Why the Panthers deserve to win Superbowl 50 thanks to the Bank of American Stadium Jailer
Guest Services is a one of my absolute favourite aspects of the sports and entertainment industry. I never underestimate the importance of the guest experience, as it is one of the most crucial aspects of many business areas such as Crowd Management, Operations, Ticketing and Finance etc. It is the one topic that in this industry links into everything we do.
I feel lucky that in my job I have been able to visit over 100 venues in the last 6 years around the world. This ranges from Convention Centers to Arenas, Arts Spaces and Stadia of all sizes.
Recently I was in North Carolina at a NASCAR Conference and had the opportunity to tour the Bank of America stadium. I thought this would be a good time to pickup a Panthers T-Shirt as my surrogate Superbowl team. (I am a Dallas Cowboys fan at heart!)
I love hiding away in public tours as it can give you a true sense of how important the guest experience to the facility and/or team. Our 10am tour group consisted of around 20 people, mainly families and couples, who were from all over the world. I was not the only European on the tour as there were also two businessmen visiting whilst in Charlotte.
The moment we had the introduction from our tour guide in the main concourse I knew that this was going to be a great tour. She was bubbly and energetic and clearly passionate about the Panthers and the Stadium. Firstly she pointed our that she was responsible for the stadium holding cells on game days and shared a few interesting stories. She then asked to see who had traveled the furthest and especially welcomed those people.
Conversation then moved on to asking if anyone supported the Panthers, to which we had the majority of people. Following up, she asked if there were any other team supporters and I was one of the two people that raised our hands for the Cowboys. She then made a beeline for us and said, very emphatically, "I am so sorry" which really broke the ice within the whole group.
On most tours I have been on, you get unique insights into facts about the team or facility, such as standing where the Beatles stood before their last live performance together at Candlestick Park. But very rarely are these told in a living story type way. By that I mean that you feel like you were there when it happened from the language and way the story was told to you. This is exactly what happened on our tour.
The tour lasted over 2 hours but everyone commented on how it felt like 15 minutes. Throughout the experience, everyone had ear to ear smiles on their faces and every single guest was disappointed when the tour ended as it was so enjoyable.
The key reason this experience was so good was the passion by our tour guide for her team and leadership. She commented numerous times about the warmness shown to the entire operations team by the owner of the Panthers, Jerry Richardson and how well the staff are looked after by their leadership teams. That sort of passion for your organisation is impossible to be bought, it has to be grown by the cultures within over a period of time.
I have no doubt that, from my guest experience on the tour, the guest experience for the majority of patrons at Bank of America Stadium is outstanding and possibly the best in the NFL at present. I do not say that lightly as I have had exceptional guest experiences in the NFL, more so than any other sports, but this time I think it is thoroughly deserved thanks to the Bank of American Stadium jailer!
If you have people like this in your organisation, nurture them and try not to let them go. The benefit to doing this is immense. For example I spent more than I planned in the team store due to this experience and will make a point of returning for a 2016 regular season game. I would not have done this without an exceptional guest experience.