Good service, although scant in many parts of the world, still has not made an exit altogether from the service industry. Perhaps all this is directly attributable to the fast food generation culture that the 21st Century has spawned – to a very large extent, feeding the masses anywhere in the world today is all about queuing, taking a number, waiting your turn and eating on the go.
While this may be the big picture trend, there are a few industries where service still prevails. The golf club industry is one area where some degree of service does exist and we have elected to use the word “degree” because it is not a trend or a standard that is all encompassing with all clubs.
In Asia, there is service and it varies from club to club. There are some that do a bang up job in service and then there are those that squeak by while many more leave a lot to be desired. The issue of service is going to take centre-stage at the 2017 Asia Pacific Golf Summit (APGS) and it is not the intention of the Summit or its organisers to take clubs to task on this matter.
Instead, the goal is to look for a pathway to help golf clubs in the region to up the ante on service. The objective is to take a quantum leap in service and in fact look at a paradigm shift from what has long been regarded as the industry’s status quo and to take it to a level of excellence that will be the big differentiating factor when it comes to appraising Asian golf clubs.
Recognising the need for clubs to achieve service excellence, APGS has reached out to a man who is highly regarded in the extremely competitive North American golf club market for how he strives to deliver a level of service that is noted to always be at the high end of the service excellence barometer.
He is Steven Freund, executive director of The Landings Club in Savannah, Georgia. Freund has a rich background in service excellence that comes from more than 40-years spanning hotels, resorts, restaurants and now, private clubs. He spent 20 years as an executive with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, serving as general manager at several locations, served in senior leadership capacities in six AAA Five Diamond properties and two Mobil (now Forbes) Five Star hotels.
At The Landings Club he leads a team of 450 staff that cares for over 2975 membership high-end households, 6 championship golf courses, 33 tennis courts, 5 swimming pools, 2 marinas and a 48,000 square foot wellness centre. Quite a community to look after but never does a day go by where service excellence is forgotten.
“We live by the high levels of service that we deliver and this is a standard that all of our members expect from us each and every day – the quest for service excellence is a very rewarding experience and none of us at The Landings Club would want it any other way,” is how Freund looks at service excellence.
APGS is proud to have secured Freund’s acceptance to be a special guest speaker at the 2017 Summit and the sharing of his experience with the Asian golf club industry is going to be an opportunity not to be missed at all costs.
Calling all golf club owners, operators and general managers – come and have a ringside seat to listen to one of the best in the profession talk about Achieving Service Excellence. Only at APGS 2017!
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