Most grocery stores, retail outlets and hotel chains have rewards programs that offer discounts and bonuses to their best customers. That same strategy can also work for your golf shop and be a source of additional income.
At Findlay Country Club in Findlay, Ohio, members may purchase a credit balance at the beginning of the season (minimum $100; maximum $2,000) that they can use for pro shop purchases at the club. In return, members receive a discount, depending on the product category, between 10 percent and 30 percent.
“Loyalty programs like this help to maintain customers and encourage them to think of their operation as the place they should purchase a majority of their goods,” notes head professional Chad Bain. After all, members are essentially receiving up to a 30 percent return on their investment.
According to Bain, approximately 60 percent of Findlay’s members take part in the program annually. Among the benefits of membership is an invitation to a series of special sales events that take place throughout the year.
In addition to the increased sales, the program enables Bain to identify the best customers and is helpful in determining which products are the most popular and should be kept in inventory. Better still, members normally spend more than their initial credit investment.
“The more they spend, the more they save or the more rewards they accumulate,” Bain says. “It’s a win-win situation for the customer and for us.”
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