Tom Merriott

Tune-ups, spring checks, club member visits. I don’t care what you call them we are quickly approaching that time of year again and what are you going to do better this season? I ask this all the time because a large number of contractors look at these visits as a nuisance or a chore that has to be crossed off of a list so they can get on with the real work. And because you look at these calls in that way your entire company shares that attitude. I am here to tell you that attitude needs to change.

It’s up to you to dictate how your club members are treated. If you act like the calls aren’t valuable, then how can you expect your team to consider those customers to be the gold that they are? As business owners and managers you need to lead the thinking and change the company’s attitude if necessary. These people pay us to be treated better than the average customer. Ask your team if that is how you currently treat those people. If the answer is no, then you have some work to do.

Make this a priority in your business. If a club member has to be rescheduled then think about making a personal call to apologize and thank them for their business while you’re at it. Hold a contest in your building that centers on impressing the people who pay to be impressed. Get ideas from your staff. What could you do better? What should we provide to our members? How should we treat them? You have great folks in your business who deal with your customers every day. Use them as the great resource that they are.

I challenge you to start treating your customers as they deserve to be treated, and if you take this on, I know that good things will follow.