Interesting

[Disco Biscuit]

The problem that I find with many fan clubs is that they're either run by a fan, or a very close friend/family member of the artist for cost cutting measures.

This isn't to say however that a fan club can't be run properly. One experience I've had was the Meat Loaf Fan Club, run lovingly for years by a fan who did an excellent job with little resources. Only now, after 30 years has the fan club been picked up by Meat's management, simply for the fact that the lovely woman passed away.

I am usually a forgiving person when it comes to customer service, having been on the other side of the counter many times and tried to deliver with a smile.

The biggest lesson I've learned is that if the customer service isn't up to your standards, take your custom elsewhere. I sometimes write a customer complaint when I feel strongly about an issue, but in this instance there's been too many words said already than anything further said to or about the fan club will be lost in the barrage.

I want to be constructive, help them better their service, but the Agree Brigade has made it near impossible to have an intelligent discussion anymore.

[mlue]

Originally posted by Kattitude:
[QB]
I think the thing is with Fanclubs is that they seem to think that the service they are offering is some kind of discounted specialness that they have put together for fans and that everyone should be greatful for whatever they get. I dont think they think of themselves as product they are marketing to consumers.

<font size="3" face="Tempus sans ITC, Papyrus,Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That's what I can't quite figure out. I'm not entirely sure what the fanclub thinks just what various people think the fanclub thinks (lol...not that a fanclub thinks).

When I think about the concept of the fanclub and the specialness of it all and we should be grateful for what we get, I can't really think of where that is the message the fanclub has specifically sent. It seems to me that is the message that some of the very happy fans have made but I'm not sure the fanclub really has said that. Since the tendency of the fanclub is really to say nothing, that is really my recollection of things...they really haven't said anything. I'm not sure the fanclub has ever said you should be grateful for what you get.

Now arguably the message may be coming based on other things...things like the fact that discussions of this nature get deleted, perceptions of a "fan heirarchy" for lack of a better term...nonverbal type things. Even the fact they say nothing can be perceived by the consumer (and I think it has been by many but clearly not all) that they really are not concerned with what fans think. To me it goes to the whole theory of communication...only 10% of communication is what you actually say. The rest comes from other things. Different fans interpret the silence, the deleted threads etc. all differently. The problem is.....the interpretation of all those indirect things may be right but it may also be wrong.

So that is why I'm not quite sure whether the fanclub thinks we should just be grateful for the opportunity to pay $30 for whatever they want to provide or whether they actually recognize that perhaps they haven't quite provided all that they advertised but are taking the ostrich in the sand approach because they don't really have a great option to fix the problem. The reason I question is the moves they make...things like changing the number of dzines, the fact they created a public board. I can't quite think of other examples at the moment but they do make changes that to me often seem to be in response to some of the criticisms they get so I'm not sure it is an attitude of be grateful for what you get. Perhaps it is a recognition of you can't please everybody all the time but I'm just not sure it is be grateful for what you get.

But....it may be.

[mlue]

Originally posted by Disco Biscuit:


I want to be constructive, help them better their service, but the Agree Brigade has made it near impossible to have an intelligent discussion anymore.

<font size="3" face="Tempus sans ITC, Papyrus,Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I have to agree. I think that is why many of those discussions came up. I don't think when people initially brought up those concerns they really were trying to be negative. I think they were really trying to be constructive but I think the "agree brigade" or the whole postivity only approach effectively effectively caused the negativity. Intriguing phenomena actually....lol...if anything all these forums do teach a lot about human nature and communication.

<font color="#000000" size="1">[ June 29, 2005 09:49 PM: Message edited by: mlue ]</font>

[mlue]

Originally posted by LainyB:

One major thing I've noticed living in Aussie land is that there idea of customer service is very far removed from ours in North America.

<font size="3" face="Tempus sans ITC, Papyrus,Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That is really interesting. I wouldn't have expected that customer service in Oz would be that different than NA. But then again...it probably even varies in different places in NA.

[Disco Biscuit]

Originally posted by mlue:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Tempus sans ITC, Papyrus,Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="3" face="Tempus sans ITC, Papyrus,Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by LainyB:

One major thing I've noticed living in Aussie land is that there idea of customer service is very far removed from ours in North America.

<font size="3" face="Tempus sans ITC, Papyrus,Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That is really interesting. I wouldn't have expected that customer service in Oz would be that different than NA. But then again...it probably even varies in different places in NA.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="3" face="Tempus sans ITC, Papyrus,Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think it's a difference in cultures. I've noticed it a LOT at the Disney forums I hang out at.

When it comes to the "Happiest Place on Earth" there's a culture of local fans who are very vociferous about EVERYTHING to do with the park. Lines, customer service, food, other people in the park, crowds etc etc.

I wouldn't call it complaining as such, more an insatiable need for everything to be perfect.

Myself, on the other hand, saw nothing of these problems when I was in the Park 2 years ago. I was a little starry eyed sure, but I sure wasn't a person who would go up to a Cast Member and rant about how long the line is, or the fact someone ran over my foot with a pram.

I think that's the kiwi way - we're a bit more laid back. Hey, maybe it means we don't get where we should (ie: customer service), but it also means were a bit more polight.

Funnily enough, the Fan Club customer service problems IS something I've been more vocal about - but now the old kiwi lethargy has kicked in because it's getting me nowhere and I'm thinking "Fine, taking my money elsewhere".

[Juliet10]

I am not even sure they are equipped with the skills to deal with the complaints in a rational manner as per any other customer service business.
**********

Considering how they speak to people that dare to 'complain' they certainly haven't got the required people skills.

Thanks Terry for posting the other ones [img]smile.gif[/img]

Michelle

xx

<font color="#000000" size="1">[ June 29, 2005 01:01 PM: Message edited by: Juliet10 ]</font>

[Kattitude]

You may be correct Mlue.. the FC themselves may not of actually spoken the words.. god forbid they say anything at all. But since they have a choice which is communicate with the consumer or potential consumer or not, they choose the option of not. Then we can interpret this silence how it seems to us. To me it seems they are not willing to communicate. They dont want to deal with anything that isnt telling them how great they are and how great things are. This has been proven through poeple attempting to gain answers and been giving either no reply at all or an extremely rude/curt reply.

They also seem through their lack of communication to endorse the fan hierachy. They must support the fans who "agree" with everything as they never take action against them in any manner.

So I definately think their non verbal communication is speaking volumes to me.


Kat

[Dyan]

Originally posted by Kattitude:
They also seem through their lack of communication to endorse the fan hierachy. They must support the fans who "agree" with everything as they never take action against them in any manner.

<font size="3" face="Tempus sans ITC, Papyrus,Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well............. here's the thing. It just always seemed to me that their actions in who they choose to work with, who got freebies, who got special time ....... well, it was always the ones who most loudly enforced the 'be grateful for what you get' and 'you must always be positive'. I always felt that sent a very clear message about what they thought and wanted.

Btw, that is an excellent point about the difference in customer service expectations. I've often wondered why it was that the powers that be (who were almost exclusively aussie) would get so offended over things that seemed perfectly normal to me.

<font color="#000000" size="1">[ July 01, 2005 12:08 AM: Message edited by: Dyan ]</font>

[Lainbrain]

Originally posted by mlue:That is really interesting. I wouldn't have expected that customer service in Oz would be that different than NA. But then again...it probably even varies in different places in NA.

<font size="3" face="Tempus sans ITC, Papyrus,Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yes it's very noticable to a North American. I come from Canada and I know the States even have a better record for service than we do.

I might not of noticed if I was visiting but we lived there and were fully engulfed in all aspects of the Australian culture. btw I really throughly loved living there.

[sunhawk]

I think you're entirely right about the fanclub and its silence, mlue. It's entirely possible that most of the attitudes associated with the fanclub are just individual perceptions. It's just a shame they either don't want to or can't handle their PR better, because whether or not each fan's perceptions are accurate, they are often strongly felt and can't be denied.