Club Directors understand the importance of providing great customer service to your members and their families. Not only does customer service paint a picture of your club and its values, but good customer service encourages loyalty, which in turn, may help retain existing players and attract new ones.

So, if directors understand the importance of excellent customer service, why do so many clubs accept less than satisfactory customer service when it comes to ordering uniforms?

Here are 3 important things to look for when assessing customer service from your uniform provider:

1. On-Time Delivery

Sounds silly doesn’t it? Good customer service isn’t simply resolving issues quickly when they arise but making sure any uniform order gets to you on time and is correct when you open it.  Good customer service means you are aware of exactly how long orders should take to be ordered, customized and shipped, no matter on the level of customization desired. We all know sublimated uniforms may take a little longer to process, but you should be aware of what that time frame looks like, so you are not anxiously watching the mail when you should be coaching your team!

2.  Expert and accessible personal account reps

Purchasing uniforms isn’t simply a case of going to a website and selecting a style and color that you like and purchasing them. You should have a strong relationship with your uniform provider based on trust and you should be in contact with them throughout the year. Not just after try-outs!

That’s why it is essential that any uniform provider has Account Representatives who are experts in not just uniforms, but volleyball uniforms. They should be there every step of the process helping you from planning inventory ahead of time, setting up online stores, providing free samples for fitting days to navigating rule changes to ensure that your uniforms are competition compliant.

What’s more is that your Account Representatives need to be accessible. It’s no good them being available to you from 9-5 if you need to speak with them after training to discuss a question that may have just arisen. You should feel comfortable calling or texting your account representative at any time and expect a quick and thorough reply.

3.  Customer Service Hotline for players and their families

Unfortunately, the delivery of your uniforms isn’t necessarily the end of it. In fact, that’s when the phone starts to ring off the hook.  It could be from a parent who has ordered the wrong size, or it could be a player who has had an unforeseen growth spurt. Any competent volleyball uniform provider should be willing to field these calls, so you don’t have to!

Whether it is by phone, email or online chat, can your parents contact your uniform provider at a time that is convenient to them to discuss any unexpected surprises with their player’s uniform? They should not overlook those club members who may require bi-lingual customer service representatives to comfortably communicate.

In those rare occasions where a player may need to exchange an item, how easy is that return process? Your members shouldn’t have to jump through various hurdles to get a hold of return labels and to have to pay for return shipping. Excellent customer service on behalf of your uniform provider should equate to hassle-free returns, even on customized items!

For related reading for club directors click HERE. For more education for club directors click HERE.

About 431 Sports  
431 Sports is part of Sports Endeavors, the largest soccer, lacrosse and rugby retailer in the world. Now 431 Sports is proud to offer the same competitive advantages to volleyball clubs. With over 400 full-time staffers and 300 part-time and season teammates 431 Sports offers unrivalled infrastructure, expert staff, brand relationships and supreme experience in team uniforms.