When it comes time to choose tee gifts for your club’s tournaments and events, it may make sense for your committee or golf professional to get the opinion of the members. This change in philosophy has been a success at Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Golfers who participate in a number of member-guest-type tournaments can end up with the same tee gift or with an item in which they have no interest. Too often, there’s little thought that goes into the selection of a gift, and many times they end up abandoned in the closet or garage.
Jeff Nichols, director of golf at Carmel, began a new process that allows members and guests to choose the gift they desire. The result has been a more popular series of goodies and happier golfers.
At one event, players were given their choice of putters, offering them the choice of head style and length. Nichols had samples available for players to look at, hold and try before making their selection.
“The end goal was to give the player multiple options so they could make an individualized purchase, feeling like you got the putter you wanted instead of just a new putter,” Nichols says. The response was overwhelmingly positive and led the club to go through the same process at another event with various choices of outerwear.
Indeed, the benefits proved numerous. By targeting what the participants actually wanted, the number of returns dropped from 25 percent to less than 5 percent. Most returns now are simply to swap the size. Also, the amount of stock the shop is required to have on hand is greatly reduced.
Nichols says the change in philosophy has led to additional merchandise being sold at the event. In fact, approximately one-quarter of the players in the field will make a special order.
Players like it, too. Surveys showed a 20 percent increase in satisfaction, to 90 percent overall.
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