Fore!mula For Success - The Defector Campaign - July 2010
Defector Campaign Keeps Customers Coming Back
If a customer played your golf course but hadn’t returned in awhile, could you benefit by identifying that golfer and sending an e-mail to incentivize him or her to come back? Fore! Reservations Users certainly think so, and it is why so many are utilizing the Fore! Marketing Defector Campaign. The Defector Campaign is designed to identify customers that haven’t had a tee time reservation or point-of-sale transaction in 30 or 60 days, and send them an automated e-mail encouraging their return. Courses utilizing this powerful component of the Fore! Marketing product are capitalizing on their customer database, retaining revenue and reducing the chance of losing valuable customers.“The Defector Campaign is a great retention tool that maximizes our customer database and helps us generate rounds and revenue we may not have had without reaching out to those golfers,” says Vincent Caballero, General Manager and Head Golf Professional at Lost Creek Golf Club in Aledo, TX. “If we lose just one customer we lose revenue, and usually that works in threes and fours since most golfers don’t play alone. Having the Defector Campaign in place gives us a great shot to get golfers to come back.”
Lost Creek Golf Club, an 18 hole public facility located in the Fort Worth area, offers golfers a free basket of range balls if they haven’t returned in 30 days, and if they still haven’t returned in 60 days, customers receive a great offer on a Monday–Thursday round. “It’s important to remain in our customers' minds and do whatever we can to keep them playing our course,” Vincent says. “We want everyone to consider Lost Creek as their home course. Sending ‘We Miss You’ e-mails provides that extra personal touch letting our customers know they are valued.” Lost Creek customers have responded favorably to their offers and it has helped the facility bring in much needed revenue during their slower season while the course undergoes a major renovation.
According to Pellucid Corporation, golf courses that market to defectors on average see a 40% increase in their overall customer retention rate. “The best performance I’ve seen is a course that brought back 62% of their defectors just by sending targeted e-mails,” states Stuart Lindsay, Principal at Edgehill Golf Advisors. “Marketing to defectors is effective because it tells your customers that you know who they are and that you want them back.” Stuart notes that Fore! Reservations Users have an advantage because not all point-of-sale systems offer the ability to accurately identify defectors and efficiently market to them.
The Defector Campaign has helped Hickory Valley Golf Club, a 36 hole public facility in Gilbertsville, PA, retain more customers and make their facility the home course to more golfers this year. “I’ve definitely noticed a change since implementing Fore! Marketing,” says Assistant General Manager Andrew Bainbridge. “I’m behind the counter often and I’ve seen the same faces much more regularly this season compared to past seasons. With the help of Fore! Marketing defector e-mails that bring golfers back to us and thank you e-mails that keep our customers happy, we’re converting traveling foursomes into home course players. Increasing regular play can only have a positive impact on our bottom line.”
Increasing play, enhancing customer satisfaction, and facing tough competition are just some of the reasons why Kedron Dells Golf Club, a semi-private 18 hole course located in Oshawa, Ontario, and Crossgates Golf Club, an 18 hole public course in Millersville, PA, decided to implement the Defector Campaign this season.
“The Defector Campaign is an essential tool and first step in our customer retention program with the ultimate goal of establishing satisfied customers,” Kedron Dells General Manager Philip Brown says. “Customers that receive a defector e-mail have either not been golfing in the last 30-60 days or have been playing at other facilities. By sending an e-mail that gives customers a feeling of appreciation, it can help golfers decide that their next round will be at our course; sooner rather than later.”
Keeping customer satisfaction at a high level is especially important if you’re located in an area with a lot of competition. Local competition is the basis for Crossgates Golf Club using the Defector Campaign. “We’re in direct competition with five or six courses in the immediate area so we needed to start focusing on customer retention,” says Golf Shop Manager Trevor Pope. “I believe there aren’t as many new golfers playing the game so you need to get the same golfers to play your course more. With the Defector Campaign in place, we’re in a better position to give customers a reason to return. We’re starting to see positive results and I am very optimistic about the product’s potential.”
“Fore! Marketing certainly gives us an advantage over our competition and is a very cost effective method of reaching our customers,” concludes Philip. “With the Defector Campaign we are always at the top of our customers’ lists when considering where they will play their next round.”
Would you like to implement the Fore! Marketing Defector Campaign at your facility? Click here to watch a video about Fore! Marketing! Please contact our Marketing Team for activation assistance. E-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 630.789.9784.
Have you read about a software feature in a Fore!mula For Success article and decided to implement it at your course? If so we'd like to share your success story! Please e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we'll feature your course in an upcoming article.
