BE A PIG, DON’T BE HOG

By Pat Montana, Ph.D Golf managers should educate their staff on the need to be more sensitive to the needs and expectations of potential members and customers. I was invited recently to play golf at the course where I live but am not a member.  My new neighbor, who was anxious to familiarize himself with the course, asked me to join him and a friend who were invited by a member to complete a foursome.  The member advised us that he would be joining us later in the round, and we were totally put off when the head golf professional charged us double the guest fee because the member was not present at our starting time.  The head golf professional was nonresponsive to our frustration in questioning the charge.  He simply refused to listen and charged us an unaccompanied guest fee. Being more sensitive to customer expectations may well have resulted in my neighbor, his friend, and myself joining the club at a later time.  By being limited by management policy in this case, the head golf professional lost us forever.  The guest fee during high season is pricey, but understandable.  Having to pay double this fee brought to mind the old expression, “Be a pig, don’t be a hog.”  You might get more members.