Paul Barber on "Customers" vs "Fans"

[Lord Bracknell]

The challenge that the word "customer" brings is that it reminds people that they have paid good money for a service or product that may have let them down. This reminder just makes things worse.

When the railways started referring to "customers" rather than "passengers", they immediately found that the punters got very critical. At least the word "passenger" implied some sense of travel. "Customer" usually served only to confirm that folk had paid a lot of money not to get to their destination on time.

 

[Buzzer]

We will all be fans again now. Because customers can ask for refunds, if they are not happy with the product they pay for and the "customer" is always right...Except in this instance it would appear.

I'm not sure that's right. I don't think I've got recourse to ask for a refund if I watch a film I don't like or read a book that I think is pony. I don't have the T&Cs of my ST to hand but I am willing to bet there's nothing in there that guarantees a level of quality. If so then there's 3 teams each year in each division that will be handing out refunds to fans/customers.

If you don't like the product on offer then all you can do is vote with your feet and not go next year. But this itself puzzles me. Why are people so critical of a club that has got us into a Championship play-off place the last two years in a row in probably the best stadium outside the Premiership when for years the same people were happy to pay £20 plus a game to watch atrocious football in League One in the worst stadium in the country?

 

[grubbyhands]

Well written,sums it up for me.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Really don't care......

The bigger issue is what happens/is happening on the pitch, because if things don't improve the supporters/customers will vote with their feet!

 

[Return of the Rev]

I like to think of myself as a stake holder

 

[spanish flair]

I think from the tone of the email, that PB is starting to get a little bit pig sick of being held under such constant scrutiny. Every syllable that he comes out with is pored over and every possible slant is applied to what he says. I trust that he has the best interests of the club as a whole - staff, fans, facilities, the whole lot- and the goldfish like bowl of accountability must be draining. He might not get everything right, and there are always improvements to be made, but if he was to finally decide that he's had enough of the mudslinging and he disappeared, we'd be a weaker club for it. Sometimes I look at posts on here and think "seriously?!?". How needy are we as fans to constantly have our egos stroked by someone who is working hard to ensure that we have a club that can compete long term. Let him get on with his job!!!!

Well he has to understand he is dealing with FANS that have endured a lot by lying suits in charge of OUR club, in past years (prior to DK times) and he has to understand that FANS of OUR great club will always worry when they feel things are not quite right. And they have learnt from the past to question such fears. If he does not like this from FANS, he can do the same as all of us, the right to find employment elsewhere or tackle the issues. At the moment he appears happy to tackle the issues.

 

[Grombleton]

Its never bothered me, I just saw it that its a stick that some of the more bitter fans use as an angle of attack against him/the club. Their insecurities more than anything.

 

[Everest]

We're both, so what's the problem?

 

[dazzer6666]

There has to be a 'customer services dept' or similar - lot of business going through the club now that isn't football related. Would people with queries about Rod Stewart tickets ring 'supporter services' ?

Anyway, I AIN'T BOVVERED

 

[SAC]

What, replying to somebody's email about it, you mean?

If he didn't reply, I'm sure somebody would have complained about it.

I have no idea if he did reply but he did email the OP in order to have it put on NSC. Perhaps the mysterious emailer doesn't read NSC and is waiting by his/her computer waiting for a reply? Perhaps there was no email in the first place but he felt that he needed to invent one to justify his email to the OP.

Buggered if I know.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Can see why anyone is bothered about it but I would say, using strict definitions:

Fan - anyone that follows the club's results
Supporter - anyone that provides a benefit to the club in any way, either through giving them money, cheering the team on, etc.
Customer - anyone who buys anything from the club, be that tickets or merchandise.

Most of us will be all three.

I would change ' fan ' to ' follower '

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

But this itself puzzles me. Why are people so critical of a club that has got us into a Championship play-off place the last two years in a row in probably the best stadium outside the Premiership when for years the same people were happy to pay £20 plus a game to watch atrocious football in League One in the worst stadium in the country?

I can only think it is management of expectations. When we had no expectations we were able to appreciate anything positive, and negative things were water off a ducks back.

To be honest - I have no idea.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

As with most others, I am a fan of the club and a customer at the bar. I could hardly call myself a West Stand Upper concourse bar 'fan'.

Dear Mr Barber,

i believe I have just spotted a marketing opportunity that you might have missed.

How about half-and-half WSU Concourse Bar/ESU Concourse Bar scarves? Or "Harvey's/Away fans' local beer"?

Yours,

A well-wisher.

 

[Norman Baker suck my lozenge]

Yep agree. Amazed he feels bothered to write that response - fair play though.

He's got **** all else to do.

 

[drew]

It's all a load of nonsense that is continually dredged up by over sensitive NSC posters! Especially, those that don't like PB and will use anything that he says to twist the knife. Perhaps life would still be a lot simpler if we had remained a tinpot club at an athletics track with no new ground on the horizon and, ergo, no future.

 

[nwgull]

The fact that our CEO has to spend even a second writing about this sort of thing is one of the reasons why I despair of some of our idiotic fans.

The man must have the patience of a saint sometimes. Whilst we're on the subject, why do people keep telling him/the club to stop using the phrase Premier League Ready? As far as I can see, the phrase was used ONCE in an Argus article, published about this time last year, about running the club. I don't remember ever reading it on any official club comms. or hearing it in any of the supporters' Q and A sessions - although I stand to be corrected. However, some of our more precious fans use that as a stick to beat him with as if it is a personal promise that we'd have achieved promotion by now.

 

[Return of the Rev]

it's all a load of nonsense that is continually dredged up by over sensitive nsc posters! Especially, those that don't like pb and will use anything that he says to twist the knife. Perhaps life would still be a lot simpler if we had remained a tinpot club at an athletics track with no new ground on the horizon and, ergo, no future.

And a fraction of the debt!

 

[spanish flair]

How about he has his own account on here, one that all fans recognise and stop getting mods to post his messages for him,

 

[El Presidente]

How about he has his own account on here, one that all fans recognise and stop getting mods to post his messages for him,

You mean...........behave in the same manner as Steve Parish does at Palace?

PB is far too classy for that.

 

[spanish flair]

You mean...........behave in the same manner as Steve Parish does at Palace?

PB is far too classy for that.

Could he not just take over the ask the club section, he does like to type.

PB maybe classier but I wouldn't mind him getting the same result for us, that Parish has for his club .