Question: How do you take a successful business and tick off millions of fans (customers)?
Answer: Become penny wise, pound foolish and completely ignore massive negative publicity and weeks of negative feedback from loyal fans.
Okay, if you’re a football fan you probably already know where I’m going with my rant here. Yes, I’m referring to the NFL which just last night agreed (Duh!) to bring the ‘real officials’ back to work after the crazy last few weeks, culminating in what I’ve dubbed the ‘Seattle Super Blunder’ game this past Monday night between the Seahawks and the Packers.
Here are three quick takeaways, no pun intended, from what the NFL did that every business and organization should avoid:
#1. Do not settle for less than the best talent. Division II and III is a whole lot different than officiating a pro game and the mistakes and blown calls the last several weeks were easy for everyone to see. You can’t hide mediocrity and continual mistakes especially with a game and league that are closely watched by millions each week.
#2. Listen to your customers (fans). The NFL’s ownership interests showed arrogance –yes, I believe it was that, in regards to the whole officiating fiasco and it showed that the owners were far more willing to tarnish the game, versus listening to their #1 most important constituent – the fans! Yes, the fans who buy the merchandise and subscribe to the lucrative cable and satellite packages which advertisers line up to spend millions on each game day. Hint: By the way that’s where the real money for the NFL is made.
#3. In the age of instant replay, the camera doesn’t lie. I’ve said in my writings and teachings for years that the customer of today has a built in BS Meter and the end of Monday night’s game clearly showed that the league could not hide the truth when such an obvious call was blown and the entire credibility of the game was put under a massive global spotlight.
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