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Concept has partnered with 59club to provide its golf, leisure & spa clients with new service analysis intelligence to measure customer satisfaction levels within their businesses via its high-end operations software suites.

Concept users can now benefit from 59club’s expertise, mechanism and freedom to independently deliver customer satisfaction surveys using their industry specific benchmarking assessment criteria, flexible survey templates and automated software.

The new partnership enables the auto-generating functions to remain switched on for mutual affiliated clients – meaning that each time member and guest data is entered into their operations software, 59club will auto-invite the customer to complete the venues bespoke satisfaction survey based on their recent encounter – for example after having joined the club, paid to play, visited the spa or F&B outlet or having relinquished their club membership. The functionality can even track a customer’s experience at significant landmarks during their journey, auto-generating a series of questionnaires, in sequence at set intervals as programmed by the venue, measuring a new member’s experience over a set timeframe as a guide.

With a wealth of survey templates that cover all areas of the hospitality industry and as a result of the two software giant’s new pairing, club staff can now save valuable time delivering surveys, avoiding additional data entry, and elements of human error or resistance are eradicated.

The new interface will go live at one of the most prestigious properties in The UK; The Belfry – with other leading Golf Groups such as Dubai Golf and premier clubs and resorts that includes the likes of Old Thorns, Celtic Manor, Stoke Park, Ramside Hall and Dalmahoy also set to win as a result of the new pairing, with concept looking to roll-out the update to all of its clients very soon.

Chris Reeve, Director of Golf at the Belfry Hotel & Resort, said: “The 59club surveys have been a huge success for us and we are just about to introduce a link between our EPOS [Concept] system which will talk directly to 59club’s software [my59] and provide a survey to anyone that plays a round of golf at The Belfry with a few key questions. This is going to open new doors for us and gives us even more insight into what our customers are looking for and allows us to retain our number one position as the best golf resort in the UK”

The new partnership has been forged to assist venues to improve and maintain sales and service quality, in addition to comparing their internal customer satisfaction levels against 59club’s benchmark; the industry average and the best performing venues globally. Ultimately venues stand to capture more consumer insights than ever before.

Simon Wordsworth, 59club CEO, said: “Our recent partnership with Concept is hugely exciting for 59club. Linking our customer satisfaction survey software with the complete enterprise solution for the world’s leading resorts couldn’t be a better match. Both companies have a focus on being in control; whether that’s assisting clients managing memberships, reservations, POS or business intelligence.

“The addition of ‘real-time’ customer service analysis sees the essential day to day operation of golf, leisure & Spa venues worldwide get a whole lot smarter. As 59club continues to grow with new operations in America, Asia and Europe, I’m looking forward to seeing our collaboration with Concept continue to advance service excellence standards across the industry globally”.

Concept, a Shiji Group Brand, offers its users with leisure software for spas, clubs, resorts, and golf courses. The Concept Golf product is a complete enterprise solution for the world’s leading golf resorts and venues and caters for all software needs for golf operations.

Malcolm Rennie, Commercial Manager of Concept, said: “This new relationship and integration with 59club is so exciting for us. The cross-over between our mutual clients is staggering and we were delighted to see so many of Concept’s customers being recognised at 59club’s annual awards ceremony. We can’t wait to rollout this integration to new and existing clients and see the positive results.” 

For more information on 59club, visit: www.59club.com
For more information on Concept, visit www.concept.shijigroup.com

59club, the industry’s leading Sales & Customer Service analysts, with more than 12 years’ experience in the hospitality sector, has announced a partnership with the UK’s premier draught cocktail brand, Gunners.

59club’s unrivalled mystery shopper audits and customer satisfaction surveys launched to the Food & Beverage sector in the spring in order to provide comprehensive & totally objective on-line reports, which measure the customer experience in four distinct types of food delivery. They are “Food to go”, “Quick Service”, “Gastro/Brasserie” and “Premium Dining” with supplementary training services available. Each food outlet tested has the option to choose the competitors that they would like to be ranked against, with the objective being to ensure that 59club maximises the commercial opportunity and provide support where necessary. 59club food services play a vital part in ensuring that the desired sales & service standards are achieved.

Further plans set to advance sales & service levels within the Food industry include the launch of an ‘F&B Service Excellence’ qualification for customer facing staff in late 2019. To enable the rapid growth of service & sales performance management tools that are driving standards across the industry, 59club has created a small network of Food & Beverage Partners who share the common goals of wanting to develop products and services that serve to enhance customer experience. Gunners are the first major supporter of this initiative and have put a great offering together for golf clubs to have the drink available to members and guests on draught, in bottle and by portable dispense.

Established in 1842, Gunners is famed for being a distinctive non-alcoholic cocktail. Gunners ‘Saint’, one of the most refreshing summer drinks, includes Ginger Beer, Ginger Ale, Angostura Bitters and a twist of lime, always served over ice. Gunners ‘Saint’ is now accompanied by Gunners ‘Sinner’; a modern, darker version of the classic drink that comes complete with a shot of dark rum, to add a little more punch (4.5% abv). Rather than being hand mixed behind the bar, both drinks are now available in pre-mixed packaging and poured through modern dispense equipment, so that a perfect serve is achieved, every time, in a fraction of the time.

The new pairing has since seen the refreshing, British taste of Gunners added to The Belfry Hotel & Resort, one of the most popular golfing venues in the UK. The fit forged around quality, affords the perfect accompaniment of beverages to meet the demands of both the traditional and modern-day golfer. 59club’s rich heritage in golf saw an early paring with the 4-time Ryder cup host venue some 12 years ago. This year the Resort was crowned 59club’s Ultimate Golf Resort in the 9^th annual Service Excellence Awards Ceremony hosted in March 2019 at St Andrews, Scotland – the home of golf.

Simon Wordsworth, CEO of 59club said; “We look forward to a successful partnership with Gunners, set on advancing customer service levels across golf resorts, hotel chains, restaurants and bars. If that wasn’t enough, perhaps to see the famous drink pave its way into more golf bars around the globe will be something we all toast at the first 59club Food Service Excellence Awards Ceremony.”

Whether you favour the ‘Saint’ or the ‘Sinner’, visit www.gunnerscocktails.co.uk to find out more about this unique

cocktail.

For more information about 59club’s sales & service performance management tools, contact Mike Bell for all F&B related enquires at mbell@59clubfood.com and Matt Roberts for Golf, Leisure, Spa & Hotels at matt@59club.com

Suppliers interested in partnering with 59club to further advance sales & service within the hospitality industry are urged to contact Paul Walker on behalf of 59club who can be contacted on paulwalker@pwcl.co.uk.

At a very basic level, as golf professionals, whichever direction our career has taken, we all aim to offer the best products and services to our customers. We all inspire to deliver the level of professionalism that our PGA training instilled within us. The pro who thinks smarter, who sets their own agenda to push the boundaries to achieve success, is the pro who stands to win the most!

High-profile venues across the world recognised for service excellence in glitzy ceremony at the Home of Golf . 

The golf industry’s very best clubs, resorts and individuals last night descended on St Andrews, The Home of Golf, for the 9th annual 59club Service Excellence Awards. A day which started with a golf tournament on the Jubilee and iconic Old Course, ended in a celebratory awards ceremony at The Old Course Hotel, within the Hall of Champions.

The Belfry Hotel & Resort and Emirates Golf Club picked up the highest prized awards of the evening, The Ultimate Golf Resort and Ultimate Members’ Club. The Belfry Hotel also scooped a ‘Gold Flag’ and three other awards, including Chris Reeve being crowned UK ‘Golf Manager of the year’ based on their PGA National Course audits, and Angus MacLeod crowned UK Greenkeeper of the Year in recognition of The Brabazon Course, for the second consecutive year.  

Dubai Golf-managed venues were left revelling on the night, with Emirates Golf Club collecting four awards, while Dubai Creek went one better claiming five, including both the Leisure Membership and overseas Golf Membership Sales Teams of the Year. Dubai Golf were also awarded Golf Group of the Year, both venues awarded ‘Gold Flags’, whilst Stephen Hubner of Dubai Creek crowned overseas Golf Manager of the Year for the second year running. Upon collecting 10 total awards on behalf of venues across the Dubai Golf portfolio, Chris May, CEO, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have achieved such success here at the 59club Service Excellence Awards, and it is with much personal pride that I was able to collect so many accolades on behalf of Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek, as well as the sought after Golf Group of the year title. “The expertise, information and staff training support that 59club has provided us over the years has become a mainstay of our business, and has allowed us to deliver a consistently high level of customer service across our entire group operation. We pride ourselves on being amongst the very best venues in terms of the visitor and member experience in world golf.” 

The awards, which recognised the leading golf venues that consistently achieve ‘service excellence’ across all areas of their businesses – sales, service, operations, retail, golf course, food & beverage and management – are determined by scores collected from an independent visitor panel who evaluate the experience presented to both visiting golfers and prospective members, all in accordance with 59club’s industry leading, non-subjective benchmarking criteria.   

To ensure venues of all sizes are recognised for their outstanding levels of achievement, 59club introduced two categories for selected individual and team awards, thus segmenting clubs who charge an average green fee of either above or below £75.  This ensures clubs of all sizes and budgets have the chance to receive the credit they deserve, based on the market segment they have chosen to compete in.Chris Reeve, Belfry Hotel and Resort Director of Golf, said: “I am extremely proud to have received such a prestigious accolade, which underlines our commitment to deliver the highest levels of customer service and unforgettable experiences for all of our guests. “The award recognises all the hard work that each individual has contributed towards realising our vision for the future of golf at The Belfry. From the greenkeepers to the bar and kitchen staff, every member of the team is committed to service excellence and does a fantastic job; they are the driving force behind our success. “This win not only demonstrates the achievements of our team, but also signifies the benefits of our work with 59club, and this would not have been possible without our close working relationship with them. I am looking forward to the year ahead and continuing to build upon the resort’s illustrious reputation.” 59club’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Flag Awards, the Industry Benchmark, are a highlight for many. These highly prized accolades recognise member clubs and resorts that provided excellent facilities for golfers to enjoy, as well as having achieved the required standard of customer service throughout 2018. This year, 59club presented 19 ‘Gold Flags’. The deserving winners were: Forest of Arden, Foxhills, Yas Links, The Dukes St Andrews, Monte Rei, Celtic Manor Resort, The Grove, The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Gleneagles, Rockcliffe Hall, Son Muntaner, Royal GC Bahrain, Stoke Park, Abu Dhabi GC, Trump International Dubai, Dubai Creek, Emirates GC, Saadiyat Beach GC and Roehampton Club. Los Naranjos were the only venue to receive a ‘Silver Flag’, while 12 ‘Bronze Flag’ Awards were presented to Forest Pines, Slaley Hall, La Manga Club, Castelconturbia, Worsley Park, Club de Golf Alcanada, Frilford Heath GC, Hanbury Manor, Gullane GC, Woodhall Spa, Royal Automobile Club and Sandy Lodge GC. Philomena Wilkinson (Forest of Arden) received the Award for the ‘Leading Individual UK Golf Membership Sales Performance’.

Forest of Arden had further reason to celebrate by winning the ‘Golf Sales Team of the Year’, being awarded a ‘Gold Flag’ and Simon Howell claiming the ‘Golf Retail Manager of the Year’ UK award in the over £75 green fee category. These successes for the Marriott Golf Group culminated in a total of 9 awards throughout the night which included a Bronze Flag for Hanbury Manor, Breadsall Priory claiming UK Golf Membership Sales Teams of the Year, and Worsley Park earning themselves a Bronze Flag and UK Golf Operation Team of the Year for the under £75 category. Meanwhile, alongside a Gold Flag, Trump International, Dubai were also crowned overseas Golf Operation Team of the Year. Special acknowledgement should be reserved for Royal GC Bahrain, which claimed two individual awards Paul Gindra and Candice Hall for Overseas Food & Beverage Manager of the Year, and Jamie Faulkner and William Evans for Overseas Greenkeeper of the Year, and also a Gold Flag Designation. In recognition for venues which have shown continued commitment to engage, analyse and enrich their member and guest experience, utilising a collateral of survey tools across 59club’s ‘my59’ software platform, 19 ‘my59 Awards’ were presented. Recipients included Ashburnham GC, Colchester GC, Dalmahoy Hotels & CC, Dunscar GC, Ferndown GC, Gog Magog GC, King’s Lynn GC, Langland Bay GC, Maxstoke Park GC, Old Thorns GC, Orsett GC, Radyr GC, Sherborne GC, Stoke Park, St Ives (Hunts) GC, The Scandinavian and The Vale Resort. Two venues received distinction in this category – Celtic Manor Resort and Macdonald Hotels.Other prestigious award winners on the night included Houssem Belabed (Gleneagles) claiming the UK Food & Beverage Manager title within the under £75 category, while Ben Hunt (Rockliffe Hall) received the same accolade within the over £75. Matt Aplin (Goring & Streatley) was crowned the UK Greenkeeper, with Sandy Smith (Ladybank) receiving UK Golf Retail Manager, both within the under £75 greenfee category. The Grove had reason to celebrate success, retaining their Gold Flag status, Brad Gould claimed the UK Golf Manager title, and the Resort crowned UK Golf Operation Team of the Year, both within the over £75 greenfee category. Of this year’s awards, Simon Wordsworth, CEO at 59club, commented: “St Andrews Old Course Hotel has not disappointed in providing an exciting and memorable evening celebrating our 9th Annual Service Excellence Awards. The winners have all showcased the very best client experiences possible, a trait that will consistently see them advance standards across the industry and ensure they stay at the forefront of the golf and hospitality industry.“The team at 59club has consistently pushed the boundaries with customer service standards and thanks to our proven benchmarking tools and training support, the success stories amongst our client base continue to grow. “I’d like to congratulate all of our winners, nominees and venues we work with, who continue to dedicate themselves to delivering the best experiences possible for their members and guests.”

59club Director, Mark Reed is back from his Tour of the UAE where he has been busy corrupting the teams at Dubai Golf & Yas Links empowering them to convert more member sales and retain more club members.  

Training has focused on the exact same ‘59club membership sales procedures’ that assisted one of the largest golf group in the UK increase their membership sales performance by 77% in year 1, and 90% in year 4.  

Yas Links is fairly new to 59club after calling on their expertise last year, but the teams wasted no time in getting to grips with the 59club sales and service principals.  

Howie Roberts, Yas Links General Manager was quick to acknowledge the positive impact that 59club has had on staff performance and the way he manages his business when it comes to visiting golfers, members and prospective members.  

“I am confident that when a golfer visits Yas Links that everything we do has been carefully planned, that the service we offer is guaranteed and that when it comes to our bottom line we are doing well. 59club has assisted us to breakdown the customer journey and scrutinise the minuscule to make a big impact.  

Marks training day with the team put the icing on the cake for us, he gave them new focus, ignited the fire in their bellies and has given them new direction and a process that we now need to follow in order to excel.  We are already looking forward to Marks return trip as we constantly strive to do better”.

The team at Dubai Golf have worked with 59club to develop their sales performance & service etiquette for the past 5years where both The Emirates Golf Club & Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club as a result are witnessing some of the best membership conversion and retention rates that the group has ever seen.   

Chris May, Dubai Golf CEO said “Having Mark deliver the training to the team has given them a heightened perspective of the standards that we expect from our staff and the service that our members and guests deserve.  

It’s truly inspirational to see Marks passion and vision for wanting to create the best experience for our members from the very moment they join. The team are literally buzzing and can’t wait to incorporate 59clubs sales and service tactics into ‘club life’.  

59club Director Mark Reed added, “When members choose to join these forward thinking clubs, reassuringly they will never be treated like ‘a number’. These clubs work hard to assist members integrate into club life and guarantee to make their life as a member experience the very best”.  

Dubai Golf famously collected the ‘Golf Group of the year’ Award at the 2016 ‘59club Sales & Service Awards Ceremony’ famously regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the golf industry. The Creek was honoured with the ‘Ultimate Golf Members Award’ and The Emirates went on to collect the 59club Gold Flag Award, further demonstrating the groups commitment to providing the best experience for visiting golfers and their members who are lucky enough to call Dubai Golf their club!  

59clubs UK ‘Sales, Service and Retention Roadshow’, coming to a club near you, takes place between the 5^th and 8^th of December 2016. The 59club Directors will empower you to convert more member sales & maximise member and visitor revenue. Whilst the infamous American, Gregg Patterson, will excite & entertain as he discusses the BUZZ, the LOVE and the GLOW enlarging and enriching the service experience.  

Contact 59club for further information on this must attend event aimed at Owners, Managers, Directors of Golf and all aspiring future managers – come and be enlightened!