Fore!mula For Success - Online Video Series - March 2009
When time is short, budgets are tight and staff is stretched, training is often one of the activities that gets shelved for a "better time." And because that better time never seems to come around, you and your staff may not be utilizing some of the most valuable, practical and easy to use features of the Fore! Reservations software. To help, Fore! Reservations offers an Online Video Series that provides Users quick, easy, any time access to training. The series consists of three different sets of videos and is currently free for all Users to view.
"We are a very small operation with a small budget, so the online videos are a perfect alternative for us," says Gail Arnott, Manager at The Highlands Golf Club at Fisher Mountain in Franklin, WV. "There was a lot about the system that I didn't know how to do and I always knew that there was a lot more that we could be using it for, so the videos are a primary training tool for us."
With the club now in its fourth season of operation, Gail and the Highlands staff started with the Basic Series, a collection of 10 videos that detail the set up and procedures of basic aspects of the software such as how to build a tee sheet, booking tee times, and shopping cart and sales item set up. Now in her first season as manager for the club, Gail anticipates viewing many of the other training videos including inventory management, food and beverage set up, and e-marketing tools.
"The videos really help and I plan to have all our new hires watch them," she says.
Rick Saxon, General Manager of the 36-hole Briarwood Golf Club in York, PA, and a User of the Fore! Reservations system for 10 years, sees the value in using the Online Video Series to help keep his staff up to date on new software functionality. Rick and his staff viewed a number of the videos in order to learn about Internet features Briarwood is now implementing including setting up the Internet Dashboard, creating a Tee Time Specials Calendar, and how to activate and manage their Fore! Marketing Birthday Program offers.
"The videos are very clear, are very helpful and they really save a lot of time," Rick says. "It's a really good system and saves us calls to Customer Support."
Within the three series - Public, Basic, and Counter - you'll find a collection of easy to follow, step-by-step tutorials that walk Users through every setup process. The Public Series includes eight different instructional videos that cover product features and information on the golf industry as a whole. Videos on newly released products such as Fore! Marketing and new Internet tools can be found in the Public Series. The 10-video Basic Series is designed to be watched in order and provides management staff valuable training on how to utilize several areas of the Fore! Reservations package including a comprehensive overview of the system, tee sheet features; cash close, reporting and auditing basics; Fore! Internet Premium; and basic bar and grill functionality. The Counter Series features functional videos to help train counter staff. The videos describe in detail the software procedures that staff experience on a day to day basis, and should be part of any new employee training process.
Jean Enright, Head Golf Professional at Holly Ridge Golf Club in Sandwich, MA, found the marketing training videos especially helpful. "We're computer savvy, and generally very visual and found the visual instruction on how to navigate the software very helpful," she says. Now in their third season using the Fore! Reservations system, Jean sees great potential for continued use of the Online Video Series.
"The videos are easy to access and are not too time consuming," Jean says. "After attending the National Users Conference last November, we discussed having key staff go through the whole series and definitely see that as a good option."
Click here to access the Fore! Reservations Online Video Series.
For upcoming issues of Fore!mula for Success, we'd love to hear from course General Managers, Accountants and Food & Beverage Managers regarding your successes utilizing the Point of Sale system. Call us at 630-789-9705 or contact us via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will feature your course in a future issue of Fore!mula for Success.
