Turf Addict.com – What’s it Really all About?

Turf Addict

Over the last few months I have had quite a few emails asking if I am the owner of  Turf Addict.com. While many of you have known that for a little while there are many that still don’t so I figured I would explain in this weeks blog post .

At the conclusion of the IGCEMA (International Golf Course Equipment Managers Association) merger with GCSAA we were left with our RHOC Gauge (Reel Height of Cut Gauge) that we felt was important for the golf industry to continue getting it out to our peers. The manufacturer of the gauge, SIP Corporation, does it’s business through distributors so the feeling was that distributors would not be able to sell enough gauges to justify continuing to make them. So after a lot of thought and me acquiring more time with the disbanding of IGCEMA I decided that I wanted to give it a shot selling online. In saying that one can’t run a business selling only RHOC gauges especially at the really low margins they are currently sold at. So I wanted to start building a business that I felt no one else had.

As an Equipment Manager the last 17 years you always see the salesmen carrying in the fat book of every product in the world and you not really knowing if those products are good or not? So we buy it, then it arrives and we realize that we just wasted the clubs money because the product isn’t built well or doesn’t last long, etc. Wouldn’t it be nice if someone had already tried it? The other issue that I have is when you put the name golf on it everyone (in sales) feels like the pricing should go up 150%. So I wanted to build a business that maybe wouldn’t make tons of money but would be honest, would test the products that it sells before selling them, and would make sure that the customer is getting the products they thought they were. In addition to that I wanted to build a business that, while online, went back to the old school way of customer service and that is following up with our customers after a purchase with a genuine Phone Call to make sure that the product is performing as intended. While as a business it has increased our warranty work inquiring on products that we sale we really intend to make sure that every customer is satisfied with their purchase. I felt this was something that I really wanted from our industry and never really got. Everyone is quick to come and sale you something but really slow to get something fixed or repaired and I feel that is important.

So we have been in business now for over a year and have continued adding products that I personally have tried and would purchase again or, as in the case of most of our products, the ones that I feel are the best. During that year I have also removed products from our lineup. If distributors can’t get the product to our customers fast enough or the quality control isn’t great we look for a better product and drop it. We don’t wait for our customers to keep complaining about how long it takes to get something. Obviously we also have had some things to figure out. Running an ecommerce business you are depending on a lot of other vendors to have the same dedication to quality and rapidly getting orders to your customers that you don’t have control over and that can hurt your business if not managed properly. As an example we had a customers RHOC gauge that needed to be sent in for repairs and it was the only one he had so we sent him a loaner to get him by until his was repaired under warranty just so he wasn’t inconvenienced or made to purchase another gauge. I think that some of these things have been left behind these days and while it may get tougher as our business grows to meet everyone’s demands it isn’t tough to give good customer service. In saying that I have been very lucky that over the last 11 years my wife Lori has been able to stay home with the kids but also, sometimes I don’t realize it, but she actually reads what I write and knows a little about the stuff we are selling so while I continue to work she’s able to contribute by running our ecommerce business and passing along the tough questions when I get home to call colleagues back and help them out. She also handles our follow up calls and reports to me on what everyone is saying about the products. She says a lot of the time people don’t know what to say they are just shocked we are calling them to ask about how the product is working. They are shocked because it doesn’t happen!

So thank you to all those who have supported Turf Addict over the last year and trusted us to get you the best products we can find. We hope we can continue showing you that appreciation by calling you and checking on how your product is performing. Our hope is that like many of our customers you will tell us how we can make it better!