Club Systems wins series of new clients in Scotland

Increased demand in Scotland for cloud-based software systems has seen the company behind the ClubV1 system invest in additional client support north of the border.

Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh

Investment is key to business success and the addition of Craig Galloway to the Club Systems International (CSI) team, as a second account manager in Scotland, has seen an increase in customer support capabilities and, as a consequence, growth in the company’s customer base north of the border.

As Europe’s leading golf club IT specialist, CSI has always placed an emphasis on client engagement and support. The addition of Galloway, who is based just outside of Edinburgh, has enabled the company to ensure customers are utilising fully the CSI products and services available to them as he visits every club in Scotland during the summer months.

CSI has, consequently, secured a number of new clients north of the border as an initial reluctance to engage with a cloud-based system gradually became something of a stampede, once club officials saw for themselves how simple and effective the product was.

The prestigious Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh – widely recognised as the oldest golf club in the world – has recently moved from another software supplier to embrace ClubV1, proving that even an organisation with nearly 300 years of history behind it can make an effortless leap to the forefront of technology with the right support.

It was swiftly in use to administer club competitions and handicap adjustments, while members have benefited immediately from the improved communication via the members’ app and hub, while the system also integrates seamlessly with three new tills.

The Duke’s St Andrews became the 1,500th ClubV1 customer, having moved to CSI from another software provider, with the fully hosted management system providing market-leading tools for club officials, while members gain all the benefits and added extras of membership to HowDidiDo, Europe’s largest online golfing community.

Secretary Lee Dickson said: “The greatest impact ClubV1 has had for the club is the interaction for members. They enjoy the ability to enter competitions from the comfort of home and receiving results as soon as they are posted.

“The graphics and display are appealing when following the leaderboard, whether it is a member competition or an open tournament. With the system being cloud-based it also means I can respond to members’ queries or close a competition, even if I cannot be in the clubhouse at the time. The team were excellent in setting us up and the online chat helpline is useful for any queries as we develop our experience.”

Just down the road from the Duke’s is the New Golf Club at St Andrews – it’s all relative, this one dates from 1902 – CSI installed not only ClubV1 but also integrated widescreen tills with customer-facing displays, which have been very warmly received.

Secretary / manager Mark Richardson said: “The New Golf Club is continually looking to improve the service we offer members. Our investment in new technology allows us to strike the balance between members having greater integration and improvements in efficiency for our staff team members. The recent investment with CSI to upgrade our tills and golf competition software is already reaping the rewards for all.”

Having used other systems previously, Moffat Golf Club, in Dumfriesshire, was initially reticent to consider changing, but officials were quick to see the benefits of ClubV1 following a demonstration and have not regretted the decision to switch across to the market leader.

The UK and Ireland’s most successful cloud-based product, ClubV1, is not the only CSI product which is being utilised in the Home of Golf. When the Georgian neoclassical Killermont clubhouse at Glasgow Golf Club was devastated by fire last year, general manager Chris Spencer vowed to restore it to its previous glory.

And, as part of that restoration, he decided to ensure the administration and ‘member experience’ technology was the best it could be and researched the market substantially. He settled upon CSI, which, in addition to ClubV1 Premium, has installed Merlin Touch and the hand-held Merlin Mobile, PSiTouch and the free members’ apps.

Since its launch in 2005, the MerlinTouch loyalty card system has become the most successful EPoS loyalty card system in UK and Irish sporting and membership clubs. Designed and developed in-house by the CSI team, it is fully compatible with the ClubV1 suite of products and allows Glasgow GC to integrate flawlessly with its sister venue, Glasgow Gailes, 35 miles away.

Across on the west coast of Scotland, Open Championship venue Royal Troon, which benefited from CSI’s additional till support during the successful staging of the championship in 2016, has now upgraded all its tills to the new widescreen version with customer display, as well as adding two hand-held Merlin Touch EPoS units to enhance the customer experience.

From left to right: John Cardno, Club System International’s senior Scottish account manager; Lee Dickson, secretary, The Duke’s; and Tom Ogilvie, assistant professional at The Duke’s

CSI’s managing director, Richard Peabody, said: “Scotland has historically proven to be one of the most successful areas of the UK for CSI and, despite some initial uncertainty about cloud-based systems, in recent years we have been extremely happy to welcome several new customers who have chosen our market-leading solutions to drive their business forward.

“We are privileged, now, to be working with the Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh, Glasgow Golf Club, the Duke’s Course St Andrews and Moffat Golf Club, to name just a few. With several others looking to make the switch later in the year, we have reconfirmed our commitment to providing the highest levels of service with the appointment of a second account manager in Scotland.”

While golf clubs continue to turn to CSI, their members are increasingly downloading apps driven by the management suite: the free-to-download ClubV1 members’ app and HowDidiDo app. They have been downloaded 91,000 and 227,000 times respectively, and are the subject of constant further R&D at CSI headquarters in Manchester.

CSI is continuing to reinforce its strong, long-standing relationships in Scotland and elsewhere, with new customers, more staff, industry-leading products and unparalleled customer service. It remains the market leader in Europe and, with continued investment in staff and innovation, it is determined to remain there.

Download the ClubV1 Members Hub App for free on either Google Play or the App Store. Visit ClubSystems.com for more information