With this thought in mind, we should ask ourselves, "How can I contribute to a commitment in excellence at my agency?" Each of us needs to take responsibility for the quality and excellence extended to our customers. A 1985 Gallup survey, done for the American Society of Quality Control, assessed the extent to which customers are willing to pay more for quality. Results indicated customers would pay 33 percent more for a better quality car, 50 percent more for a better dishwasher, 65 percent more for a better television, 70 percent more for a better sofa, and more than double for better shoes. Furthermore, the Strategic Planning Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts found that the better service performers charged about 9 percent more for their goods.

Today, people want better quality goods and services and they are willing to pay for this quality. Pricing is individual and dependent on what your market will bear. Quality, on the other hand, should be universal. How can we give our customers the quality they demand? A lot of common sense is required. As you review policies, procedures and promotions, ask your self, "Do I treat people as I would like to be treated?" Beyond common sense, we can learn what our customers want by listening attentively to them.

Listening ... A Patron's Tutorial

Why is it important to listen to what our patrons and customers say? According to the Technical Assistance Research Program, it costs five times more to go out and get a new customer than it does to maintain a customer you already have. So, how do we listen to our customers and what can we do with the feedback we receive? Do we provide our customers with convenient ways to communicate and rate our services? We can show our commitment to patrons by displaying their letters on bulletin boards or in brochures, by making survey results available and writing about customers in our newsletters; in general, we should keep our customers first in our minds.

For example, Gary Balling of Morton Grove Park District indicates that Fitness Center members are periodically asked to fill out questionnaires about their center. When members return their questionnaires they receive $2.00 off on their membership renewal and, most importantly, the results are published at the front desk. When action is taken based on survey results, members are notified.

Turning Negativism Into Your Advantage

Not only must we listen to customers, we need to react to their comments in a timely manner, usually 24-48 hours. According to the Technical Assistance Research program, 91 percent of those who complain will not come back. Additionally, each dissatisfied customer will pass this on to an average of 9 to 10 other people. However, you will get 82 to 95 percent of these customers back if you correct the problem. A well-handled problem usually breeds more loyalty than you had established before the negative incident.

Even when you have tried to come to an agreement with your customer, sometimes it is simply a "no win" situation. In this case, many agencies, as indicated by Jim Doss of Oak Park Recreation Department, give the customer a complimentary return pass to the facility. Or, according to Steve Durlacher of Mt. Prospect Park District, some agencies regularly offer customers pro-rated recreation programs/classes (depending on the nature of the program) and pro-rated pool passes.

Every Patron Visit Is A Communication Opportunity

In dealing with our customers, as in a golf swing, it is the follow through that makes the difference. Do you make a practice of answering every written comment card with a personal letter and in a timely manner? Do your marketing and promotion strategies show follow through, gaining your desired results? Dan Cermack of Downers Grove Park District recently opened a miniature golf course. On the course's opening day, Dan offered a "two-for-one" special. In the community's timetable the Miniature Golf Grand Opening was to be immediately followed by Community Fest, an annual event attracting over 120,000 people. Dan had two custom-made miniature golf course holes made for the Fest. A carefully planned promotion drew 26,000 people to try and sink a hold-in-one to win free play passes for the new miniature golf course. A total of 850 people won free play passes and everyone else won a frisbee with a flyer attached promoting the district's new frisbee golf course.

Another example of follow through is from Pam VanDenBussche of Elk Grove Park District, regarding pool pass registration. Pam furnishes pool pass registrants with upcoming summer literature three times (different literature professionally printed) before pool pass registration begins. On each mailing she stamps the outside of the literature, "POOL PASS SALES BEGIN," and adds on the date. One of the mailings is a pool newsletter, bearing the facility's logo, that includes specific pool-related information, such as dates, hours, rates, fees

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and basic rules.

Nancy Hudson of Des Plaines Park District also indicates tremendous success with her Cool Pool News (newsletter), and with her follow up "pool rules and information" sheet, available at the pool, again bearing the recognized facility logo. At the beginning of each season, pool staff put these information sheets on customer's cars and hand them out to every patron. Many other "pool information" hand-outs, which are now used at many water parks, report the same successful results Nancy has received. Customers have all the correct information they ever wanted to know about the facility, but were afraid (or in many cases not afraid) to ask.

How often do we follow through with a thank you to our customers? John Curran of Alsip Park District offered local residents a big thank you. Every person who registered for a program was entered into a grand prize drawing for a trip to Disney World. Each season Alsip also held a drawing for a smaller prize. Alsip Park District benefitted from spin-off publicity about the contest through the trip's sponsors (businesses in the community) and from the media's eye as the winning family left for their dream vacation.

Mike Brottman of Elk Grove Park District made up a professionally designed and printed thank-you card. The card, which is personally signed, is primarily sent to renewing Fitness Center members (approximately 200 per month) and to facility renters.

"EXTRA-Ordinary" Makes The Difference

As you think of examples of follow through at your agency, and your own commitment to excellence, notice that the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.

Let's consider what that little extra can reap in benefits. Wendy Wachter of Northbrook Park District develops the "Get Together Guide", a guide that lists all the park district facilities which are available for rent, as well as their corresponding fees and phone numbers for additional information. On the reverse side of this guide, Wendy provides descriptions of new and different party ideas, what is included in each party package and how much these special parties cost. For example, Northbrook Park District offers Clay Parties, Play Acting Parties, Miniature Golf Parties, Indoor Sports Parties, along with traditional Ice Skating Parties and Swimming Pool Parties. This extra effort of developing the "Get Together Guide" has tripled the rental revenue and has reduced copy in the Park District brochure.

Lori Weiss of Elk Grove Park District has found the extra effort she puts into communicating with the suburban and metropolitan newspapers has paid off in the increased amounts of news coverage the Elk Grove Park District currently receives. Lori believes that the more work you do for the reporters and photographers, the more they come to rely on you, and the more they seek news from the Park District.

Lori states making the extra effort can be minimal. It amounts to: a personal letter highlighting the park district's brochure; it is conveying a press release in an interesting and enthusiastic manner, giving the press a good reason for coming; it is meeting a reporter at an event and walking around with them, answering questions.

Some people choose to see extra efforts as obstacles, but actually, obstacles are just the things we see when we take our eyes off our goal.

As we keep our eyes on our goals and take responsibility for developing quality promotions, programs, policies and the like, rewards will come our way. There are examples all around us of fellow professionals giving that little "extra" by making quality be the difference for their customers.