Matt McKnight, Titleist’s Golf Club Trade Fitting & Education Specialist UK&I, offers practical guidance on how custom fitters can enhance customer service to boost sales and margins.
Being a great custom-fitter goes beyond exceptional product knowledge and launch-monitor expertise. It also involves high levels of customer service to ensure that the consumer, who is often investing heavily in their equipment, gets the most out of the experience and wants to come back for more in the future.
Matt McKnight supports some of Titleist’s top club-fitting partners by training them on the latest products and ensuring they have the product knowledge and tools to provide best-in-class fitting experiences for our dedicated golfers. He also acts as a point of contact for all of his partners in the network, providing support on the latest technology and all things custom fitting, making him the ideal person to offer advice on customer service in this area.
Why is it important for custom fitters to offer great customer service?
Great customer service is essential for several different reasons. Ultimately, it should allow the golfer to have trust and confidence in the fitting process which will enhance your reputation and provide credibility to your service. This should lead to long-term loyalty and referrals from your customers. As we know, golfers are always keen to try the latest technology, and this repeat business will be key to success.
What do you think the customer is looking for from their custom fitter?
At Titleist, we pride ourselves on providing the best-performing products for the dedicated golfer. I believe the golfer is looking for a player-first fitting experience that takes them on a journey from start to finish. This will ensure they feel valued, understood and receive a non-biased, best-performing result at the end of the fitting experience.
Give us a practical example of a piece of great customer service you have observed from a custom fitter
Keeping detailed records of every golfer’s fitting. This is something I have worked on with several partners, but in one particular instance, a customer had their clubs damaged on a flight before an important tournament and they were able to order the replacement set without needing another fitting session. This also allows you as the fitter to build a profile for each golfer over time, gain trust and ensure that when the golfer is considering another purchase, they will return to your business.
Great customer service allows the golfer to have trust and confidence in the fitting process which will enhance your reputation and provide credibility to your service
Three ways to improve your customer service levels
1. Provide a pre-fitting questionnaire
As part of our Titleist fitting methodology, we strongly believe in the importance of the pre-fitting “interview” stage as it allows us to understand the golfer and establish goals for the session. A pre-fitting questionnaire takes this one step further, allowing you as the custom fitter to build a profile before the golfer has arrived.
2. Offer a loft, lie & gapping follow-up session
By double-checking that all aspects of the new clubs are performing correctly, the golfer leaves the experience with full confidence in their new equipment and it allows you to build a long-lasting relationship for repeat business.
3. Educate the Golfer
Custom fitting can be an extremely complex process and it is important to take the time to explain the data and why a particular club or spec will best suit them. This will ensure that you as the fitter have answered all questions that they may have and display how you have achieved the desired goal of the session.
About Matt McKnight
Matt’s custom fitting journey began when he was Business Development Manager and Head Fitter for Golf Fitting Hub (Melbourne, Australia). He then joined Titleist as a Fitting Specialist in Ireland.
