Dear ASG:
I have been a long time fan and 3 time season ticket holder of the Atlanta Thrashers. I am writing to you to in response to team president Don Waddell's comments following last night's win versus the Nashville Predators.
Mr. Waddell basically alluded to the fact that the fans need to come out and support the team. I want to say I totally agree, but let me give you some insight as to why the fan support may be a little slow in coming and some ideas on how you may be able to improve the fan experience at Phillips Arena.
First of all, I would say that the team has been playing great hockey lately and as a fan I'm extremely excited to see what the team is doing on the ice. The problem you have though is that with Atlanta being a non-traditional hockey market most people simply aren't aware of what the Thrashers are doing, nor that they have become an improved product. As for those of us who have been following the Thrashers we're still a little reserved in our judgment because we've seen hot streaks before only to be followed by disappointment in the overall product on the ice. I will say that personally, I am still holding my judgment for a little more proof, though I see where the team is headed and the type of hockey is sound and looks more promising than it ever has.
As I'm sure you're all aware, the financial future around Atlanta is shaky at best and many consumers just don't have what they used to or, as I find myself in the position of having to reconsider my spending to make sure to hedge for the future. Because of these financial realities people aren't going to pay for entertainment that simply isn't entertaining. Well, that's becoming less the problem for the Thrashers, but the problem you do now have is that the brand had become known for not being entertaining. Therefore, you now need to change people's thinking about your brand.
Your marketing department needs a serious overhaul. Your television advertising seems to usually be on channels that you televise your games on and during the broadcasts for those games. You are then advertising to people who already are interested in your product. Those aren't the people you need to reach...you've already reached us. Your marketing on television needs to be on the other local channels watched.
As for fan experience, I have a few complaints that come from being a long time customer. These complaints are actually minor and more of the inconvenience type. First, please get better ushers in Phillips Arena, there is nothing more frustrating than trying to watch a game but you can't see the action because people are moving around in their seats or they wait until the face off to get up and go get another beer. In other arenas the no movement during play is seriously addressed and people aren't allowed to move around during play but in Atlanta it's a joke. An usher standing at the top of the isle with a retarded little stop sign waiting until the play stops does not make crowd control.
It's too late for this season, but you seriously need to consider moving the start time to 7:30 PM. This will give fans more time to get from work and gather up the family and make it to the arena. 30 minutes extra is not going to kill the schedule and will make a world of difference in attendance.
Get concession personnel under control at the very least. Spending an entire intermission in line to get food that is overpriced and quite frankly not that great doesn't appeal to people. Which of course, leads me to the next which is find a vending company with lower price points or much better quality. Paying 12 dollars for a hot dog and fries is highway robbery and makes it almost impossible to bring an entire family to a game.
Finally, and I know this may seem petty to some, but can we please keep the caps to our drinks? I know there are some irresponsible people in this world, but many many more of us are mature enough to handle capping our drinks. This is an especially nice thing for those of use who bring children as young children have a tendency to spill drinks and capping them makes that much less likely.
I know I've taken up a few moments with this long letter and this isn't meant to be comprehensive but I wanted you to know that the fans will come with sustained on ice success (which I believe is going to happen finally) and if you will take a look at some customer service in your arena you will see that the level of customer satisfaction will rise and in turn your revenues should also.
Thank you.
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2 comments:
When I put my winter jacket on for the first time this year, I found a bottlecap in the pocket. I laughed when I remembered why I deliberately put it there. I actually went to the trouble of saving a cap from a bottled water just so I could cap my drink at the game. It's hard to carry that stuff around uncapped.
I actually like the food at Philips. There is more variety and better quality than there used to be. Some of the "Club" food has even migrated to the main area. The turkey sandwich on the Hawk Walk is my favorite. They carve the turkey breast right in front of you. It's become easier to find stands that sell Newcastle in the last couple seasons. And Wetzels...oh, Wetzels...drool.
The food is improving...the other night though my dad had a cheeseburger and fries for like 12.50 that looked very unimpressive.
I do like that they are making better beer selections more readily available also.
I think that the biggest complaint I have about concessions is the speed in which they work. There is no sense of urgency when dealing with a crowd that is trying to do their business between breaks.
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