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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BBC Sportsound @bbcsportsound 43s
BREAKING NEWS: Celtic manager Neil Lennon has parted company with the club following talks about his future today por cierto
Lennon has left the building!!
They be gettin one of these down Govan way soon.
Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is being cleaned up with a water wheel.
http://wimp.com/waterwheel/
Totally disgusted that Neil is gone.
Taurangabhoy
11:22 on
22 May, 2014
Desert boy looking forward to a couple of days in Budapest as we’ll. staying centre of town near parliament looks impressive
Snake Plissken
11:25 on
22 May, 2014
DesertBhoy
Got to say I really don’t like Bratislava but I am hoping that we get Slovan Bratislava some time this summer.
……………………………………………………………..
Budapest is a great place, spent 8 years there. Spoiled for choice; hunners o’ restuarants and boozers.
Prices have obviously increased since they joined the EU/EC or whatever but still ok.
Careful of the Palinka, it’s lethal in some places.. also the Slivovic (sp).
Which hotel??
…………………………………………….
Slovan.. formerly Artmedia.. formerly Slovan… yep, up for that provided it’s not a repeat of the last time.
Looking at the previous re NFL we might be managerless, a few playes light and in turmoil.. in that case The New Saints or Cliftonville or anybody else for that matter will be a danger.
HH
Breaking news.all the best Neil Lennon Celtic Legend.
doc.
just got a text saying the same.
Id say talks with Mr Lawell didnt go well
Another summer of poor financial support from the board.. I hope lennon comes out and tells us the truth. No lame statement.
Gutted to be honest.. Made plenty of mistakes but did decent considering his role was buy cheap projects everytime.
Most of the major smsm now reporting Neil Lennons departure
If this is a baseless rumour it sure as hell has caught them all
Parkhead sources are adamant that Lennon has not quit in a row over budgets or transfer targets.
Got sent this. Probably mince but worth sharing.
LB
Ah the lure of the mighty Norwich City. Must be Delia’s cooking!!
NL LEAVES CELTIC OFFICIAL
Celtic: Neil Lennon to end four-year spell as manager
By Chris McLaughlin
BBC Sport Neil Lennon is to part company with Celtic after four years as manager following talks about his future.
It is understood that the former club captain had been considering his position for some time despite securing a third straight Scottish title.
He has been concerned about this playing budget for next season.
The 42-year-old Northern Irishman took charge of the Glasgow club in 2010, leading them to three league titles and two Scottish Cups.
More to follow.
Anyone think that IF Neil has gone he will blow the lid off his time as manager and tell everyone of the grief and intimidation and also reveal what sleekit said to him at Paradise?
LB
Good luck to Lenny but what now for the Hoops?
That’ll explain why lenny didn’t nail his hoops to the mast. If true.
All the best in your chosen path NFL.
Celtic: Neil Lennon to end four-year spell as manager
By Chris McLaughlin BBC Sport
Neil Lennon is to part company with Celtic after four years as manager following talks about his future.
It is understood that the former club captain had been considering his position for some time despite securing a third straight Scottish title.
He has been concerned about this playing budget for next season.
The 42-year-old Northern Irishman took charge of the Glasgow club in 2010, leading them to three league titles and two Scottish Cups.
More to follow.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27519596
bamboo
10:01 on 22 May, 2014
I think Larsson playing legend, could do the job at Celtic.
Hes intelligent ,articulate and he was always smart enough to deal with the SMSM.
Hes played at the very very top level .
He was always a talented player but who by hard work turned himself into a worldclass operator.
If he instilled his work ethic and positional play into coaching Celtic its got to be a success.
—————————————————————————
Larsson?
Henrik Larsson??
Manage Celtic???
No thanks.
IF Neil moves on then I hope the club have someone in mind who is a proven managerial talent. I was nervous when Neil was selected and delighted he’s done well but I still think it was a risk. From previous statements PL has made I assume that succession planning is something they do on a regular basis and they should have a list of potential candidates.
Henrik was the best player I saw on a regular basis – truly a legend. But as a manager he is unproven.
Hope so Livibhoy
I would just like to thank Neil Lennon for all he has done for the Club, since he took over from hoopslegend Tony Mowbray.
I am away hame to put up the sandbags for the tidal wave of hunguffery that’s goin’ to descend over the next few days.
Gary67 @1157
Ahhh but can she make donuts like fannys? ;)
Malky would be a good bet. Moyes………no.
Nothing on SSN breaking news.
‘He is a player who could ultimately get me the sack.’
And maybe that’s what happened, in a roundabout sort of way.
Thank you Mr Lennon…
Going back to the days of the great Willie Maley the managerial departure is not something that has been handled well at Celtic.
The timing, the handling, the overall setting very often turns out to be unsatisfactory.
LiviBhoy – God bless wee Oscar
11:56 on 22 May, 2014
Parkhead sources are adamant that Lennon has not quit in a row over budgets or transfer targets.
—————–
No but it could be over who was being forced on him as his No2
Generally speaking, I don’t gossip nor do I believe it. My view of whether Neil leaves is this. The guy is at the club he loves, make no mistake, he loves Celtic just as all on here do. Take ego out of the equation and ask why he would go to a Fulham, Norwich or whatever? Sure, he’ll earn a few more shilling, but can anyone give me an answer on that please. He has tolerated unbelievable crap since he first came to us, and this has heightened since he became our manager. In any civilised country this would not be tolerated and those causing the grief would be hounded out and jailed, preferably hanged if I had my way.
Only in Scotland could a good straight decent fellow be hounded out of the job he loves. We all know why but why should he put himself and his family through that, it does not make sense.
Bottom line is if he does go then the bigots have won, end of!! F####ing Scotland be ashamed!
KINGLuBO
We will not employ a manager who will want to have some money to spend.
leftclicktic We are all Neil Lennon
Any idea who?
So Neil leaving because of bufget restrictions.
Hmmmmmm!!
Surprised?
Nope.
MWD says Aye.
There is now.
A sad day. God Bless you Neil and thanks for the memories.
Paddy Power have slashed the odds on Henrik getting the job…. maybe they know something!
My friends in Celtic,
It is probably unwise to jump to conclusions if and when Neil goes.
But it would not surprise me to hear of a managerial appointment down South shortly.
HH.
all the best to neil lennon…..
be careful who you wish for….
HH
Best of luck Neil, ta for the memories hope wherever you go you have success and peace for yourself and family, who’s lined up ?
Didn’t see that coming. Very sorry to see Neil leave. There’ll be no shortage of applicants for the job.
Lenny is gone.
Confirmed.
My initial reaction – shambles. I badly wanted to see him lift the tenth.