hogfan22

The staff at the course can be somewhat of a mixed bag. In certain instances they will be flexible with their scheduling and allow groups or individuals to tee off earlier or later than their time. That seems reasonable since they are not typically booked to capacity. Also, they may allow you to tee off on the 10th in order to keep a decent pace of play. The customer service issues I have encountered are based in a lack of consumer empathy. In most instances the staff checks you into their system. Then they assign your group a cart. Unfortunately, they rarely explain their amenities. Its as if they assume that you will take it upon yourself to read every sign in the building. Why not promote the restaurant, driving range, putting and chipping greens, among other great options the course offers? Also, it may benefit the staff to explain the cart path rules, when the carts are due, where the restrooms are located and so forth. I believe the lack of personal customer care has entitled the staff to treat their customers as if they are privileged to grace such a golf course. During my last visit, myself and a friend played till about 5:25 pm in which one of the staff members asked us to bring the cart back to the shop. Fair enough as it was getting fairly dark at that time. We returned the cart at 5:30 pm and during the process, the shop manager came out and confronted our mishap. We were accused of taking advantage of the staff in the shop. As the customer I presumed to diffuse the situation by apologizing for our mistake and even offering to wash the cart for them. Typically, it is the staff that diffuses the situation with the customer, not the other way around. I think that a customer-minded approach would have suited her better. Rather than assume malicious intent, why not ask if we were aware of the time constriction? The staff member at the pro shop did not make us aware of when the carts were due. I'm sure there was a sign posted, but why assume that all customers read the signs? Why assume that all customers can read as it is? Additionally, I was told that customers that take advantage of the golf course's rules are hated. That is a strong statement considering the customer is what provides partial capital for the maintenance and upkeep of this course. The reason I say partial is that it is a municipal course that is funded through local tax revenue. Perhaps that is why the customer service can be combative. Most private courses I have attended allow golfers to return the carts whenever they are ready. Even if they request the carts be turned in a certain point, I have never been treated with such vitriol as I was yesterday. Of course I am not naive to the point that private courses have their specific policies pertaining to carts. However, I can recall one such event when I asked the shop pro at the Country Club of Arkansas what time the carts were due and he said, "whenever you're finished." It seems as though the pro shop worker believed that I would not be completely unreasonable and continue golfing for hours in the dark. I appreciate that level of confidence. Unfortunately, I was not given the same respect at a course I like to frequent. Maybe that is what separates publicly run institutions from privately run institutions. The clubs that are funded privately care enough about serving their customers that they do not wish to upset them (within reason). That fact that I had to diffuse the situation as the customer at this municipality is evidence that this publicly funded course is not managed with the same mindset as the privately owned courses in the area. That is not an excuse to lack the customer service skills that invite your constituents to come back and play. I'm not certain that I will continue to golf at this course based on the assumptions made by the staff. I admit that I was wrong, but to accuse me of mal-intent is not becoming of someone who is trying to promote their course. Hopefully the management gains some wisdom about customer service from my specific situation. I hope that if I decide to visit this course again, they will not assume the worst of me as customer.