Member Retention

[GB72]

There have been a few posts on here about what clubs can or should do to attract new members but is this looking at the membership problem from the wrong angle? Surely the membership vacancies are being created by current members not signing up for another year just as much as it is by a dearth of new golfers. Rather than compete in the market for the elusive new member looking for a bargain, are any clubs actually doing anything to retain the members that they have. My club have all sorts of benefits if you bring in a new member or if you are in the right age group but seem to be making no effort at retention. Do most clubs simply assume that once they have you signed up for one year, you will be there for life?

Surely there are some relatively simple methods of retaining members whether it be through taking steps to ensure that new members are quickly integrated into club life to ensure they stay or by introducing flexible membership or payment schemes to convince those unsure about the cost for the year.

What about loyalty schemes. Why abandon joining fees for the fly by night new member. Why not refund some of the joining fee if you have been a member for 5, 10, 15 or 20 years.

Am I the only one who thinks that effort should be spent on keeping what members you have rather than putting the whole marketing budget in to finding new members.

 

[Imurg]

Its important to get new members but you've got to keep what you've got too.

My club has no incentives at all. It's the better of the cheaper clubs around so I guess they assume they will have a steady stream coming throught the gates.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We get incentives to bring new members in but nothing to keep them. I like the idea of some sort of membership incentive once you've reached a certain number of years with the club

 

[Oddsocks]

Its about clubs being aware of where they are in the food chain so to speak. A prime example is my current club, no joining fee and 7 day full membership for £500 ish. There are a few downsides to this. A the type of players it attracts, not saying their all like it but clothing is never a strong point, pay & play visitors not repairing pitch marks, replacing divots or raking bunkers but value for money wise it's good. The club will self confess that people use the club as a half way house between no membership and a full membership at a slightly upper class course. Now if we take any other local course joining fees range from 500-2500 and memberships will range from 1000 to 3000.

My current club is happy to offer little or no incentives to keep current members as it believes it doesn't need to, but memberships have dropped by over 25% in the last twenty four months, surely they need to wake up and smell the coffee. No wonder crown have it up fir sale, we are saturated locally with around 15 courses all within ten miles

 

[Golfmmad]

Last year my club gave members that paid their subs before the 1st April, £50 on their bar bill.
I think this was a great incentive for the members,and of course the club, what with money being put back in the club, along with encouraging members to spend in the 19th.

Hope they do similar next April!

Golfmmad.

 

[Robobum]

Our club used to have a free membership draw. If you payed in full before a certain date you were entered into a draw for the folowing year's membership to be free.

They have since reduced this to a £100 bar card credit, the amount of people paying up early in full has dropped by about 75%.

No other incentives for exisitng members.

 

[HRC99]

I like the idea of milestone discounts. You could have:

25% off for that year in your 5th full year; and
50% off for that year in your 10th full year; and
75% off for that year in your 15th full year; and
A free year when you hit 20 years' membership.

Something of that order, anyway.

You can see that if you were wavering around any of the anniversaries it might well entice you to stay on and it would also look pretty good to any prospective members too.

 

[CliveW]

The course I'm leaving at the end of the year is owned by a hotel and is not a club as such, although there is a ladies and gent's section. Because of this there are different aspects than you would have in a normal club where the members run the club.
To try and make more money the hotel offers various incentives to attract players. Over the past couple of years they have introduced a "Round and Roast" for £25 at weekends. This brings in visiting parties who take over four hours for a round and drive buggies over greens etc. spoiling the course for the members. What the hotel doesn't seem to realise is these visitors are here once or twice and don't care how they treat the course. Also at over £500 a year subscription it would be cheaper for members who play less than 20 rounds a year to take up this option rather than pay for a membership.
This year coming, in an effort to attract new members they have reduced the first year's membership to 75% of the standard. This has pi$$ed of the current membership as they dont see why they should pay full whack when new members don't. Consequently a fair number of the current membership are not planning to renew next year.

 

[RGDave]

What about loyalty schemes. Why abandon joining fees for the fly by night new member. Why not refund some of the joining fee if you have been a member for 5, 10, 15 or 20 years.

Interesting. I have considered moving home club but want to see out my "joining-fee-spread-over-4-years"...so I have 1 more year to go. If I was then refunded the extra year on year for years 5,6,7,8 so I cancelled out my joining fee after 8 years, that'd make me happy!....and probably keep me where I am.

 

[Oddsocks]

Pay ya joining fee then after 3/5 years you get 10% of your joining fee discounted from you membership price. Long term members would get their membership back over 10/12 years and clubs would get long term members not club-hoppers

 

[neilkath]

i am thinking about joining a club do not know witch one but it has to be spread over 10 or 12 months to pay it not bothered about a joining fee as this is spread over a few years if i have to pay i would pay but as a few have said a discount would be nice in the last year to keep you on

 

[Leftie]

Now if we take any other local course joining fees range from 500-2500 and memberships will range from 1000 to 3000.

Our club ran a scheme whereby if an existing member introduced a new member, then the existing member had his following year's subs waived (he could obviously come to an arrangement with his "friend" or whatever). We accepted about 80 new members under this scheme and full 7 day membership is now closed.

So with about 80 new members each paying a joining fee at the upper range of the above and no change in the first year's income from annual subs, we are not only in a far better financial position than we might have been, but have also possibly "locked in " about 80 new members who will want to get value out of their joining fees. In addition, in the following years we also also get the benefit of these new members' annual subs. These are nearer the lower range of the above and, with two courses available, are excellent value for money in this area.

 

[DCB]

Interseting thread this one. It's also interesting that so many on here would like to see some sort of reduction in their subs as a loyalty bonus for staying at the club. I seem to remember a thread just recently where the older members were lambasted for getting just such a discount on their subs

A golf club has to be run on very tight business lines. If it isn't then there will be trouble ahead. Entry fees and annual subs are only part of the income, but they are a very important part of that income. if you make reductions here, where do you make up the loss from ?

 

[surefire]

This has pi$$ed of the current membership as they dont see why they should pay full whack when new members don't. Consequently a fair number of the current membership are not planning to renew next year.

They should all resign for a day, and then join again as new members!

 

[Oddsocks]

A golf club has to be run on very tight business lines. If it isn't then there will be trouble ahead. Entry fees and annual subs are only part of the income, but they are a very important part of that income. if you make reductions here, where do you make up the loss from ?

A valid point and one that as a small business owner i can totally understand. I think the problem is that in our current financial state, why should older members see no reward for being loyal to the club, when the newer members are reaping the rewards of being fresh in. in effect your being penalised for being a loyal member.

 

[Crazyface]

Why should "Older" members get a any reduction in fees? Some of them have 5 day membership and are there every bl00dy morning using the facillities. Also, most have no mortgages to pay and have final salary pensions, the jammy g1ts, so are on more money than me. If I hear one more of them wittering on about where they are going (abroad) on their winter break and about when they will have to change their car soon as the three year deal is coming to and end we will have a few vacancies in the senior section.

 

[19th]

Does this thread not highlight the lack of understanding of a club's finances?

The infusion of young blood is not to make the older guys more aware of their greying temples, it is to improve the financial standing of the club by increased income and if it therefore start to hand back money, as incentives to current members, the finances is back at square one!

Why when you enjoy the benefits of a club on a year to year basis, do you feel your subs should reduce.

Lets see, 'I have been coming to your butchers/bakers/candle stick makers shop for the last 10 years and I therefore want to get my purchase free' - even up here in Aberdeen we would find that a difficult line to push! On your bike comes to mind.

 

[HRC99]

Does this thread not highlight the lack of understanding of a club's finances?

The infusion of young blood is not to make the older guys more aware of their greying temples, it is to improve the financial standing of the club by increased income and if it therefore start to hand back money, as incentives to current members, the finances is back at square one!

Why when you enjoy the benefits of a club on a year to year basis, do you feel your subs should reduce.

Lets see, 'I have been coming to your butchers/bakers/candle stick makers shop for the last 10 years and I therefore want to get my purchase free' - even up here in Aberdeen we would find that a difficult line to push! On your bike comes to mind.

I disagree entirely. I think it is you that has missed the ppint.

In any business, long-term custom is much more profitable than new business.

This thread is about looking at ways to assure and improve that long-term custom thereby keeping the club's income on a more sound and reliable basis.

It isn't about getting something for nothing rather rewarding long term support for your club to make the long-standing members feel valued.

When new members are joining for no joining fees or reduced rates to help the club introduce new blood, some form of retention incentives may well prevent the longer-term members from being disaffected and moving to other clubs and enjoying the discounts offered to new members.

As far as your analogy goes, it is incorrect too. I shop regularly at a butchers and he will often throw in something extra or round down a price because I go there all the time. I don't expect it but does it make me feel valued? You bet.

 

[DCB]

I've been fortunate to have been a member of my club for 25 years. I've played a lot of golf in that time, made a lot of friends and aquaintances and generally had a good time. When I moved out of Edinburgh 13 years ago, it didn't even cross my mind to look for another club. Travel wise, it takes me the same time to get to the club. I still play at MY club, why would I want to go elsewhere and start all over again ? A club is more than just a place to go and play golf. If you only want to play golf, is a club really for you ?

As far as needing inventives to remain a member, as long as the course is nice to play and the bar open at the end of a round, what else could I expect ?

 

[19th]

Your are probably correct .. I was only looking at it from my clubs point of view where a large number of members have enjoyed membership of 20 year plus and as this is our month for membership fees to be paid, wondering how the club treasurer would square the years outlay if he was receiving no fees from circa 50% on the members.