Do Your Customers Matter this Much?
Employee engagement is a hot topic these days and for good reason, because employees are epidemically under engaged. Beyond unengaged comes disengaged and finally disgruntled. Perhaps the Chicago FAA air traffic control challenge could have been avoided with higher levels of engagement from managers and leaders – time will tell us what happened there.
Customer engagement is also a hot topic and this past weekend I had the opportunity to experience why. It feels really good when you see it happening.
I am a loyal fan of the Green Bay Packers, as well as, one of those people that purchased a $200 piece of team ownership that I can’t do anything with but stare at the paper on the wall. It was a beautiful week end in Chicago and I was fortunate enough to find tickets to the Bears and Packers game held at Soldier Field in my home town of Chicago. There is a rivalry between the Bears and Packers that is legendary and tickets are hard to come by. I was looking for 7 seats together and found myself in Soldier Field seats that where so high up that I felt dizzy from the thin oxygen. Take a look:
Our tickets were in the very last row of the upper deck. I work out regularly, but walking those stadium stairs made you plan your trips to the restroom very carefully.
There is a point to me telling you where I was sitting. Early in the 3rd Quarter Mark Murphy, the President and CEO of the Green Bay Packers Organization, walked up to our section to spend a good portion of the quarter talking and hanging with fans. He was in a shirt and tie and walked up to us by himself. I was able to capture a picture of him in action and you will see fans smiling in amazement, snapping pictures, applauding him and taking time from the game to chat with him. This was a special moment and we felt part of something bigger than just a team, we felt part of a family.
Taking time to engage with customers matters and is a testament to leadership. Under Murphy’s guidance, the Packers organization continues to rank as one of the NFL’s premier franchises, with highly successful operations both on and off the field. On the field, the team has compiled a 66-38-1 overall record (.633), made five straight playoff trips, including three consecutive division titles, and earned a victory in Super Bowl XLV. Off the field, the club continues to perform well in its business efforts, which allows the organization to support football operations. The fan experience at Lambeau Field, a top priority for the organization, continues to be ranked among the best in sports.
Kudos to you Mark Murphy for coming out of the luxury box to show your customers that they matter and you care.
