labor shortage and the pandemic’s next crisis, it is so important to remember to lead. That’s the secret – to remember that along with managing the business, they have the opportunity to make a huge impact on their most valuable resource, their people.  The challenge is on to find good people to fill the available positions. Even more important is creating the culture to retain them.   Here are three simple, yet powerful reminders for everyday leadership.

LEADERS ARE ALWAYS AFFECTING CULTURE

When it comes to your people, everything matters. Managers often underestimate the importance of their presence. As they tackle the big picture issues, it is easy to leave it up to supervisors to keep teams engaged and deliver the best member experience possible. While managers surely have a lot on their plates right now, it is crucial and critical to stay connected with every employee at every level.  Model what you want to see. Your visibility is surely important to your members. It’s even more important to your staff members. As the late motivational speaker Zig Ziglar often said:

“People don’t care how much you know,
until they know how much you care – about them.”

Years ago a Sous Chef proudly showed me a thank you note he received from his GM. It was a simple hand written note on a white piece of paper.  He carried it with him every day in his wallet for over 10 years and I bet he still has it.

Connect with as many staff and managers as possible every day. Call them. Text them. Stop for a few minutes and talk with them. Ask them how they are doing, how their family is doing, what they need to do their job more effectively, and thank them genuinely for specific contributions they are making. Giving bonuses, gift cards and extras can be meaningful. However, nothing replaces a sincere thank you on a regular basis. Nothing. Keep connecting. Keep acknowledging.  Keep encouraging.

SET PEOPLE UP FOR SUCCESS

Are you an Employer of Choice? The labor shortage has brought a new set of challenges – finding qualified people.  The selection process is important, yet even more critical is retention. Here are some insights about how you can keep these new valuable recruits as well as your current invaluable team members:

  • Revisit your onboarding process to determine if it is working. Does each new team member get what they need. Do they feel welcome and part of a team, or do they just receive the basics and head out onto the floor? Get as many team members involved as possible during this most important phase.
  • Make sure the General Manager is part of the orientation process. As the GM, be sure to welcome every single new hire, get to know them, and then challenge them to add value that will make your club better. If you give employees something to live up to, they can make a difference.
  • Every manager and supervisor should keep asking – Does everyone have the tools they need to do their job? Do they have the daily information and updates they need? Are they trained properly? Do they know how to answer the latest pandemic questions and club policies? When staff aren’t equipped for success, they will surely get frustrated and leave. They may say they are leaving because of the money. They aren’t.

ASK QUESTIONS VERSUS GIVING ANSWERS

Most managers are in their role because of their technical competence and proficient operational skills. The tendency when engaging with staff is to give all of the answers. There is certainly a time and place for telling people what to do, however, leading others and engaging your team is the perfect opportunity not to give all of the answers. Every manager I have spoken with during the pandemic has said that one of the big lessons they have learned is that we don’t always have all of the answers. Exactly. So let’s apply that to our teams.

Dr. Peter Hawkins, author and Professor of Leadership at the Henley Business School, states that “The 21st century leader realizes that they can’t solve problems on their own, and they need the skills to orchestrate the team to come up with the best answers.”  Most team members are engaged in the culture when they can contribute, learn, and grow. They want to give their ideas and be a part of the solution.

Before you give the answers, think about what powerful questions you can ask to engage your team, then watch what happens.

Now more than ever is the time to lead.

Shelley MacDougall is a Director, Leadership Development at GGA Partners specializing in leadership coaching and training. She is passionate about developing leaders who want to make meaningful change where it counts: within themselves, with their teams, and in their organizations. To view Shelley’s profile, click here.

Board Room Best Practices

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In partnership with the National Club Association (NCA), we are pleased to release the inaugural issue of Club Governance, a publication focused on the fundamentals for effective club leadership developed to provide key insights into pressing board room issues and outline board room best practices to effectively govern your club.

In our inaugural issue, Henry DeLozier and GGA’s governance expert Fred Laughlin, discuss the following topics:

Three Keys to Effective Governance: Who Serves on the Club Board?

A Model for Club Governance: Policies and Practices of High-Performing Boards

How to Build a Board of Directors: Selecting Your Dream Team

Building Accountable and Transparent Boards: The Board’s Path to Excellence

Gaining Governance Consistency: How to Reduce the Annual Speed Bump

A Case Study of Good Governance: Greensboro Country Club

NCA members will receive Club Governance semiannually as a special insert in Club Director magazine. Through our partnership with NCA, we are making each publication available to our valued clients.

Read or download Club Governance here

A print version of Club Governance is available to GGA Partner clients. If you would like us to send one, please provide your name, club name and mailing address via email to linda.dillenbeck@ggapartners.com.

Global Golf Advisors Announces Exciting Brand Transformation

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– Trusted advisor to the golf, private club and leisure industries becomes GGA Partners™
– New brand identity supports firm’s progression into a new era, beyond golf
– GGA Partners™ targets further expansion across a changing private club, leisure and investment landscape

(Toronto, Canada – February 6) Global Golf Advisors, the international consulting firm working with many of the world’s most successful golf courses, private clubs, resorts and residential communities, today announces the start of a new era as it becomes GGA Partners™.

Established in 1992 as North America’s KPMG Golf Industry Practice and headquartered in Toronto, Canada, the company has provided industry-leading advisory services to more than 3,000 clients worldwide.

Its team of experienced professionals assist owners, asset managers, club and community leaders, investors and real estate developers tackle challenges, achieve objectives and maximize asset performance.

Its evolution from Global Golf Advisors perfectly links its rich business heritage with new and significant market opportunities, reflecting a changing private club, leisure and investment landscape, while continuing to emphasize its perennial values and its trusted position across the global golf industry.

Over the past decade, the firm has been increasingly engaged in a multitude of successful consulting projects in the club and leisure space where golf amenities have not been present – from private city clubs to business clubs, beach clubs, mountain clubs, yacht clubs, destination resorts and residential real estate developments.

Derek Johnston, Partner at GGA Partners™, commented: “Today is an important milestone in the continued advancement of our business. Our new brand proudly celebrates the heritage of Global Golf Advisors by continuing with the acronym by which the firm has become commonly known; but it also acknowledges the growth we have enjoyed and communicates our bright future, as a consulting firm that has evolved into a club and leisure powerhouse.”

Significantly, three ‘progression bars’ that form the visual icon within the new GGA Partners™  logo reverberate the firm’s process, ‘Insight, Strategy, Success’, leveraging in-depth business intelligence and proprietary global data to deliver impactful strategic solutions and lasting success for its clients.

The company’s new brand colors symbolize stability, professionalism, trust, health, virtue, and force, while dynamic typography accents the bold, modern, and striking approach to its work.

Johnston concluded: “Our new brand excellently positions us for continued growth, reflects our status as a leading international consulting firm, and underlines how we work in partnership with clients to tackle challenges, achieve business objectives and maximize asset performance.”

GGA Partners™ has offices in Toronto, Canada; Phoenix, USA, and Dublin, Ireland.

For further information about GGA Partners™ visit: www.ggapartners.com

 

— ENDS —

 

To access high resolution GGA Partners logo and image of Partner Derek Johnston, click here: https://we.tl/t-vblo2VJj79

Press release issued on behalf of GGA Partners™, by Landmark Golf Marketing & Communications.

 

GGA Partners™ contact:

Bennett DeLozier
Manager
t: +1-602-614-2100
e: bennett.delozier@ggapartners.com

Media contact:

Michael Roberts
Head of Digital Marketing
Landmark Golf Marketing & Communications
t: +44 (0)1780 752790
e: michael@landmark-media.com

 

About GGA Partners™

GGA Partners™ is an international consulting firm and trusted advisor to many of the world’s most successful golf courses, private clubs, resorts and residential communities.  We are dedicated to helping owners, asset managers, club and community leaders, investors and real estate developers tackle challenges, achieve objectives and maximize asset performance.

Established in 1992 as the KPMG Golf Industry Practice, our global team of experienced professionals leverage in-depth business intelligence and proprietary global data to deliver impactful strategic solutions and lasting success.

ggapartners.com

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