Customer Experience

The NFL season kicks off in two days! 🏈 Football season is especially fun for me because it’s truly the season of superfandom. I love to take note of all of the new strategies and initiatives that teams are implementing to elevate the fan experience. After all, football fans are some of the most passionate — and loyal — superfans out there. So, what’s worth stealing from the NFL’s playbook? In today’s newsletter, let’s look at five highlight-reel worthy examples of how NFL teams have improved their fan experience and the key takeaways you can use to score big with your own customers.  Identify a Pain Point and Build a Solution There are few things more frustrating as a fan than missing the biggest play of the game because you were waiting in line to buy a soda. According to mobile ordering software Tapin2, 66% of US fans are willing to spend more for faster service. Teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers put this feedback into action by implementing digital ordering systems for the concessions at their games.  Instead of standing in a long line for a hotdog and missing part of the action, fans can get food and beverages delivered to their seats. They can also order items for “express pick-up” and quickly grab their snacks on the way back from a bathroom trip, or order merch for at-home delivery after the game.  Not only does this address one of the biggest inconveniences for fans, but it also provides more data to the stadium operations department and increases the number of app downloads for the team. I’m willing to bet it helps boost sales of merch (and soda!), too. YOUR PLAY Convenience is the real MVP of customer experience. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and identify any touchpoints that could be 10% faster or easier. Can clients make appointments with you online, or do they need to call? Do you offer digital paperwork, or are you still making people print and (lol) fax? If customers have to exert more effort to do business with you, they will go elsewhere.  Check out this blog post for more ways you can eliminate inconveniences for your customers.  Personalize the Experience The Los Angeles Rams recently introduced an innovative augmented reality (AR) experience at SoFi Stadium, allowing fans to interact with larger-than-life virtual versions of their favorite players during an NFL game.  Using the RamsHouseAR.com app, fans can create avatars, participate in interactive games like kicking virtual field goals, and watch these actions unfold on either the massive jumbotron or their phones. This experience isn’t limited to just those in the stadium; fans at home can use the app to engage with the AR content and transform their space into a “metaverse-like style of SoFi Stadium.” Such technology enables teams to meet their fans where they are and connect with them in an entirely different way.  Augmented reality reinforces a fan’s identity with their favorite team by offering customized and immersive experiences. Plus, gamification keeps fans engaged (and apathy at bay!)  in an otherwise boring game… and offers the league more advertisement opportunities. I’d call that a win-win! YOUR PLAY Interactive and personalized experiences lead to greater customer involvement and will make them feel more connected to your brand. AR or not, you’ve got to adapt to changing preferences and meet your customers where they are to remain relevant. Whether your play is high-tech or high-touch, personalization is always a high-impact strategy. Don’t Be Afraid to Take Risks to Improve Your Customer Experience After hearing complaints about the sky-high food and beverage prices at sporting events and concerts, Atlanta’s AMB Group introduced “Fan-First Menu Pricing” at the opening of Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017. After cutting the cost of most items in half, the average spending per fan increased by 16 percent, and merchandise sales increased by 88 percent! It’s almost like customers don’t like getting ripped off… crazy! The AMB Group also noticed that 6,000 more attendees arrived at the stadium two hours before kick-off compared to the previous season, which eased wait times for concessions during the game.  Steve Cannon, CEO of the AMB Group, believes that a happier and more accessible fan experience will boost ticket sales and thus sponsorship opportunities. Since launching this pricing model in 2017, Cannon has claimed he’s an “open playbook” and hopes other stadiums will follow suit. In the meantime, the Falcons finished in first place among all NFL teams in an internal league survey for food quality, price-to-value ratio, speed of service, and variety. YOUR PLAY Investing in customer-centric policies will always pay off. Every company gets to choose what it wants for its customers. AMB could’ve easily rolled out the same prices they saw at the Georgia Dome and at every other stadium and arena in the country. Instead, they made the choice to be SUPER, and it’s made all the difference. Reward your Superfans The Tennessee Titans are tapping into their biggest superfans to set the tone at their new stadium. The team recently announced the addition of the Mosh Pit, “an ultimate fan section for diehards who bleed two-tone blue.” The Mosh Pit will surround the new in-bowl stage at one endzone for the closest access to live performances and football action. The specially-priced seats also come with invitations to annual events and a complimentary merchandise item each season.  The best part? You have to apply for the opportunity to purchase the Mosh Pit package. The Titans have asked interested fans to send in a video demonstrating their enthusiasm for the team: “Whether it’s a heartfelt shoutout, a creative cheer, or a fun story about your fandom let your authenticity shine in your 30-second video.” Many of the premium boxes and suites at NFL games are filled with team sponsors, clients, and, let’s be honest, people who can afford tickets but aren’t as passionate about the team. While the Titans could just accept upfront money from anyone

If you’re reading this in the Midwest or southern United States, I bet I can sum up your Memorial Day Weekend in one word: Cicadas. They’re everywhere. Literally trillions of them. This weekend, they invaded pool parties, barbeques, and car races. Here in Franklin, TN they served as a really great barometer for measuring hail!  I’m willing to go out on a limb and say that very few people looked at cicadas this weekend and thought, “What customer experience lessons could I learn from you, humble insect?” But I did (yeah, I know, I’m a geek) and now I’m sharing the lessons with YOU!  Trust me, they’re good. And, while the cicadas will be gone in a few weeks, these perennial lessons will keep winning you customers long after the (deafening) buzz dies down.  Lesson #1: Consistency and Predictability Periodic cicadas have a very predictable lifecycle, emerging every 13 or 17 years. We know they’re coming… like clockwork! In fact, scientists predict it decades or centuries in advance. Ya gotta admit… the consistency is admirable! Your takeaway Customers value knowing what to expect from a brand or partner. There’s nothing more annoying than an unpredictable experience. If a customer loves you once and gets “meh” vibes the second time, you may not get a third chance. Consistency is key! Establish clear standards and maintain consistency (documented SOPs for all employees help!) in service and experience to build trust. Elizabeth Arden once said, “Repetition makes reputation, and reputation makes customers.” Lesson #2: Creating a Memorable Impact When broods of periodic cicadas emerge, they make a significant and memorable impact, thanks in part to their loud mating calls. Male cicadas frequently reach a level of 120db — that’s as loud as a rock concert and, as many of us have witnessed firsthand, loud enough to trigger a decibel warning on smart watches. 🙉 Despite their infrequent appearances, they leave a lasting impression. I bet you even know someone who has ordered this shirt because the impact of this “cicada season” has been so memorable. Your takeaway Focus on creating memorable customer experiences that leave a positive and lasting impression. Even if you’re in an industry like real estate or wedding planning where your customers may not have the opportunity to return to you for years (or ever, hopefully!), you can still create the type of experience that they will remember. Be intentional about architecting impactful moments into your customers’ experiences, so they’ll want to tell their friends and colleagues about it.  Lesson #3: Resilience and Adaptation Did you know there are more than 3,000 species of cicadas? It’s true. They live on every continent except Antarctica. Cicadas have adapted to survive underground for long periods of time and then thrive above ground. It’s a unique approach, even among the insect world. Their lifecycle is a testament to their resilience and adaptability.  Your takeaway Innovate before you have to, and don’t be afraid to try an unorthodox approach to improve your business. Pay attention to the market conditions and the evolving expectations of your customers so you can proactively address challenges and ensure sustained growth. Lesson #4: Building Anticipation  The long wait for cicadas’ emergence builds anticipation and excitement among people. And — let’s be honest — fear, anxiety, and a general sense of ick among others. But even the best products and services aren’t for everyone, and that’s okay!  Your takeaway Creating anticipation for new product launches, updates, and special promotions can significantly boost customer engagement and enthusiasm. By building hype and excitement through teasers, sneak peeks, and countdowns, you keep your audience eagerly looking forward to what’s next. These tactics not only enhance customer interest and participation, but can also foster a sense of community and loyalty around your brand. Lesson #5: Community Engagement Whether we like it or not, the emergence of the cicadas is a community event. It’s a shared experience by everyone in the region reminding us that we’re all in this together. As a social species, we enjoy feeling like we’re a part of something. There’s a certain comfort in feeling that we belong — or, when things are rough, there’s a comfort in knowing that we’re not alone. Your takeaway One of the quickest ways to get people to talk about your business is by making them feel something. Otherwise, it’s just a transaction. One great way to get customers to feel is by creating opportunities for them to engage with friends.  Whether it’s with an IRL community event (shout out to my local Chick-Fil-A for the best Monday Night Family Nights!) or social media interactions, make your business relevant to where your customers’ lives are happening. There’s a good chance you’ll enhance their experience and likely generate some word-of-mouth referrals (read: new customers) while you’re at it. Something I say often is that superfans are created at the intersection of your story and every customer’s story. You’ve got to make your thing relevant to their life. Apathy dies when you can make someone think or laugh or smile or feel some other kind of connection with you.  People sometimes ask me, “How do I do that?” This entire email was crafted as a (very literal) example. I drew a connection between cicadas (something many people are experiencing right now) to customer experience (my favorite topic).  Now, it’s your turn! What’s something your customers are thinking/feeling/experiencing right now? How do you make YOUR THING relevant to that? Need a cheat code? Try asking ChatGPT. It gave me some ideas for this email and will very likely help you, too.