Resurrecting Greatness - in the business of sports
It is said that, “greatness is a lot of small things, done well everyday.” For a sports team, being “great” does not just mean (nor totally rely upon) on field performance. Being great off the field is just as important.
Customer Experience (CX) is the product of the interaction between your organization and your customer/fan base over the lifetime of the relationship (in sports this is often literally a lifetime). Great sports teams understand at their very core that, from top to bottom, the role of the organization is to unlock great CX with each touch point for the fan base. It’s a collaborative affair that works across departments, disciplines, and fan segments.
CX is about intelligent, incremental change that benefits the customer and the business; it must be about innovation. Teams need to determine how to score improvements, and unlock incremental value for the customer at each and every point of interaction. Fans have changing wants and needs and the truly great teams stay ahead of that and adapt the fan experience accordingly. Most CX programs go wrong because they do not embrace change, and if they do this change is far too slow.
At Fortress, we are lucky to have clients who understand the importance of a comprehensive customer experience, and we’ve spent more than a decade to develop innovative solutions to improve this experience. Whether it’s creating a program to reward the Montreal Canadiens’ most loyal fans with upgrades or unique experiences, or establishing a cashless system for the San Diego Padres so their fans can spend more time watching the game and less time in lines, a successful customer experience is about incorporating small changes that add up to a one-of-a-kind event.
Of course, data is the lifeblood of any CX program – but too often as data continues to mount, paralysis sets in. But great CX is delivered over time. Use data wisely to better understand your customer. It’s not the volume of data that matters, it’s how you use it.
So, to have a great gameday CX great in 2017, here is a short list of things to focus on:
- One-click purchasing – How easy is it for fans to purchase a ticket for a game? In this world of “instant,” fans want a ticket, when they want it, and want clear purchase flow, understandable prioritization (who gets first pick of tickets), and simple delivery.
- Easy resale – Sometimes fans can’t attend a game, so it’s vital that it’s easy (as above) for them to release a ticket for resale, ensuring that the most loyal fans have priority on these.
- Safe, secure and quick access – Everyone understands the need for security, but given this, they still want to minimize the time it takes to travel to and enter the venue.
- Cleanliness – Customers notice when a team takes pride in its venue and services - from the restrooms, to the concessions, to all other public areas.
- Food Offerings – Fans are no longer simply satisfied with a hot dog and a beer. They now expect a wider selection of food options to fit different pockets and tastes with ease of purchase (in seat or on the concourse).
- Hospitality – People respond to people and a genuine welcome is free and provides a priceless experience.
- Entertainment – Big screens and on-field entertainment helps enhance the overall fan experience. While these will never replace the “game,” they can attract new customers and engage the more casual fans.
Think, collaborate, and evolve. Remember, it’s everyone’s job to deliver CX improvements to make a team great. But far too often I find myself at industry events listening to leaders from sports teams espouse the virtues of customer experience, but they lack the strategic focus necessary to make the incremental changes that generate a great experience. Technology (such as the solutions Fortress provides) has a proven track record in helping to deliver great services. But it’s not just about tech; the drive to make a difference motivates great teams at all levels of their organization. Its not about size, its about attitude.
You don’t need multi million dollar budgets to create or capture value. Start with a basic budget and let the program demonstrate value to earn more resources. So think about what ideal experiences you want customers to have, and work backwards from there. Work quickly. And re-invent as needed.