Communication between club and fans

[Revived Red]

Important thoughts about this problem have appeared in the thread about Paul Carden in addition to that about stock in the shop. It is now surely such a vital issue that it deserves its own thread.

It seems to me that communication between club and fans is at an all-time low. I have travelled from Bristol to see the Leicester and Huddersfield matches, (in addition to three other home games and three away games) so far this season. But I wanted tickets for the two games I specified and I asked a friend to get them for me. It proved impossible to obtain them before the games despite several phone calls and various promises (a) to call back (which never happened); and (b) to post out the tickets.

The feedback on the Stanley programmes ebay shop is poor, with only 3.6 out of 5.0 being scored for speed of despatch. This is inexcusable. Even more inexcusable are the comments from some sellers that programmes have not been paid for. This reflects badly on the club.

There is more to be said, but I want to wait to see what others say in this thread.

[Tin Monkey]

Everything you say is true, but we've been saying the same thing for the last few years and nothing changes.

Football is a funny business, in that the customer pays for the product before they receive it and there is no chance of a refund if the quality doesn't live up to expectations. Customer service/communication is therefore absolutely essential, but Stanley are lightyears behind on that score.

I used to shop regularly at Asda, but the poor quality (in my opinion) of their fruit means that I have switched my allegiance to another supermarket. That is my choice, as we live in a consumer society and choice is relatively endless.

Football is, of course, different to most other businesses, in that the customer is passionately attached to the product. As customers we put up with the kind of treatment we would never tolerate in any other walk of life. Our souls are devoted top the club and we can never imagine it any other way. Football clubs know this and many of them exploit and abuse that relationship, as they know that they have a 'captive' audience.
However, the danger comes when the customer and the product become so alienated from each other that the passionate attachment becomes weakened. At that point the ties that used to hold the two things together can snap and any chance of a reconciliation becomes more and more unlikely.

Stanley need to do something to start building up a decent relationship with its fan base and offering them the kind of service that we have come to expect in other areas of our lives. Failure to act could cause some serious damage to the long-term prospects of the club and no amount of bleating to the press will save them then!

[ukcowboy]

Top post TM (yes I mean it ).........an analogy I hadn't thought of........mind you neither has the Club, unless they are reading this now!! We shall see................

[Oggy]

Originally Posted by Tin Monkey

Stanley need to do something to start building up a decent relationship with its fan base and offering them the kind of service that we have come to expect in other areas of our lives. Failure to act could cause some serious damage to the long-term prospects of the club and no amount of bleating to the press will save them then!

Couldn't agree more TM, and the club must do something.

Football aside, trips to the Crown Ground are becoming less and less enjoyable. Why can't the club find out what the people who go, like and dislike, want and don't want, and take that as a starting point.

[Wynonie Harris]

Excellent post, TM, and every word is true (tried to give you some karma but apparently, I've got to spread it around a bit).

These words in particular should be framed and hung on the wall of the FES boardroom!

Originally Posted by Tin Monkey

Stanley need to do something to start building up a decent relationship with its fan base and offering them the kind of service that we have come to expect in other areas of our lives. Failure to act could cause some serious damage to the long-term prospects of the club and no amount of bleating to the press will save them then!

[cmonstanley]

Originally Posted by Oggy

Couldn't agree more TM, and the club must do something.

Football aside, trips to the Crown Ground are becoming less and less enjoyable. Why can't the club find out what the people who go, like and dislike, want and don't want, and take that as a starting point.

thats probably because we havent won very many gamesbut on serious note why dont the club have a suggestion box in the clubhouse , the clubshop and the crown to get a jist of what the fans want.i agree with the merchandise bit but what do you suggest stanley do to make it a better experience for your visit to the fes .there a lot worse clubs to go and visit .we dont get hassle off the stewards etc. you can go in the clubhouse after the match and meet players etc. what is it you want the club to do apart from win some more games and be tactically more aware

[Wynonie Harris]

Getting the basic things right would be a start. No organisation is 100% efficient and there will always be a few slip ups here and there. However, the number of complaints we see on this forum about unanswered emails, difficulties in obtaining merchandise, programmes and tickets, difficulties in joining the Stanley Legends scheme etc must be very off-putting for fans, both existing and potential!

[Oggy]

Slight language barrier problem here, Bananman. Where I come from, "Football aside", means putting the football to one side, ignoring the football, leaving the football alone, etc. etc.

This thread is about communication, and it would seem, merchandising, the two go hand in hand. Or, as seems to be the case with Stanley, never the twain shall meet.

The suggestion to ask the fans, is precisely that, it was not to have a debate on personal likes,and dislikes on here. It's basic market research, and the club don't seem to have the foggiest idea. It's no coincidence that Wynonie and myself have highlighted TM's last paragraph, but the whole piece rings true, and it's certainly not the first time these issues have been voiced on here.

Good luck to Lew, and his successor, if there is to be one.

[maccawozzagod]

they need to implement some sort of service charter where everything they do is target-driven. Whether that be for performance bonuses or just for giggles they need to start aiming to do certain things within certain time frames.

1. answer emails or make return phone calls - same day.
2. answer all queries or complaints with a 'closure' - max 48 hours.
3. when people have paid money for things makes sure the acknowledgment is made (OSC toilets paid for - waiting 2 years, Tin Monkey et al Legends money - waiting 2 months etc etc) within 24 hours.

Some things are maybe nowt to do with us, hoodies not in the Online store might be because they only have a small stock to see how they go before commiting to a larger stock. Most of the things Online are products that need to be bought in bulk, the hoodies could have been bought singly.

4. They need to talk more often. It doesn't matter what it is, we crave information, so Leighton McGivern has an abscess on his face has he? tell us. Paul Mullin had the heel cut out of his socks at training today did he? tell us. Make the website a little bit more 'fanziney' and start talking to us.

We are the customer and like TM says, take the passion away and the relationship becomes very stretched. In the Unibond days everyone knew everyone and everything, now we don't. I don't begrudge the success that we have had and I appreciate a moving away from the ways of old - but there has to be a common ground where we can still feel like the small family run, friendly club that we try to say we are.

I also reckon that Eric has too much say in everything that goes on, he shouldn't have the final word on everything that goes on. If Lee is the shop manager then let him manage - if he wants to get stock of XYZ in then let him. If he can't balance the books at the end of every quarter then get someone who can (nowt personal Lee, just an example), same again with the bar side of things, with the Corporate side on so on.

Let people do the jobs they are paid to do Eric and that leaves you with nowt to do then find something else, work on developing a rapport with the town, work on some 40th birthday celebrations, work on new ways to integrate ASFC within the local economy.

The main gripe has always been communication. Work on that.

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by Oggy

Good luck to Lew, and his successor, if there is to be one.

Prime example of one of the problems at Stanley. The guy's been gone 3-4 days and has said his goodbyes on here, but the club haven't even bothered to officially tell us yet! All the best anyway, Lew.

[Pendle Red]

Sometimes in any work situation large or small there come a time when you have to take stock of what you have got. It is sometimes far easier to be sat on the outside looking in you can spot areas that you think need improving and come up with suggestions for improving them but if you are on the inside you can get caught up in a endless circle of constant fire fighting just to keep and try to build on what you already have. That's not to say you should sit on your laurels if you have success on the pitch that must be matched off the pitch, every sale whether that's a pint in the Crown or signing a sponsorship deal for shirt advertising is money into the Club and keeps the Club moving forward. The Club has made massive strides forwards in the last few years and long may it continue but sometimes you can also move to quickly and also lose focus on what really matters. The thing that attracted me to Stanley is you can get close to the players, staff and most people connected to the Club whether that be management or fans alike it is what I would call a real Family Club and is something that most other League Clubs don't have it is what makes the Club in my mind so special and I would'nt like to see that eroded

[cashman]

Spot on Tin Monkey.