This article is about the importance of quantifying customer service. Let's begin by describing three following possible transactions. First, you give someone a dollar and you only get 75 cents in return. That transaction illustrates bad customer service. Second, you give someone a dollar and they give you a dollar in return. That transaction indicates average customer service. But, the third transaction illustrates outstanding customer service. You give someone a dollar and you get back $1.25 in value. This is commonly known as the "abundance of exchange" principle, the concept of over-delivery or exceeding expectations.
In the tennis industry, we have opportunities to over-deliver every single day according to this principle called "abundance of exchange." Here are some examples of abundant transactions to get you started and help you stand out from the pack.
Facility Management
- For indoor or pay-to-play facilities, create special interest for people to play during off-peak hours. Examples would be discounting early morning, midday, or late evening play, and offer free snacks and beverages.
- Manage by wandering around your facility with a new can of tennis calls. If a problem happens to crop up or a player is inconvenienced in any way at all, give them a free can of balls. There's a good chance you'll make a friend for life.
- Be highly visible during peak hours. This little tip will save you plenty of headaches and save you plenty of time during other, less busy, hours. Too many managers are unavailable during busy times, although being accessible during those super high-use hours (which may be only 5 hours per week), is a great way to reach and deepen relationships with a high percentage of your best customers.
Pro Shop Transactions
- Each month or at regular intervals throughout the year, rotate small gifts for customers who spend a certain amount in your shop.
- Send customers birthday cards with special offers.
- Create an exclusive-looking clothing line that is available nowhere else.
- Offer discounts to local high school tennis players in an effort to get their team uniform business and all their other purchases including racquets, shoes, restrings, etc.
Racquet Stringing
- Offer free racquet check-ups to check grips, tension, racquet weight, etc.
- Provide free labor when a customer buys a replacement grips.
- Add free stencils to all restrings.
- Put up a sign that reads, "We customize racquets for left-handers" and regrip all new racquets purchased by lefties to suit their needs.
- Put your stringing machine in the middle of your pro shop to bring attention to your services, and allow people to chat with your stringer. Many people find racquet stringing fascinating.
Tennis Lessons
- Become an advocate of education.
- Create handouts of articles on different topics to use as lesson themes. Students that take lessons and receive take home material are more apt to return for more.
- Use highly visual training aids during lessons. Not only will they help your students learn, you will also create increased onlooker interest at the same time.
- Offer a free 30-minute ball machine rental (during off-peak hours) with each one-hour private lesson. Your students will improve through the extra practice. What better advertising can you hope for?
Ball Machine Rentals
- Have a staff member make sure the ball machine is set up and working properly each and every time it is rented, particularly when it is a first-time user.
- Offer periodic free ball machine clinics to generate interest in ball machine rentals. During those clinics, hand out half price ball machine rental coupons to get players in the habit of renting the machine.
- When a member of your teaching professional staff is available and someone is renting the machine, make sure the pro stops by the ball machine court to offer some free practice or technical tips or just to make sure everything is functioning smoothly.
- Offer a frequent ball machine user club; for every five rentals, give one rental free.
Running a Tournament
- Every tournament director wants overflowing participation for each event. Ensure good participation by seeking sponsors to your tournament and pile up the special benefits to every player who signs up. Examples would include deep discounts in local restaurants, and t-shirts and hats paid for and featuring your sponsors.
- Increase your pro shop business by offering tournament participants discount coupons for use during the event.
To wrap things up, you must be aware that there is both good news and bad news in following the advice of this article. One word can sum up the good news. Following this advice can "work." The same one word sums up the bad news as well. It will also take a little extra "work."