We are investing in Charlton. I feel the fans sometimes forget that" KM
Get it right, RD is investing in his new business with the aim of making himself more money. If he ever thinks that making more money is not going to happen, he will be on his bike like a flash. What this Club needs badly right now is somebody who is able to communicate with the supporters and others in a clever way without telling lies, or giving away secrets. With my long sales and marketing career I could teach them so much, at the moment the way in which the Club and it's future are presented is pathetic, wake up the lot of you.
I was one of the ones who emailed her when the appointment was made on the Tuesday. I wasn't rude, just pointed out that I felt very disillusioned by the way the club was going and that I had had a season ticket for over 40 years. 10 days later I have never received the courtesy of a response.
Having probably spent well over £20K on CAFC over my time supporting them I find this disappointing to say the least. To me, it sums up what KM thinks of us fans. She can hardly blame RD or being 'miss-understood' for simply ignoring incoming correspondence.
I was one of the ones who emailed her when the appointment was made on the Tuesday. I wasn't rude, just pointed out that I felt very disillusioned by the way the club was going and that I had had a season ticket for over 40 years. 10 days later I have never received the courtesy of a response.
Having probably spent well over £20K on CAFC over my time supporting them I find this disappointing to say the least. To me, it sums up what KM thinks of us fans. She can hardly blame RD or being 'miss-understood' for simply ignoring incoming correspondence.
I have emailed her on two separate subjects and not even received an acknowledgement, I didn't expect her to reply directly but she could have passed my queries to someone to answer or even sent a go away reply, but to ignore fans when she says she wishes to engage with us is another "misunderstanding"
I was one of the ones who emailed her when the appointment was made on the Tuesday. I wasn't rude, just pointed out that I felt very disillusioned by the way the club was going and that I had had a season ticket for over 40 years. 10 days later I have never received the courtesy of a response.
Having probably spent well over £20K on CAFC over my time supporting them I find this disappointing to say the least. To me, it sums up what KM thinks of us fans. She can hardly blame RD or being 'miss-understood' for simply ignoring incoming correspondence.
I was one of the ones who emailed her when the appointment was made on the Tuesday. I wasn't rude, just pointed out that I felt very disillusioned by the way the club was going and that I had had a season ticket for over 40 years. 10 days later I have never received the courtesy of a response.
Having probably spent well over £20K on CAFC over my time supporting them I find this disappointing to say the least. To me, it sums up what KM thinks of us fans. She can hardly blame RD or being 'miss-understood' for simply ignoring incoming correspondence.
I have emailed her on two separate subjects and not even received an acknowledgement, I didn't expect her to reply directly but she could have passed my queries to someone to answer or even sent a go away reply, but to ignore fans when she says she wishes to engage with us is another "misunderstanding"
Sound like rather poor customer service to me. Wether she feels the comments expressed were valid or not, as you say a reply would have been at least appropriate. Hopefully, the club will respond.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I'd be more concerned about the way the club was being run if she spent all day responding to fanmail.
So she runs a business where it does not respond to it's customers. As I posted, hopefully the club will respond.?. I appreciate she has many duties to perform, one of them is head of communication.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I'd be more concerned about the way the club was being run if she spent all day responding to fanmail.
i think "fanmail" (I'm assuming Lancashire Lad wasn't asking for a signed photo!) is very different from mail from customers seeking solutions to issues they have, don't you? If she's too busy she should have a competent PA or at least pass it to the relevant Dept. to deal with.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I'd be more concerned about the way the club was being run if she spent all day responding to fanmail.
i think "fanmail" (I'm assuming Lancashire Lad wasn't asking for a signed photo!) is very different from mail from customers seeking solutions to issues they have, don't you? If she's too busy she should have a competent PA or at least pass it to the relevant Dept. to deal with.
Apparently she has recently appointed a PA.
Not for one minute I am defending this, but she will not be the first "CEO" or equivalent to tell him or herself "oh there are always some fans who moan", and use that as an excuse to ignore individuals. To some extent fans, generally, have allowed this to happen, because some of them think it is not right to be thought of as "customers." I've seen that opinion on here many times, as if to be treated as a customer is somehow a negative. The opposite is true. Owners tell themselves that fans moan, they might even riot, but they turn up anyway because they love their club. That is probably how RD sees Standard. Customers on the other hand, take their money elsewhere, if they are dissatisfied.
The Supporters' Trust has regularly and consistently tried to take a "businesslike" approach by organising professional-standard surveys; so that the club hears the opinions of a sample of fans (customers), not just an individual, and we can say this really represents a body of opinion. Katrien has up to now though resisted a dialogue with the Trust on the grounds that it is not "sufficiently representative", having a membership of "only" 1,000. That this makes it the third biggest Trust in the Championship, and bigger than the much lauded Swansea Trust, is something she apparently ignores (probably, to be fair, because we have not had the chance to point this out to her in person).
However we are renewing our efforts to establish this dialogue. The next few weeks will show us all whether the Club is willing to engage in meaningful dialogue. A single appearance at an individual CASC meeting is welcome in itself, but is not a dialogue as there is no mechanism for following up on what is asserted or promised at such meetings.
In the meantime every new member we gain weakens her argument that we are "not representative", so please join us. If you feel sufficiently angry to write to the CEO as an individual, even though it seems she will not reply, you could ask her to at least engage in the dialogue with the Trust, who can then report her answers, while relieving her of the responsibility of writing lots of emails herself.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I'd be more concerned about the way the club was being run if she spent all day responding to fanmail.
Callum you are wrong.
I emailed her on two occasions, neither were fanmails nor moans but valid questions. One asking about taking photographs at the Valley and the other about the progress with the Sparrows Lane development, neither could be classed as fan mail. I did not expect her to answer personally but to pass the queries to people who could, or at least send an acknowledgement. Before the Huddersfield game I also emailed a similar question about photographs to their Chief Exec who answered me with the information I needed.
I would also add that on the couple of occasions I emailed Peter Varney I received timely replies
Are you all sure you are using the correct e-mail address?
What is the correct email address? I emailed Ben Kensell after the sacking of Chris Powell last year. I also resent it to another address I found on the website. Got what I classed as a holding response from Kensell, saying it had been passed on to RD, and nothing after that.
It's a poorly run business that doesn't respond to its customers.
Are you all sure you are using the correct e-mail address?
It's a poorly run business that doesn't respond to its customers.
In our case the customers are told they have to accept the way the business is run.
Whilst we don't have the option of taking our business elsewhere, I suspect they'll find out in the summer that plenty of people are willing to take their business away.
If anyone wants the Supporters Trust to take up the email communication issue (which I have heard from a number of people recently) please get in touch and or copy us in on correspondence chair@castrust.org
Are you all sure you are using the correct e-mail address?
What is the correct email address? I emailed Ben Kensell after the sacking of Chris Powell last year. I also resent it to another address I found on the website. Got what I classed as a holding response from Kensell, saying it had been passed on to RD, and nothing after that.
It's a poorly run business that doesn't respond to its customers.
I think they really fail to grasp just how important their customers are. Charlton fans are not ten a penny glory chasers, we are here for a long haul of disappointment peppered with the occasional success. Most normal companies can only dream of that level of loyalty in their customer base.
It can take 30 years to grow a new Charlton fan, and as we are seeing, only 12 months to alienate and disillusion a significant number of them. We should be treated like royalty, there really aren't that many of us!
Perhaps fanmail was the wrong word, I apologise. But considering Katrien's a (I suspect very busy) CEO, I'd be more pleasantly surprised if she was to respond rather than disappointed if she didn't. That said, it's not the kind of thing I've ever done so I have no idea what is or isn't the norm in these situations, it just seemed a bit odd to me.
The PA argument was a good one but then again, we all know Roland is stingy.
Perhaps fanmail was the wrong word, I apologise. But considering Katrien's a (I suspect very busy) CEO, I'd be more pleasantly surprised if she was to respond rather than disappointed if she didn't. That said, it's not the kind of thing I've ever done so I have no idea what is or isn't the norm in these situations, it just seemed a bit odd to me.
The PA argument was a good one but then again, we all know Roland is stingy.
I would have thought that someone else would manage her e-mails to be honest Callum, doubt shes flicking through them for a few hours every morning (what with all those interviews to conduct etc)
I would have thought that someone else would manage her e-mails to be honest Callum, doubt shes flicking through them for a few hours every morning (what with all those interviews to conduct etc)
Well if she didn't have a PA until just recently that would possibly explain it. :-)
Perhaps fanmail was the wrong word, I apologise. But considering Katrien's a (I suspect very busy) CEO, I'd be more pleasantly surprised if she was to respond rather than disappointed if she didn't. That said, it's not the kind of thing I've ever done so I have no idea what is or isn't the norm in these situations, it just seemed a bit odd to me.
The PA argument was a good one but then again, we all know Roland is stingy.
I would have thought that someone else would manage her e-mails to be honest Callum, doubt shes flicking through them for a few hours every morning (what with all those interviews to conduct etc)
Well if she didn't have a PA until just recently that would possibly explain it. :-)
Imagine the job advert.
Must be able to remember what CEO has said to cover up lies. If the Roland phone goes must be able to locate CEO within minutes Must have experience with Bullshitting paying customers
There used to be an email address 'customerservice@cafc.co.uk' or something similar, that once someone was made redundant it wasn't picked up for about 9 months.
When I worked there and discovered this, I set up a divert to myself and used to field responses to relevant areas, logging every query in a spreadsheet. (as well as direct emails / phone calls to CEO's office) and I was bcc'd on every response so i could log whether it was resolved or not.
After I was made redundant and did my handover I have no idea whether it was continued in the same way - although I know general queries were picked up by someone else who is still there as far as I know. No idea on the spreadsheet follow up etc or logging of responses.
If KM gets half the amount of emails that PV/SW used to get - she'll need someway of filtering them out to the relevant person (that doesn't involve working 24 hours).
That said, people should try to contact the relevant person instead of going straight to the CEO of a company - although I think it is perhaps less clear who is responsible for what these days so understand why people do go direct to her. Next time you have a query about your bank account - would you email the CEO of your bank to sort it?
Perhaps fanmail was the wrong word, I apologise. But considering Katrien's a (I suspect very busy) CEO, I'd be more pleasantly surprised if she was to respond rather than disappointed if she didn't. That said, it's not the kind of thing I've ever done so I have no idea what is or isn't the norm in these situations, it just seemed a bit odd to me.
The PA argument was a good one but then again, we all know Roland is stingy.
Callum, I wouldn't necessarily expect a response from Katrien herself, but someone should be replying to supporter correspondence on her behalf. Think about all the companies you deal with - Shops, energy companies, South Eastern Trains, TV/Phone/Broadband companies, etc. Believe me, even the useless ones ensure that they reply to customer correspondence because they understand that it is key to their business that even if they can't keep their customers happy, they need to at least be polite and engage with them if they want to stand any chance of retaining our business. If you write to British Gas to moan about the prices they charge, you will always get a response back - it might not be an interesting or useful response, and it'll probably be the same template letter that they've sent to thousands of other moaners, but the point is that they will always respond.
Football clubs are a bit different, but they're happy to refer to us as "customers" rather than "supporters" when it suits them. If someone takes the time to present their thoughts to the club in writing, the very least they deserve is an acknowledgement, it's disgraceful to just completely ignore people.
Next time you have a query about your bank account - would you email the CEO of your bank to sort it?
I do exactly that! In my experience it's the ONLY way of getting something sorted. (I've just finished having a lengthy dialogue with the CEO's PA at a large Norwich-based insurer to sort out an issue with my car insurance - the call centre staff were useless. Outcome? I got two separate refunds, an extra year's NCD and £100 ex gratia payment. (So my motor insurance has been pretty much free for the last six months.)
Comments
Get it right, RD is investing in his new business with the aim of making himself more money. If he ever thinks that making more money is not going to happen, he will be on his bike like a flash. What this Club needs badly right now is somebody who is able to communicate with the supporters and others in a clever way without telling lies, or giving away secrets. With my long sales and marketing career I could teach them so much, at the moment the way in which the Club and it's future are presented is pathetic, wake up the lot of you.
Having probably spent well over £20K on CAFC over my time supporting them I find this disappointing to say the least. To me, it sums up what KM thinks of us fans. She can hardly blame RD or being 'miss-understood' for simply ignoring incoming correspondence.
Wether she feels the comments expressed were valid or not, as you say a reply would have been at least appropriate.
Hopefully, the club will respond.
As I posted, hopefully the club will respond.?.
I appreciate she has many duties to perform, one of them is head of communication.
Craig Davids disappointing follow up to 7 days...
You missed "stuffed on Saturday"
Not for one minute I am defending this, but she will not be the first "CEO" or equivalent to tell him or herself "oh there are always some fans who moan", and use that as an excuse to ignore individuals. To some extent fans, generally, have allowed this to happen, because some of them think it is not right to be thought of as "customers." I've seen that opinion on here many times, as if to be treated as a customer is somehow a negative. The opposite is true. Owners tell themselves that fans moan, they might even riot, but they turn up anyway because they love their club. That is probably how RD sees Standard. Customers on the other hand, take their money elsewhere, if they are dissatisfied.
The Supporters' Trust has regularly and consistently tried to take a "businesslike" approach by organising professional-standard surveys; so that the club hears the opinions of a sample of fans (customers), not just an individual, and we can say this really represents a body of opinion. Katrien has up to now though resisted a dialogue with the Trust on the grounds that it is not "sufficiently representative", having a membership of "only" 1,000. That this makes it the third biggest Trust in the Championship, and bigger than the much lauded Swansea Trust, is something she apparently ignores (probably, to be fair, because we have not had the chance to point this out to her in person).
However we are renewing our efforts to establish this dialogue. The next few weeks will show us all whether the Club is willing to engage in meaningful dialogue. A single appearance at an individual CASC meeting is welcome in itself, but is not a dialogue as there is no mechanism for following up on what is asserted or promised at such meetings.
In the meantime every new member we gain weakens her argument that we are "not representative", so please join us. If you feel sufficiently angry to write to the CEO as an individual, even though it seems she will not reply, you could ask her to at least engage in the dialogue with the Trust, who can then report her answers, while relieving her of the responsibility of writing lots of emails herself.
I emailed her on two occasions, neither were fanmails nor moans but valid questions. One asking about taking photographs at the Valley and the other about the progress with the Sparrows Lane development, neither could be classed as fan mail. I did not expect her to answer personally but to pass the queries to people who could, or at least send an acknowledgement. Before the Huddersfield game I also emailed a similar question about photographs to their Chief Exec who answered me with the information I needed.
I would also add that on the couple of occasions I emailed Peter Varney I received timely replies
It's a poorly run business that doesn't respond to its customers.
It can take 30 years to grow a new Charlton fan, and as we are seeing, only 12 months to alienate and disillusion a significant number of them. We should be treated like royalty, there really aren't that many of us!
The PA argument was a good one but then again, we all know Roland is stingy.
Must be able to remember what CEO has said to cover up lies.
If the Roland phone goes must be able to locate CEO within minutes
Must have experience with Bullshitting paying customers
When I worked there and discovered this, I set up a divert to myself and used to field responses to relevant areas, logging every query in a spreadsheet. (as well as direct emails / phone calls to CEO's office) and I was bcc'd on every response so i could log whether it was resolved or not.
After I was made redundant and did my handover I have no idea whether it was continued in the same way - although I know general queries were picked up by someone else who is still there as far as I know. No idea on the spreadsheet follow up etc or logging of responses.
If KM gets half the amount of emails that PV/SW used to get - she'll need someway of filtering them out to the relevant person (that doesn't involve working 24 hours).
That said, people should try to contact the relevant person instead of going straight to the CEO of a company - although I think it is perhaps less clear who is responsible for what these days so understand why people do go direct to her. Next time you have a query about your bank account - would you email the CEO of your bank to sort it?
Football clubs are a bit different, but they're happy to refer to us as "customers" rather than "supporters" when it suits them. If someone takes the time to present their thoughts to the club in writing, the very least they deserve is an acknowledgement, it's disgraceful to just completely ignore people.
I do exactly that! In my experience it's the ONLY way of getting something sorted. (I've just finished having a lengthy dialogue with the CEO's PA at a large Norwich-based insurer to sort out an issue with my car insurance - the call centre staff were useless. Outcome? I got two separate refunds, an extra year's NCD and £100 ex gratia payment. (So my motor insurance has been pretty much free for the last six months.)
Organ grinder - always; monkey - never.