Industry Confidential

Check in every issue for the unfiltered thoughts of our guest writers and contributors as they discuss the hottest topics in sports tourism. Join the conversation by tweeting us: @pushsports

In this issue, our guest writer discusses the subject of client and customer service.

What is your organizational balance of customer acquisition versus retention?

Do you have an internal customer service strategy mapped out each fiscal year?

It costs five times more to attract a new client than to keep an existing one. A primary system for all organizations in the sports tourism industry should be to retain clients and build long-lasting relationships to avoid increasing client acquisition and customer service costs.

Over the last decade, there’s been a shift as sports tourism organizations focus on client acquisition rather than retention. Additionally, we’ve seen only a small percentage of organizations in our space that consistently have an equal emphasis on both client acquisition and retention.

Customer care and support are essential business processes within our segment of the overall tourism industry. Remember the saying,” fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.” It only takes a couple of poor experiences for a client to switch brands. Is your organization focused on customer service in this manner? Do you regularly work to improve your internal customer service, or disregard it and go back to other tasks?

Good client experiences and service are crucial in today’s industry environment. An organization’s success equals an outstanding product and excellent customer service support. The reassurance that a client feels from reliable customer service can turn the tide when selecting a destination to award an event or putting faith in a rights holder that participant numbers will be realistic. This is even more critical post-pandemic as we watch information rapidly change and clients hesitate about closing a deal.

We must build rock-solid relationships to retain revenue, build trust, and fully understand your clients’ needs, thus providing the best service and experience possible to set ourselves apart.

A proactive mindset and an advanced understanding are critical while forecasting where and when clients and customers may have questions. This mindset will help to respond to customer inquiries timely and accurately. To expand your customer service offerings, think of methods to present relevant data to new clients and customers, provide service promptly, and have readily available knowledge of your portfolio and ever-changing internal and external factors.

To stand above the competition, those having a direct dialogue with clients and customers should possess leadership skills, be keen on helping others, and have strong communication and problem-solving skills through local and industry connections. Having patience with complex issues and the ability to thrive in a pressure-packed atmosphere are also essential characteristics of those on the front lines.

Since the pandemic, technology has become an indispensable trend. The shift from phone calls to video meetings has added an opportunity for direct connection; however, this has also caused a direct increase in email frequency. A quick communication tool for meetings and project management is essential. The communication must, and has, become straightforward, friendly, and rapid to simplify the process and facilitate customer requests.

A focused client and customer service strategy is essential in the new sports tourism space and, given the latest trends, can set you apart immediately.