Pleased to see this morning’s initiative by Celtic to provide people with a more visible and accessible complaints procedure, including an “Our commitment to you” section. I know it’s almost blasphemous to use the word ‘customer’ in a football context, but when it comes to levels of service, it is useful to benchmark the ‘customer experience’ at Celtic Park, which is patchy and often disappointing.
I’ve been meaning to pick up this topic for a while but there is a Supporters’ Forum coming up next month, where various supporters’ groups will be given a chance to put issues of concern to the club, and I planned to raise it directly with the club before writing about it here.
Celtic have a great brand (if you indulge me with another blasphemous but useful term), born to feed the hungry, champion of the underdog, fundraiser for the poor and needy in Scotland and across the globe. We still have the unique Seville legacy – which is 11 years old today – and on Saturday, 47 years after their own crowning moment, the remaining Lisbon Lions will cast their considerable shadow over European football, but a great deal of the ‘customer contact’ reflects a club weary from more recent skirmishes. It needed be this way.
We are one of the world’s unique brand properties, like Disney, but a lot smaller, of course. Every customer contact, every public-facing decision, should reflect this. Disney understand this. They make you pay ridiculous amounts for their tat, but you pay willingly, because every customer contact reflects the highest service levels achievable. None of this comes on minimum wage, you need to select, train and retain good staff, who remain in place irrespective of available alternatives.
Legendary customer service is expensive, but if you own a uniquely ethical brand, paying that expense can be profitable.
Look around at brand management elsewhere. BP throw an environmentally responsible ‘better use of energy’ message at you straight from their home page, and they are one of the world’s most notorious polluters. Barcelona give their ‘More than a club’ message the prime spot (top left) on their home page, without a notion of irony around their tax or Qatar cash transactions. Apple have “Apple and the environment” prominently on their home page. They have little to do with the environmental movement, but they know how important to their business it is to maintain their unique brand.
Ethically, Celtic are miles ahead of any of these outfits but you need to go hunt for our considerable ethical works on the club website.
What should Celtic do when training, match day stewards, or kiosk staff (don’t start me)? What should we do when faced with an expensive business decision? Consult the brand values. Brand values are absolutely sacrosanct and the cost of maintaining them should be looked on as an opportunity to invest in them. At the moment lots of areas are under-invested in, reflecting completely different values to those who rush into the ground on match day.
Our values are to build a great football club which improves Health, promotes Equality, encourages Learning and tackles Poverty. Celtic do this through the very real help they give to thousands of people through Celtic FC Foundation. This is where we are today but all of this should have a higher profile.
When you visit the Celtic web site two days before season ticket renewal deadline day (today), you should be smacked around the senses with our work on Health, Equality, Learning and Poverty. Do that and the drag-through to renewals or merchandise sales will follow, ask Apple or Disney.
We need confidence in this strategy. I know it’s expensive, things are tight and demands enormous, but these values, this unique brand, is why we will flourish for another century.
If you want to raise a question at the Supporters’ Forum leave a note below.
Order your signed copy of Tommy Gemmell’s All the Best below.
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Snake plissken thanks it is Levoca will try to get over there. Enjoy your night out in Nitra and the CL final. I
micktt
10:15 on 22 May, 2014
Hun trolls … ??
Morning All
I hope Neil doesn’t go and all the speculation is just that.
I wonder though why a new assisant manager wasn’t in place or already announced as Mjallby’s departure must have been known to the board months ago.
Could it be because they know NL is also for the off?
If Neil Lennon leaves,he leaves with my grateful thanks over the last 14 years.
If he stay,he will as always have my total support.
Whether he has the total support of certain parties-and I mean in tangible ways,like allowing him to manage-I dunno. A manager should be allowed to manage without interference.
Offski- in my canoe round Wiltshire.
IF Neil Lennon decides to take ajob elsewhere we better hope that Kris Commons signs that contract before he does and that VVD and Fraser Forster have clauses that ensure we get top dollar because I would fear NL would come back for the Bhoys who have served him so well in the past.
I would prefer Neil to stay. There is still work to be done. If he is not backed by the board to buy some decent quality players then I can understand why he would maybe try something different.
Henke for manager? Not for me.
LB
paolosboots:
I agree, it sounds like crap to say my heart burst with pride, but there’s nothing else I can say without lying. Some of the things that those who populate CQN have done, make my heart swell and humble me more.
Believe me when I tell you that often their generosity of time and money and compassion dumb me and I get a sore throat and sore eyes too, and that’s the truth.
Good morning , chinese whispers quick news.
monteblanco
10:39 on 22 May, 2014
What about an experienced coach with the tactical nous to navigate the latter stages of the Europa League? Seville, Porto, Athletico, Ajax, Benfica etc. etc. seem to know how to do just that semi-regularly.
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Nah…………go for one of our ex reserve managers, one who has had a bit of success in Scottish football.
Well it worked before!!!!!!!
‘Chinese Whispers’- wee Andrew Ridgeley’s greatest moment.
kitalba @ 10.30 hrs,
Thank you for your comprehensive reply.
Your assumptions of myself are indeed correct.
I also think you were correct in standing up for John Reid. John Reid for all his faults was ( and is ) a Celtic man. Did he deliver for the football club ? Debatable.
On a personal level ;When my daughter was the mascot, John Reid could not have been more welcoming.
DD. I also think you are spot on. Although things have improved, no question, I think if he had actually lived in the West of Scotland his attitude & understanding would be slightly different.
There is no doubt that living in the West of Scotland has formulated our opinions which ohers may find slightly difficult to comprehend. ( The north of Ireland excepted )
HH to you.
monteblanco
10:39 on 22 May, 2014
What about an experienced coach with the tactical nous to navigate the latter stages of the Europa League? Seville, Porto, Athletico, Ajax, Benfica etc. etc. seem to know how to do just that semi-regularly.
Celtic’s next manager, whoever and whenever that may be, will be a British based manager. That’s been the successful template of the current regime under DD since 2000 with a 75% success rate (MON, WGS & NL) to 25% fail rate (TM)
Just back from a week in sunny Cyprus, far too much food, Keo and wine for my own good, and with a big CQN 4-ball semi-final tomorrow against the 2 Pats I need to get out and hit a few balls today to ensure I don’t let ole Eurochamps down.
Gonna be sore.
The Barcelonas of Basket Ball.
Even if you’re not a Spurs fan, you’ve got to love the way they play.
http://wimp.com/loveplay/
Gary67
But our most successful manager ever was Dutch;)
Chineesse whisper, election today?
SP & Kiwi….
Used to ski the Lower Tatras when worked in Budapest; was also a frequent visitor to Bratislava.
gary67
10:52 on 22 May, 2014
Neil Lennon has had the opportunity to kill off any speculation that he is off but hasn’t done so.
I think you have this spot on and your proposed solution is our best option
Kitalba I know what you mean I am lucky to have met many of them and kicked a few at 5 a sides :-) but these guys embody the essence of what brother walfrid set up 125 years ago the plc has alot of catching up to do with the fans. Their support for the team on the park and for those in need off it would mean if there was a cl final for fans we’d surely be there. Unfortunately our plc board shames us in relation to the living wage and cant seem to match our ambitions on and off the pitch.
Desert boy looking forward to a couple of days in Budapest as we’ll. staying centre of town near parliament looks impressive
DesertBhoy
Got to say I really don’t like Bratislava but I am hoping that we get Slovan Bratislava some time this summer.
I agree that the club should know if Neil is staying or going.
He obviously loves the club, but he is also a career oriented manager, who is ambitious.
This is as it should be.
I don’t think that he would act n detriment to the club by allowing this situation to drag on.
Until further notice, I still believe that he and the club know the situation and that is to bring in an assistant with the view to taking over next year.
Jack Nicklaus shows everyone why he’s a golf legend. What a player.
http://wimp.com/golflegend/
Hoping for an away then home draw in the cl qualifiers so that I get to see the hoops. Not liking this talk of Lenny leaving it will put us back a few steps, if true, which I doubt.Probably just rag talk, nothing better to sell. The upcoming bad news must have been doncasters contribution to the zombie revival. Must have been some viewing for the rest of Scotland. Hunmiliation .
Thomtt,
I think the club will be well aware of the situation.
In other news….I hear Suarez is to undergo keyhole surgery on an injured knee.
I think if Neil does leave it will be now. With the likelihood of sevco being in the premiership season after next, by whatever means, if he leaves then will be accused of being feart!! IMHO
I’ll be disappointed if Lennon goes.
Still I would like a progressive manager. Not Henke.
This is a meritocracy.
Mjallby’s comments about taking the next step and managing on his own??????
keith jackson @tedermeatballs 4m
Neil lennon to stand down as celtic manager. Statement expected later today. por cierto
Scottish Sun Sport @scotsunsport 3m
Neil Lennon is to leave as @celticfc manager after four years in charge. More to follow…por cierto
EKBhoy@10:30
“JC ran down his contract and in his last six months, the effort expended in that period was lamentable and for that reason alone he will never be asked back to the club. He could easily have went to Monaco at any point but he wanted a larger signing-on fee which would have been diluted by a transfer fee.”
That’s exactly how I saw it too, plain as the nose on your face
Anyone else see the Hibs CH (Nelson) go through the back of James Keatings last night? Madden didn’t even give a foul. Keatings eventually had to go off injured. Muppet of a ref.
Por Cierto
11:40 on 22 May, 2014
Is McNally at the Mirror not a Celtic fan?
ernie lynch Yes I believe so por cierto
Alison Robbie @AlisonRobbie 34s
Clyde sport understands Neil Lennon is leaving #celtic after 4 years in charge. por cierto
If Neil leaves I wish him all the very best and thanks for everything, hope he can get away from this place and enjoy a “normal” life where he is appreciated and respected in all football circles and dispose of the need for 24/7 minder protection.
21st century Scotland.
Neil leaving, just as well I’m not a gambling man, I would have put money on him staying..
Just had a call saying NFL has resigned. Still a rumour but Daily Ranger being one source quoted to me, but there are others. Any news on this, rather than rumour that is?
And then I read the blog.
Doc
I’m in shock Doc..