NGF Renews Partnership with Marriott Golf

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National Golf Foundation welcomes Marriott Golf as a renewing client of their best-in-class Golfer Survey Program

Jupiter, Fla - National Golf Foundation welcomes Marriott Golf as a renewing client of their best-in-class Golfer Survey Program (GSP). As the world's largest resort golf management organization, Marriott's golf collection consists of more than 60 golf courses in 13 countries and manages the golf experience for more than 1.5 million golfers each year.

NGF provides its GSP clients with actionable customer intelligence that helps them compete more successfully. More than 400 course operators have used survey results and data to help build golfer loyalty, increase revenues, grow market share and improve marketing efficiency.

Current GSP clients include management companies such as KemperSports, Marriott Golf, OB Sports and Honours Golf; municipal golf operators such as City of Phoenix and State of Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department; and independently run facilities such as Pasatiempo Golf Club.

GSP enables facilities to analyze, track and monitor customer behavior to develop a one-to-one relationship with customers and increase profitability. The program provides detailed information about what customers value most, enabling facility operators to gain a better understanding of their customer base. The program allows facility operators to:

* Identify their loyal customers
* Determine what percentage of their customers' rounds are going to them versus the competition
* Learn why their customers play their course and other courses
* Compare their course to regional and national benchmarks
* Track their facility's success and performance
* Determine which operational changes will net the greatest return

NGF measures Loyalty Index based on a model developed by Frederick F. Reichheld, director emeritus of the consulting firm Bain & Company. We ask respondents how likely they are to recommend the golf course administering the survey, using a scale from 0 to 10. Those answering 0 to 6 are called "Detractors"; 7 to 8 "Passives"; and 9 to 10 "Promoters." Promoters less Detractors equal the Loyalty Index. For example, 40% Promoters minus 10% Detractors equals a 30% Loyalty Index. In some cases, the Loyalty Index may be a negative number.

NGF has found that Promoters deliver a higher share of wallet and play more rounds on average than passive and detractors. Based on our research into customer loyalty, GSP can be a key tool in the arsenal of facility operators to improve their rounds played. After running a first survey, operators can identify strengths and deficiencies at their facility. After implementing an action plan based on the results of the first survey, they can then resurvey their customers to measure improvement. Our clients who have improved their Net Promoter Score by more than 10%, on average, are seeing an increased in rounds played of more than 15% on average. Some of NGF's clients have expressed their belief that GSP has been key in improving their facilities performance:

* Florida State University (Seminole G.C.) - "We find that rounds of golf have increased because we are able to spend more time and effort on the things that are important to our customer. With the survey, we KNOW what those things are and we don't need to guess."
* U.S. Air Force Services Agency - "Being at the 'corporate' level, we can not drive programs and improvements. We can only recommend. By providing this tool to our managers, they will have the information they need to improve locally. But, as always, the operation is only as good as the manager. We expect most of them to improve rounds; others may lag behind. But it won't be because they didn't have the information."

NGF has administered over 1,000 "Voice-of-the-Customer" (VOC) surveys to over 300,000 players over the past seven years. Some of NGF's clients using the GSP system include: KemperSports, United States Air Force Services, Montgomery County Revenue Authority, Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department, Marriott Golf, Honours Golf, CourseCo Inc., Premier Golf Centers, Touchstone Golf, Meadowbrook Golf, Inc. and Carl M. Freeman Golf, LLC.

To find out more about the Golfer Survey Program, contact Ben Fowler at NGF at 561-354-1628

About the NGF
The mission of the National Golf Foundation, founded in 1936, is to help golf businesses succeed by providing marketing, research, customer targeting and other consulting services. Based in Jupiter, Fla., the NGF serves many constituencies in the golf industry, including equipment manufacturers; builders and developers; facilities and practice ranges; course architects; retailers; turf maintenance suppliers; golf associations and the media. For more information, visit www.NGF.org.

News Source : NGF RENEWS PARTNERSHIP WITH MARRIOTT GOLF