LCI
Laker Consulting, Inc.
Memorandum
To: Dan Royer, Manager
From: Mike Eaton
Date: 15 February, 2000
Subject: Project Proposal: Spectrum Lanes’ Customer Appreciation Program
Prospective Client
Spectrum Lanes/Woody’s Press Box
Contacts – Mike Eaton, President and General Manager
Walt Wheeler, Partner and Secretary/Treasurer
Spectrum Lanes/Woody’s Press Box is a recreational center that includes forty, state of the art bowling lanes, a newly remodeled sports bar, and a small meeting room. Their customer base ranges from toddlers to senior citizens. Spectrum also works with a lot of local organizations such as high schools, senior citizen’s facilities, churches, and other profit and non-profit groups. They are located on the southwest side of Grand Rapids and draw customers from as far north as White Cloud and as far south as Kalamazoo.
Client Need/Problem
Spectrum Lanes has always been a leader in the bowling industry. They are very aggressive and would like to stay a step ahead of the competition. However, the industry is changing very rapidly and they are finding it harder to keep their edge. Therefore, they are seeking help to initiate a new customer appreciation program. This program would need to accomplish the following:
· Build a customer data base
· Reward repeat customers
· Be easy to use
· Fit within their current computer framework
· Be cost effective
Currently, Spectrum only tracks one segment of its customer base, their league bowlers, and then only the name is recorded. They feel they need a much more adequate process to track all their customers. Although, actual data input would not be the responsibility of the LCI team, they have expressed an interest in having LCI train the counter personnel on the use and maintenance of a new customer database. Spectrum’s immediate need is a method to track and reward the current customer base.
Research Question
What kind of a customer appreciation program could Spectrum/Woody’s Press Box initiate so that they are able to build a complete customer data base while at the same time rewarding repeat customers?
Research Methods
Developing a Customer Appreciation Program by Spectrum (CAPS) with database capabilities will require research into technological and marketing arenas. This research can be done via the Internet and the review of monthly publications within the bowling industry. Another avenue of research will include visiting other family recreational facilities and retailers to acquire information about currently successful customer appreciation programs.
The LCI group will need to research and list different programs available. Each member of the group would develop a list and then collectively they would decide on the best program.
The LCI team will need to consider the following points during their research:
· What are the current resources available at Spectrum?
· What customer attributes will be tracked?
· What are different types of customer cards and coupons available?
· Which customer appreciation programs are currently popular?
· What equipment and technology is needed for the program?
· Which solution is most cost effective?
· Is the system user friendly?
Feasibility
Developing CAPS falls well within the resource constraints of the LCI employees. Since I am the general manager and partner at Spectrum, certain research requirements can be fulfilled during regular work hours. This will allow the other members of the team to focus on other parts of the research. Because all of the research is available locally, this program is well within the capabilities of anyone on the LCI team. With this in mind, I believe that approximately fifty person hours will be needed to develop a successful CAPS program. Provided each person on the LCI share equally in the load, each person would provide about ten hours of time. This limited time and the asset of the owner/operator being on the team will make this an excellent opportunity for LCI.
Qualifications
As general manager and partner, I have full authority to implement any new ideas and programs at Spectrum Lanes/Woody’s Press Box. I am very interested in the opinions of the LCI team and look forward to working with the members of the team. With the help of the LCI team, I can keep Spectrum ahead of the competition while providing a great service to the customers. The great inside position that LCI would enjoy during this project would create a lot of fun and excitement for the members of the LCI team.
Conclusion
Spectrum Lanes is a local company that is owned and operated by a local family. They are strictly small business and we would be doing a great service to them if we can develop a premier customer appreciation program for them. This program fits well within the realm of LCI objectives. Any other needs of LCI pertaining to the CAPS program may be obtained from Walt Wheeler or myself at Spectrum Lanes.
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