Good for the Corporation

Our group of avid golfers made an excursion to Orillia the past week in an effort to distribute our golf balls more widely across the province. Tee times and hotels rooms for eight were booked by our convenor of the Orillia Classic; the draws and games were neatly inscribed on player lists along with yet again revised handicaps; refreshments were acquired by the host of the party room, and the travel arrangements finalized.

Our convener had offered his credit card as surety that we would indeed arrive, play and stay as booked. The procedure in the past was that we would each offer up our own credit cards on arrival to pay our share of the costs. Imagine our pleasant surprise when we found that the golf course reception desk said Fred had paid everything and that we only had to pay for a cart if we wished to ride instead of walking the scenic course.

While this was good news for seven of us, Fred took exception and demanded that the bill be split eight ways. And imagine his surprise when the young lady said it could not be done. It was a new policy. A policy, which she claimed, was good for the corporation. She actually said ‘corporation’, not golf course. Then added, ‘better for the customer, too’.

After a brief, but warmly-worded exchange of business philosophies between the retired sales executive and the young sales associate (clerk) who had obviously slept through Business 101, Customer Satisfaction 102 and the morning briefing by her boss, we were sent down the hall to ‘Office’ to give our credit card numbers to the manager. Only he knew how to use the booking computer and our credit cards. He made a note of Fred saying that one never says to the customer that any change was for the good of the corporation. He also admitted that the customer is always right.

In retrospect, it was interesting to see that the sales associate actually believed that what was better for the corporation had to be better for the customer. While the rest of us perhaps should not have whole-heartedly agreed with her and argued against Fred, she did finally see that maybe Fred was right. His closing argument was that it might be best for the corporation if they treated all their customers this way and drove them away entirely. Without customers to bother them, the sales associates, along with the greens keepers, restaurant staff, and even the office manager could put their skills to use elsewhere.

Yet one can see how the young woman came to believe what was a money-saving idea for the corporation should be a good thing for everyone. But unlike the charter banks who make their customers do all the accounting entries and business through an ATM, the golf club needed the customers walking around their course. The club had nothing but a few lost balls to attract the customer back whereas the banks had the customer’s money to ensure loyalty.

Cable TV tried the ‘better for the corporation’ scheme a few years ago when it said everyone would automatically get new channels and a new, higher bill even if they did not wish it. The courts said otherwise. Gas stations stopped serving us many years ago since that was much better for the corporation, but a few diehards and customers with disabilities or those wearing evening gowns can still find an occasional petrol station with attendants (usually for an extra charge!).

Some grocery stores now have a self-checkout where you scan and bag your own goods and then swipe your credit card. This is obviously better for the corporation as we can all become sales associates as well as customers. Costco already has their warehouse inside their store, and before long we may be able to get our things right off the truck, saving the corporation even more money on the salaries of warehouse staff. Imagine going to the grocery store, finding all (or some) of the items on your list, scanning, bagging and delivering them to your car without a single sales associate asking if you found everything and wishing you a good day.

The interesting thing about the use of technology for the good of the corporation is that they could likely do a lot more than they are now. Say for instance, that the store has a list of everything you bought in the past year, a list made by matching your credit or debit card with all the items you bought. I would almost bet that I could drive up to my grocery store at an appointed day and hour and they could deliver a cart of groceries, based on my average shopping trip, and I could be on my way without leaving my vehicle. At least my wife could not say that butterscotch ice cream was not on the list.

In fact, I could hazard a guess that the LCBO and Beer Store could do the same thing! Moreover, I have no doubt that they already have all the data they need. If Google is tracking my queries, which apparently they are, they know that I was looking for a new camera. How else would company X know to send me an email offering a bargain price on a camera? Think of the benefits to the corporation, being forewarned that I am in the market for their product before I even realize that I am serious about purchasing their latest version. Think of the benefit to the customer – being spammed by every camera manufacturer from Beijing to Timbuktu.

Perhaps the golf course clerk was on the right track in her thinking about the credit cards. All she needed from Fred, besides his credit card number, were the scores from our previous trips to the Orillia Classic. For a nominal fee, she could have factored in the wind direction, pin placement, our handicaps, the phase of the moon, Tim’s wounded shin and then simply printed our projected scores. We could have been virtual customers playing a virtual game at a virtual golf course. The savings on the wear and tear on the course and carts would have been good for the corporation. And not losing those golf balls would have been good for the customer as well.

Yes, next year we might just adopt a new corporate policy and stay in North Bay and play the Orillia Classic from the 19th hole. That might not be as good for the corporation, but it would surely cut the costs for the customer.