Sponsored by 3DIFS and CGI Insurance, 59club’s newest accolades will reward individual staff performance throughout the year
59club, the leading specialist customer service & sales analysts and training provider, has introduced prestigious quarterly awards to recognise staff excellence throughout the year across its affiliate golf venues. The designated European awards focus on two categories – Group Golf Sales Enquiry Calls and Golf Membership Sales Appointments, the latter of which also recognises a top performer across Asia, The Middle East & Africa
The introduction of quarterly sales and service honours, ahead of 59club’s 10th annual Service Excellence Awards Ceremony in March 2020, saw Sylvia Norris of De Vere Wokefield Estate recognised specifically for her outstanding delivery in the Leading Group Golf Sales Enquiry Call category, achieving a 40 percentage point advantage over the 59club industry average across all audits delivered between April and June.
Fine margins between the top three contenders meant Philip Brown of Breadsall Priory Marriott Hotel & Country Club and Damion Gee, Club Manager at Ashburnham Golf Club, narrowly missed out following a very successful performance audit review, as adjudicated by 59club in accordance with its non-subjective benchmarking criteria.
The 59club Leading European Golf Membership Sales Appointment title was claimed by Ashley Freeman of Rockliffe Hall, with an impressive 28 percentage points margin over the 59club industry. Chris Dowrick of Foxhills and Iain Fox of Breadsall Priory Marriott Hotel & Country Club were both particularly close to claiming the title, with other well-known venues such as The Mere also scoring extremely well.
When it comes to Golf Membership Sales Appointment delivery across Asia, The Middle East & Africa, the relentless high service levels demonstrated were typically impressive. George Wearden, Golf Operations Executive at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club secured this award with an overall score 29 percentage points higher than the global 59club industry average.
Another top performer from the Dubai Golf Group was Rhys James, and just 45 minutes away in Abu Dhabi, Barry Barnard of the exquisite Saadiyat Beach Golf Club was also close to claiming the accolade.
Ashley Freeman, Spa Guest Services Manager – Rockcliffe Hall, said: “The Service Excellence Award is a wonderful accolade for both me personally and also for Rockcliffe Hall as one of the UK’s leading golf destinations. At a five-star resort, achieving exceptional customer service levels and offering the highest standards are one of the most important aspects of ensuring success, I am so delighted that I can play a part in this.”
Jamie Anton, Group Director of Golf & Leisure – De Vere Wokefield Park, said: “Sylvia is a fantastic ambassador for the De Vere estate and the whole team are delighted that she has been recognised by The 59club for her outstanding performance. We are firmly committed to providing a great golfing experience for our members and guests and I am confident that our ongoing relationship with the 59club will take our three golf venues to new heights in 2020.”
Rhys James, Director of Golf Operations – Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, said: “Dubai Creek are proud to receive the newly introduced quarterly awards that allow us to recognise and reward our colleagues for their high standards in delivering memorable experiences for our members and guests.”
59club has seen significant growth over the last 12 months, expanding into the American and Asian markets, whilst further cementing its position in the Middle East & Africa. The establishment of ‘local’ office’s and the formation of dedicated ‘international’ divisions amidst ambitious global growth plans, provides hospitality operators in those regions with an outstanding opportunity to build revenue through improved sales and service provision. The expanded horizons of 59club in recent months make Sylvia, Ashley and George’s success even more impressive, with a greater number of 59clubusers vying for these titles.
Simon Wordsworth, 59club CEO, said: “Congratulations to all award winners – we always knew we had something very special within 59club, and as we have taken our products into new emerging markets, we have been overwhelmed by its response. Each audit experience is meticulously evaluated, against what has been hailed world-leading criteria – so to say these awards are very much deserved, is an understatement. My congratulations go out to the winners & the club’s they represent for truly driving sales & service experience to an all-time high. The ability of these individuals to affect the venues bottom line, can’t be stressed enough, they are the key figures in getting people through the door to enable the rest of the team to deliver the experience. As such we are delighted to create a platform that now recognises individual achievements, elevating the profile of our best performers in a consistent and regular way. I know that this announcement will drive standards more than ever before, as clubs and individuals go head-to-head to compete for these new titles.
“Our development over the last twelve months has been very exciting, not least with our growth into new markets, the acquisition of an increasing number of clients and the establishment of new initiatives such as this, which reward and recognise outstanding performance beyond the annual awards ceremony which celebrates it’s 10 year anniversary next March. As company, we are very excited about what the future holds in store.”
59club is the world’s leading customer service & sales analysts and training provider and is set upon raising the service standards of the leisure industry to new highs through the gathering of primary data and implementation of strategic solutions. 59club’s ultimate objective is to transform the revenue performance of its clients by enhancing their approach to customer service and sales. By understanding where strengths and weaknesses lie (information provided via raw consumer data) 59club can help venues implement lasting change to the benefit of their members, guests, staff and revenue.
For more information on 59club, visit: www.59club.com