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In my daily dealings with certain businesses, both big and small, I am routinely appalled at the lack of customer service that I receive. Customer service can mean so many things, from helping with an unruly fan to simply smiling and complimenting someone on their attire. There are so many things that can go into making the customer happy. Any little nuance or subtle tone can be the difference between a customer coming back and them never contributing to your cause ever again. While this is a forum for sport business and I will focus predominately on applications in that sense, these simple rules can be applied to any industry.

So without further a due, here are my five simple rules for excellent customer service… 

1.       Act like you want to be there.  I said they were simple didn’t I? This can be as easy as smiling and being engaging or as complex (for lack of a better term) as showing positive body language after a long day. While this is predominately a face to face contact idea, it can also be used over the phone or even email. Having a good tone and positive outlook on the phone can make for a better conversation and a happier customer in the long run. I can remember a time in going to an Arena Football Game and going to buy a ticket for the game where the seller kept her arms crossed until she had to use her hands. In addition, her tone was unfriendly and unhelpful. It affected me so much so that I walked away and allowed my father to handle it himself. I am, as a customer, a prime example that one bad experience can ruin a customer. 

2.       Do not become aggravated back. In the business of sports there will always be passion, and from that passion comes anger when something does not go right. I cannot tell you how many times in my career as a customer service representative I answer the phone to an irate customer. The absolute worst thing I can do is be angry back, and while many times it seems like the right thing to do, it accomplishes nothing. In turn, to avoid worsening the situations revert to a human punching bag, taking blow after blow. Turning these punches around are the next tips that I will address. 

3.       Try to understand their point of view. I said understand, not agree. Most of the time, the customer has a legit issue and while it may not be in line with your policy (I will get there) it has some teeth to it. Being a service representative, you are the first person with the opportunity to make them happy. Even going so far as saying the words, “I see where you are coming from”, or something like that will help. While understanding their point of view may not make them completely happy, it is on the way to a positive outcome. 

4.       Know the policy inside and out. To me this is the most important aspect of customer service. When dealing with a customer who may not be the happiest, the last thing they want to hear is “Well, that’s just our policy.” Frankly, the fact that it is you policy holds little water, but if you explain the policy and why it is that way, then the situation has an opportunity to be resolved. In fact, many policies are in place in order to keep the customer safe or are at least in their best interests. When you give the customer logic with intent to help them, there is absolutely no competence they can give. 

5.       Don’t always go for the upsell. In my years dealing with customers and being a customer, nothing gets under my skin more than someone upselling with no regard or pushing with the sole intent of commission. In my eyes, it is all about the comfort of the customer. Let’s take season tickets for example. If you are attempting to upsell a customer by increasing a contribution by $1,000 dollars and pushing them to do so, they may in fact do it; but at what cost? An investment of $1,000 dollars here could keep them from investing in single game tickets, or even a baseball or basketball game. A happy free customer will keep spending, but if you restrict them now you have an even better opportunity of nothing.

I have come to the conclusion that customer service as a discipline is slowly dying. But if we as professionals can use these 5 simple tips maybe we can breathe some life into a tired old way of doing things.

The Re-branding of Los Marlins

Empty seats. Sub-par performance. Fiscal losses. These are all characteristics of oh so many franchises in professional sports, struggling to find a competitive advantage in leagues gravitating toward monopolistic tendencies. The former Florida Marlins suffered from all of these problems as of late. Even though they have had relative success in the last decade and a half including two World Series Championships, their recent mediocrity delved the franchise into a rut that has recently been blown up by a re-brand to end all re-brands. This current shot of energy for the new “Miami Marlins” has revived a city of baseball fans into a frenzy of great proportion. Every business needs a market, and this re-brand is very market oriented. “Los Marlins” are using what they have around them to attempt to propel the franchise into a competitive successful team.

There is no denying the cultural make up of Miami, Florida. The list could go on and on with the melting pot of people that gravitate toward the town.  It is a city that is predominately abundant with Cuban, Latin, Hispanic and Dominican flavors. This cultural tendency is what the Marlins franchise is attempting to market, and in a very noticeable way. From the logo to the location of the stadium this is a complete re-brand with the cultural of the city leading the charge. 

The logo of a team is the most outward representation of the brand. For instance, everyone knows the the Yankees’, Cowboys’ and Lakers’ logos look like. They are iconic, never changing and marks that will always be synonymous with their overall team brand. The Marlins are taking a step in the right direction by creating a logo and uniform set that embodies the city of Miami. The bright colors and overall look bring to mind the bright lights of South Beach and the colorful Latin heritage that is so prominent in the city. The logo has a “Miami Vice” feel and the uniforms mirror that as well. The lettering is modern with a small deco feel, again playing to the heritage of the city.

The outward markings are not the only cultural flavor being injected into the team. The recent personnel moves have made a splash not only in baseball but also in the ethnic community. With the hiring of Ozzie Guillen as the manager of the club once it moved to Miami was a huge step in telling the population of Miami their dedication to honor the culture of their namesake. Guillen, born in Venezuela, has been one of baseball’s outspoken and successful managers. For the Marlins to get him to start their new era off right was a huge step not only baseball wise but community wise as well. 

Later in the offseseason, the Marlins made a big splash at the annual winter meetings. After unsuccessfully trying to attain the most coveted free agent in recent memory (who happened to be Dominican) they set their sights successfully on Dominican shortstop Jose Reyes. This acquisition further enhances the Marlins goals of creating a ethnically diverse team to identify themselves. To acquire a player and an icon like Reyes truly was just another notch in the re-branding belt. 

So, what does all this mean for a franchise struggling to find its place? First of all there will be tremendous interest in the team. Their new ballpark, conveniently located in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, will be packed. A cheap ticket coupled with a ethnic location and ethnic interest in the team can only mean a new base of passionate Cuban, Dominican, and Latin fans that will embrace the new culture of the team. To see a re-brand like this take place, with such a clear goal is quite interesting. The new Miami Marlins set out to create a new identity for themselves and they succeeded greatly. Incorporating the city or Miami and its culture into the city’s baseball club is no easy task, but the Marlins did it, and did it very well.