As members of Circle2Success, the Fresh Nous team regularly attend networking events which give us valuable insights into how businesses care for their customers.
One such gathering at Forest Green Rovers FC gave us some real food for thought.
In short, the EFL League Two club, which is owned by green energy entrepreneur Dale Vince, has gained a reputation – and extensive media coverage (BBC ) for being the world’s first vegan football club.
The award-winning fare includes Mexican fajitas, veggie burgers and homemade soup of the day. Locally sourced vegan beers and wine are also available.
FGR’s website explains their ethos in detail, with reference to the environmental and animal welfare impacts of livestock farming and the desire to give fans healthier, tastier food on matchdays.
There’s also the performance aspect as vegan food is increasingly becoming the diet of choice for elite athletes including Lewis Hamilton and Lionel Messi.
So far, so positive though it seems that some people aren’t overly keen on FGR’s meat-free mantra – and those folks are supporters of visiting clubs who don’t leave The Lawn with at least a point.
In short, they’re miserable because their team has lost and perceive that the entire experience – including (or that should be especially) what they’ve eaten before kick-off or at half time – has been an unmitigated disaster.
Of course, what happens in 90 minutes on the pitch is beyond the club’s control but it certainly made us think about how sports fans’ expectations can be managed when there are other influences at play.
Are the complaints about the food genuine or are fans trying it on because they’re grumpy about watching a losing side then having to make a long journey home?
Fresh Nous believes that FGR is doing a Premier League job in serving hearty, wholesome food that fits perfectly with its values – and justifiable concerns – regarding the environment and sustainability.
For us, it’s a home win-win!
Keeping your customers talking to you and the channels of conversation open is the key to success. Many studies have shown that profit and revenue growth is impacted by customer experience. Forrester’s report “Customer Experience Drives Revenue Growth” showed that customer experience champions achieved average revenue growth of 17% over five years over 14% higher then those who didn’t.
Our team has many years’ experience of converting customers across a wide range of sectors into loyal supporters.
For more details about how we can create winning customer experience journeys for your business or organisation please give us call on 01905 780 810.
