My view, is that whether it's a football club or let's say a shop or a restaurant/food outlet or whatever.
If perhaps half of your customers, or even a quarter, believe that there are SIGNIFICANT problems, then there ARE problems and they need to be addressed.
Woolworths for instance, were generally known as a shop, that stocked all sorts of items, but NOT MAINLY, what their customers wanted. The public wouldn't have a bad word to say about dear old Woolworths, except, they don't often shop there, as it didn't stock what the customer wants/needs.
Woolworths no longer exist, the customers stopped going there.
If Charlton will not listen and will not enter into dialogue with their fans, they will not be successful. I don't wish to rehash all the particular issues that we all agree/disagree with. I just want to emphasize, what I have said.
Sorry to start another thread, but I thought it was important to emphasize, to both the club and the fans, that can't see any problems and believe nothing needs addressing.
7
Comments
Ut oh.....
It might be an irrational belief based on rumour and misinformation (and I'm not saying that is the case) but it is still a problem.
Look at the MMR scare. Totally bad science, research based on only 10 cases which has been trashed by every medical person for years.
But some people believed it and so vaccination rates for children are significantly down and so more children (not just the unvaccinated) are a risk.
Why are they less interested/annoyed with it? Most probably because as they grow up they won't be going up with a team of players, or a few teams, plus a set manager (until there is genuinely a better option in that department). They'll be growing up with a merry go round of players, as we have seen already, and managers too. It's hard to form affection for this in any form, especially when you know the owners motives revolve around money and breaking even, of which is a very formidable task. I'm guessing it will need player sales, fair enough but not if you sell every asset every season, you need to have some form of drive as a Football Club and cut costs elsewhere if needs be to keep hold of a player and TRY to gun for promotion, even if for one season.
These young fans are essentially the future generations of CAFC supporting, what are we doing to keep them? And trust me in that they don't come to The Valley for Air Con and nice bright seats. This is also not to mention the whole WHUFC @ the Olympic Stadium with their pricing structure and the base they are reaching out to, who are a Premier League team and will be for some time I'm sure. At least in the past we had something unique to bring them to The Valley over elsewhere, that 'something unique' has gone, even the most positive of fans can sense in some form or another.
As you say, "If Charlton will not listen and will not enter into dialogue with their fans, they will not be successful.", they indeed won't be but are not registering this.
I'd ask, who does the problem lie with?
"The meaning of your communication is the response you get"
So that gives us a problem when it comes to solving the problem - people who are more or less happy with the network aren't going to join in protests designed to get Roland out for good. People who want Roland gone aren't likely to compromise if KM did suddenly start talking to the trust more. Those who think everything is fine aren't going to act at all, except possibly to argue with the other camps. So people start debating every decision and arguing over minutiae and all the while... nothing changes. And that won't help anyone.
The customer may be wrong and may then accept he is wrong, after an explanation.
However, if he is told, the manager is not willing to talk to him, then the customer is left with a complaint and even more angry.
This is where we are at unfortunately and it might be quite easily resolved.
if your bank made a howler ...you change banks ,if you bought an off piece of meat at sainsburys youd think twice about going there,in both cases youd have some legal recourse .if you buy a season ticket at a football club and they serve up horrible football for the season thats part of the misfortune of having an emotional tie and the rollercoaster of being a supporter .Being a supporter is an emotional tie ,in most cases a life long bond (,outstretching births deaths marriages etc) I am sure we have all chanted "i am charlton til i die" at some time maybe not recently however .where the comparison works is that a business/club is at its best when its customers/fans are engaged .
We are clearly not engaged/communicated with properly at the moment.I have nt looked but is there a mission statement on the website ? probably not .We will always have a hard core of fans who will attend but those ties made over generations could slowly dissipate but ownership of a football club like custom is temporary our support is a tie/bond
I used to work for a bank and customers used to complain (even when they were in the wrong) they then used to threaten and actually close all their accounts, taking the £86 they have saved up with them. Does that really affect a multinational organisation? Did the bank care? Did the board of said bank come and meet them and persuade them not too?
Truth is, them funds are insignificant to such a company with the turnover and profit it has. Same situation applies to us.
People are threatening to take their money out of our club, thing is the OWNER does not see it as a lot of money and can do without it, so it seems he is willing to close the door behind you as you leave.
Be careful what you threaten as it seems the owner will call your bluff.
If we all walk away, so be it. In time he will have a successful sports team with great facilities that he can market to a new audience.
We could well be the new Fulham! Full of tourists, after work night outers and corporates in suites.
RD does not need us as fans, or our funds short-mid term. We need charlton, that's why he can hold us to ransom.
In you earlier reply you said re the complainant "that all depends on how valuable the customer is to said company. "
Now I know what you mean, but if you're not addressing your customers, then you may never know, how important that customer may be to you. That customer, who looks like they haven't got £100 to their name and only have £86 in their account with you, actually has £1M stashed in various other banks and portfolios. You never spoke to him though, so you never knew.
We don't all need this club, more than RD needs us. Once again, that's the whole point. Our ACTUAL attendances have plummeted for the last 2 games, proving you are incorrect.
If we all walk away, he will not have a successful sports team, that he can market to a new audience.
He can't even market it to his existing customers.
dan your comments emphasise precisely why I started this thread. No offence meant and good to chat.
If nearly half of our S/T holders, who can attend without having to pay at the turnstyle on the night, don't bother to turn up, we clearly do have a problem, whether you think there is one or not.
But has the falling attendances really affected him. His net worth will not have differed, he doesn't need to have cava instead of champagne that evening.
Why will he not have a successful sports team if we all walk away?
He hasn't got to appease us and persuade us to stay, all he has to do is sell X amount of tickets.
No offence taken but just because my opinion differs to yours does not make mine wrong. For the record, I haven't fully made my mind up about the ownership structure. I don't think they are as bad as a few make out, but I also don't see we have too much choice.
We can not force a man to sell.
And what's to say that the next guy is any better.
The reality of the situation, even as rosy as you perceive it, is not the issue being discussed here, it's the PERCEPTION. Whether those of us who see it as a problem are right or wrong is of no relevance whatsoever, the fact that a significant number of people do see it as a problem is what needs to be addressed.