Why Football Is More Than A Game
This Saturday is set to be the highlight of the Australian Football League Calendar - the Grand Final at the iconic MCG, with over 100,000 passionate fans eagerly awaiting the showdown. For our friends from around the world, think of it as the Super Bowl or the UEFA Champions League final – it doesn’t get any bigger than this.
Some of my earliest memories are around football. Football is in my blood, with a family tree deeply rooted in VFL/AFL history. From my Great Grandfather to my uncle Barry Richardson, a three-time premiership player for Richmond FC, my life has been intertwined with this beautiful game for as long as I can remember.
I recall attending every grand final, arriving at 5 am with my two sisters as my Dad would want us to get the best seats. Invariably, we would end up falling asleep on each other’s shoulders until the game started (this tradition continued until nightclubbing overshadowed football!) While my Dad and sisters are sadly no longer with us, they remain amongst my most treasured memories.
I've been fortunate to work extensively in the events and AFL industry, combining my love for football with a commitment to enhancing the customer experience. This year marks the seventh year of a remarkable partnership with the MCC (MCG). The dedication to customer service at the ‘G’ is truly awe-inspiring. It's not just a strategic objective but a cultural ethos that permeates every facet of the organisation - from leadership to event day teams, support office staff, and partners. It's a culture of care, not just for customers but for each other as well. It has been the most incredible investment in building a service culture I have ever been part of and is making a difference on many levels, including to both customer and employee engagement.
Before my involvement with the MCC, I had no inkling of the herculean effort required to orchestrate a football game at this scale. Staffing, security, safety, ticketing, food - it's mind-boggling in itself, let alone delivering an unforgettable experience to over 100,000 attendees in a single day. Yet, that's precisely what the MCG excels at. It's a place where people come for a great experience, where memories are created.
The one thing I have learnt over many years, with every sector I have worked with, experiences create memories. In our roles in customer service, we are often instrumental in creating these memories. I have heard many stories from the event day team that have bought me to tears. A team member shared with me recently seeing an elderly gentleman, shaking and sobbing in the stands as his beloved Melbourne Football Club had lost. He took his arm and walked him down four flights of stairs and was given a hug, such was his gratitude for his service.
An experience of helping an overwhelmed young child with a hidden disability in the dedicated sensory room. They returned to the ground two weeks later, ran up to the team member and proudly and said “Do you remember me? I did it by myself, I came back!” Their level of care meant they felt comfortable enough to return.
I was speaking with a team member who welcomed an international visitor from the USA who had watched every game on TV, then finally got to see a Carlton Football Club final. They took photos and showed the customer around the ground. A memory they will cherish forever.
I have my own unforgettable memory, thanks to Peter, an MCC room attendant, who took exceptional care of my family during the last game I ever watched with my father. This photo he took I will treasure forever.
I recently had a conversation with a wonderful client Matt Baker, GM Member & Customer Experience, Venues NSW who shared a profound insight - "It only happens once." In customer service, we are not just in the experience business; we are in the memories business. Whether it is at an event such as the Grand Final, a customer reaching out to their local council, a property manager assisting a tenant, or a customer having an x-ray, every interaction is a chance to create a lasting memory. It's about how we make people feel, the warmth of our welcome, the clarity of our explanations, the time we devote, and the attentiveness with which we listen.
You might be a sports fan, or maybe not, but there is something truly special about our great game. May the best team win this Saturday, and I will be thinking about the entire team working at the ‘G’. There is one thing I know to be true, it is the people who ultimately make the biggest difference to the customer experience.
Wishing you all a Grand Final weekend to remember! (And go the mighty hawks for 2024!)
