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Creating a Customer Culture
Creating a Customer Culture A Servant’s Mindset Proves a Triumphant Model The difference is summed up in five profound words, a phrase that has taken Billy Sitton, founder and CEO of Triumph Golf, from aspiring player to one of the most respected multi-course owners and operators in the golf industry. “Service with a servant’s heart,” Sitton said in his disarming, down-home Texas twang. “It’s just that simple. That is the philosophy that drives everything we do. Listen to your members and give them what they want in a professional manner. When you’re looking to make a difference in any operation in any market, that philosophy will always be well received. We’ve also found that you will almost universally be more profitable if you follow that rule.” Sitton stumbled upon this business philosophy more than three decades ago. “I thought I could play for a living,” he said. “A few of the executives from ClubCorp sponsored me through Q School. But they told me that if I didn’t make it, I had to work for them a year. He didn’t make it, but the selflessness of those ClubCorp executives stuck with him and he stayed with the company. “That 12-month commitment turned into 28 years,” Sitton said. He became senior vice president of golf and country clubs, working closely with ClubCorp founder Bob Dedman and his son, Robert, as they grew the company to 376 golf clubs, the largest golf operator in the world.“Mr. Dedman had what he referred to as a three-legged stool philosophy,” Sitton said. “You run the business like a three-legged stool: one leg is the members, one leg is the employees and one leg is the financial partners. If you make all your decisions trying to keep that stool in balance, you will be successful.” So, after almost three decades with ClubCorp, Sitton walked away from a great job to go out on his own. That was the genesis of Triumph. In 2012, he partnered with some of his old buddies from ClubCorp to purchase two clubs: Cypress Lakes in Houston and Pebble Creek in College Station, Texas. Two years later, he purchased Longwood Golf Club in Houston. Then in late 2015 and early 2016, Sitton and his partners purchased two clubs in the Atlanta area, Heritage Golf Links and Woodmont Golf and Country Club. That gave Triumph six clubs in three states. Service with a servant’s heart. Listen to customer needs, explain your plans, deliver on your promises, and then ask for their help in making your club a financial success. “We always say, enhance the value of belonging,” Sitton said. “We strive to make your experience with us so good that when the economy goes bad, you’ll stop going to Starbucks before you drop your membership at one of our clubs. We want to make it that much a part of your life.” That philosophy and business model has worked wonders on all fronts.