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.
[calameo code=000390171873c910154bd lang=en page=106 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
1,062 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- ...
- 28
- »
Parkheadcumsalford Thanks for asking…I have an enlarged nodule on many thyroid gland and I am going for a biopsy tomorrow.
Oh dear, many should be my.
Clunks,
Bamkruptsy was back in the days before Internet bampots.
BRTH
Lawwell is a bean counter …a good one if you’re DD
He has secured us some great deals…Magners eg
However his play safe attitude has seen the match day experience diminish considerably
The catering facilities, hunting of the GB etc ….poor show
IMO he gets paid far too much for simply balancing the books
clunks
It’s not a case of agreeing or disagreeing.
I know fine well the club is all about money, now that being the case, why the gamble ?
Suits gamble, that’s how it works, sometimes the gamble pays off, sometimes not.
PL gambled with CL qualification last season, he was blessed that it paid off, had big Fraser not been in world class form in Sweden, I doubt we would have got to play Karagandy, and again we were blessed that they hit the bar with a few mins to go.
With no hun, we have a clear run at the riches of the CL, yet we are gambling with qualification again, we were told that we would be buying in the winter for the summer to bed the players in, we bought LG, didn’t need bedding in, he is quite apt in the bedding dept !!!!
If the PLC are intent on making money for their shareholders, would the prudent thing not be to gamble, but to minimise the risk of not qualifing and speculate to accumulate, the riches are beyond our wildest dreams if we get to the group stages for the next 5 years.
I would have thought that making the group stages would be the no 1 priority for the suits, yet they seem hell bent on gambling at getting there, makes no financial or business sence.
HH
Bamkruptsy is exactly what swally and the zombie fans are doing just now.
It should be in the dictionary with a pic of the steakbake and davy the bamkruptsy king next to it
Geordie Munro
19:03 on
21 May, 2014
VD,
Thanks fur pointing oot one of my many reasons
fur changing my moniker in the new season.
Why are the more erudite board apologists obsessed with analogies ?
Ian Livingston does the same job for BT as Peter Lawwell does for Celtic. It’s inconceivable that he was not in the loop and not consulted with regards the TV negotiations.
Celtic plc must think we are buttoned up the back if this entire process I.e hun revival…that they held no sway and were not involved. Out manouvered by the SFA, the SPL, the SFL, the SPFL, BT at every turn …..and there is nothing poor wee Celtic can do or say about it. While getting invites to the top tables at the SPFL and the SFA.
Psychiatrists would have field day reading these analogies. They are set to continue and become increasingly absurd.
As I have stated on here the mental gymnastics necessary to arise at the conclusion that our plc have not been complicit in saving the Old Firm brand I am incapable of.
If you are then honestly desist. For the sake of your long term mental health and personal credibility.
HH
TET
I agree as a fan, go all out for champions league glory. Spend the cash.
The board dont. Its not part of the plan.
Otherwise we would spend the cash.
We would have paid wanyama, hoops, ledley and samaras the cash.
We would be a far stronger champions league team.
The gamble if it pays of would be worth it.
If it dont then………..look at the huns.
I as a fan say. Spend the cash go for it.
As a business………
clunks
I disagree >}
It’s not as if we are spending what we don’t have. we have cash in the bank, cash in the bank doesn’t win games of football mi amigo.
HH
TET,
Talk to the SFA and UEFA on the qt?
That just won’t work.
It is a crooked game, from top to bottom.
UEFA have had ample opportunity to call the SFA to account.
One is as corrupt as the other. FIFA ?
The only chance we have of levelling the field in Scotland, is for all the clubs to demand a clean SFA.
Easier said than done.
It will take a united fans initiative to pressure the clubs, but there doesn’t seem to be the will to that.
Celtic are victims and have to walk a tightrope.
There is no point threatening to take your ball away and being told, “Go on, then”, if you have no place to go.
Maybe the huns will solve the problem through their cannibalism.
Thomthethim
CFC are indeed victims …unfortunately we behave like victims too
Our nemesis is dead ,the reincarnation on the ropes ….yet we seem hell bent on facilitating them in whatever guise they form
TBB and the lovely Chapeau
Take a nice photie http://images.bwwstatic.com/columnpic6/FA65406B-947B-60D7-F2186D1D2F23588A.jpg
clunks
I always thought the only way we could challenge the No Sporting Advantage decision was through the courts via a legal team funded by Celtic fans
This approach would not jeopardise the club and could be funded by contributions from fans a fighting fund of sorts
Sevco fans raised over half a mil for their fighting fund
I’m not an expert in legal fees but I assume a cool half mil would cover quite a lot….!
I expect the problem with that now is apathy. It may be fans should have organized this as soon as the no advantage result came out.
Still there is many examples of successful retrospective civil cases
There is no time limit on this
ttt
So in effect what you are saying is….
Fine, just shaft us.
They told us for years we were paranoid, and that there was nothing to see here Timmy, then they were caught, the sfa, the spl, the huns, all caught cheating, and being involved in the corruption, and we are supposed to just bend over and take it cos they are the peepil.
Sorry can’t do it, to accept it is IMO worse than the cheating.
HH
I must be getting ole(d) I can remember when all we worried about was how the team were
playing :O(
TET
I agree with you.
We could put out a team half filled with the youth team and canter the league.
We have the cash in the bank and should have kept wanyama, hoops, ledley and sami.
Plus we should have signed another 4 or 5 european class players.
But the board dont agree. That is the reality unfortunately.
Thindimeboy
Half a million is a start and it might pay for a bit of court time.
We would be pissing the money up the wall.
SFA, UEFA and FIFA could not give a flying f@&k about what is going on here.
We would be better spending the money on a court case like a bosman.
That uefa and fifa are hindering our economic progression by not letting us trade on a european basis.
Surely we could do that?
That would be a much better spend of our money.
Must admit I’m not a great Tory fan but I did enjoy Theresa May read the bizzies the riot act today
Reform or be damned was the jist of it
By trade on a european basis i mean we should be allowed to participate in whatever league in europe we want to, or whatever league would have us.
Not sure of the terms but by restricting us in this fashion i am sure it goes against european law.
VP
Where did you get that one from? I thought we’d managed to delete our google history…
clunks
I think Hooper and Vic wanted to leave.
For sure Sammi didn’t, and I believe Joe didn’t want to leave either.
Everything is fine if the gamble pays off, as soon as we don’t qualify for the groups, we are on a big time downsizing programme, we sell anyone who will bring in a few bob etc.
Smaller crowds, it become never ending.
That is no way to run a business.
HH
clunks
The best way to approach this is from a consumer point of view like a stakeholder, are fans not consumers and stakeholders in the football business and therefore entitled to a level playing field
Now if we believe there has been unfair advantage given to one team in particular to the detriment of the rest then you may well have a case
Consumers are protected by all kinds of gov watchdogs and non gov based groups so why not football fans
In my view once you started this ball rolling ie gathering momentum funding would not be an issue
Good evening all
Just about to watch the first play-off. I am so pleased to be a Celtic Supporter so a am. :-))
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
NEW Barcelona boss Luis Enrique has a dream – to lead his Spanish superstars in a European clash at Celtic Park.
The 44-year-old revealed his admiration for the SPFL champions when he admitted wearing a Celtic scarf to cheer them on during a European tie in Glasgow 10 years ago.
Enrique, who signed a two-year deal to replace Gerardo Martino at Barca, said: “I had heard all about the fanaticism of their support and especially the way they sang ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.
“After I finished playing in 2004, I went to see Celtic and also Liverpool, who, of course, sing the same anthem.
“I saw Celtic play AC Milan in a Champions League game. I went to Glasgow with some friends and watched the game from the stands.
“I was in among the fans and was wearing a Celtic scarf. I wanted to hear them singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ before the game.
“Of course, I had heard it before at Anfield because Barca had played Liverpool there twice while I was a player.
“I went to see them, too, in a game against Everton. Rafa Benitez was the Liverpool manager at the time and Luis Garcia got me the tickets.
“So, I went to Celtic as a fan just to hear them sing the song before the game.
“I’ve been used to special occasions as a player at the Nou Camp, of course, but it was a great atmosphere in Glasgow that night. Something really special.”
Now Enrique hopes to sample the unique atmosphere of a European night from a Parkhead dug-out in the Champions League.
Neil Lennon’s men, of course, face three qualifying encounters before they can reach the first round proper.
Enrique’s immediate concern is to get the Catalan side back on track after they drew with champions Atletico Madrid on the last day of the season when a win would have given them the championship.
It’s only the second time in six years the club have failed to win the title.
The failure cost Martino, who succeeded the late Tito Vilanova last summer, his job with a year of his contract still to run.
Enrique quit Celta Vigo to take on the challenge of restoring Barca to the top of La Liga.
But he wants to make an impact again in Europe and a game against Celtic at Parkhead would be a dream come true.
Remarkably, Lennon’s men have played Barcelona twice in the last two Euro campaigns in Glasgow – winning 2-1 with goals from Victor Wanyama and Tony Watt on a memorable evening two seasons ago and losing 1-0 last time out.
FAO Hebcelt
Stornoway population :- hauf dozen
Gave a guy from your neck of the woods a lift (charged him mind) to airport today,got talking about football,mentioned your first name ,knows you……….whit are the chances of that?
TBB
To be honest the guy doesn’t do you justice….she’s a babe though :O) hh
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo
19:13 on 21 May, 2014
Why are the more erudite board apologists obsessed with analogies ?
……………………………………….
You forgot the police and the politicians, we were outmanouvered by them with the OB Bill to the point where it was us, Celtic and Rangers who actually asked for FoCUS to be set up. A new national police force (when all before had been regional) who would share intelligence and impliment the OB Act.
As Kitalba pointed out earlier, the smaller clubs look to Celtic FC for guidance.
But, as the Aberdeen fans pointed out with their ‘accurate’ banner,
“Your Silence Is Deafening!”
I’ve been kicked up’n’down the blog for say this but, another kicking will be nothing new so, I’ll say it again…the only folk who can ‘hammer’ all this hun-carryon are, the Celtic ‘bored’.
The ‘bored’ don’t have too work for ‘your’ money – you just turn-up, hand it over then, go back to where ‘you’ have always been – on the outside – looking in.
The Celtic ‘bored’ of today are now dining-out on the – apathy card.
They know that, there is not enough of a rebellious capability ‘at present’ to be alarmed about within the fanbase who’s heads have been turned with all the – ‘the huns are died nonsense’ keeping a huge amount of fans eyes off the ball as it were.
The apathy-wagon wil roll-on until the died-huns are back in the same league as the Celtic, doing what they have always done – cheat the knickers aff yeez!
Only then will the – jelly & ice cream era be seen for the smokescreen that it is. Sadly.
Never trust a Sellic ‘bored’ that isny made-up of Sellic supporters. imho
Off oot.
Guy caught coming out of the bog is the best so far in the play off
Aff the post Hibs
TET
Yes, probably hoops and vic wanted to go. I dont think we did all we coild to keep them tho.
Forster and VVD will be the next to leave. Forster has made the england team so will leave purely for cash. VVD will make holland, maybe not this world cup, but will leave for more cash.
As a team playing in the champions league we should spend heavily to keep these players.
As you said we lost 2 players, ledley and sami, who didnt want to go because we wont pay them their worth.
Madness. We can afford it. We have a batch of bad players, we know who they are and we dont need to name them, who take a wage that coild be better spent.
Thindimebhoy
The hard part is starting it and allowing it to gain enough traction to keep it self sustaining. The media would allow us the publicity, but that is another story.
Young Hamilton centre back Tena fairly soaking up the Hibs pressure!
The Exiled Tim,
Agree with your assumption regarding PL and the CL.
For me , Celtic gamble every year on CL qualification. I think they just wing it , cross their fingers and hope for the best.
I don’t understand this mentality. And every year we get the same shite from either PL/ NL before each transfer window that they will be buying as you say to bed them in for the CL qualifiers.
And as per usual nothing happens.
The TV deal and how it weaves through the biggest scandal in Scottish football.
We call it “the Sevco Subsidy.” Just when you think you’ve heard it all ….
http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/another-brick-in-the-wall/
This Sevco-serving TV deal stinks to high heaven and on this occasion I am 100% behind those calling for, at the very least, an explanation from the Celtic board.
This one is certainly not trivial and demands answers.
How about it Peter? Did our club know about this deal and were the club complicit in its conception?
This customer will not be buying 3 new season books while this question hangs unanswered in the air.
C’Mon the Hibees
For purely selfish reasons like………Edinburgh certainly a better day oot than Hamilton for us that attend away games regularly
Kevj…….knickers aff yeez!…..us KEV us!!!!
I just love being a Celtic Supporter, a really dae. :-))
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.