ARCHIE'S INSIGHTS
This past week has been a rigorous one for staff as we've talked and written to many members who are reacting to the changes in the Association's football ticket process. As of midweek, we'd heard from more than 1,500 alumni who've contacted us with opinions, questions, and suggestions regarding the changes.
First, let me say that we welcome the feedback. It is our duty as a member-centered organization to take the concerns and questions of our members into account. We find this type of engagement incredibly valuable, and it absolutely helps shape the way we do our business.
I do want to address a few of the common concerns and issues that members have expressed about the changes.
Many members have expressed disappointment over the fact that the years of seniority they accrued under the previous system would no longer give them priority under the new one. This was perhaps the most difficult decision we considered when making our program changes, but it was one we felt we had to make.
Some members think that their years of priority protected them from any ill effects created by our diminishing ticket allotment. That is not the case. Last year, we had some members with as many as 15 years of consecutive application who were either denied tickets or switched to another game late in July. This year, with our allocation decreasing by 18,000 tickets, we would have expected members with more than 20 years to be adversely affected. There simply are not enough tickets to accommodate everyone, even people who have loyally purchased them throughout the years.
Another concern people have is about the lack of a preassigned game and the fact that they will not know what game they are getting until late June or early July. Although this will give most members more than two months between finding out their game and the game itself, I am sympathetic to those who don't want to be assigned a game they can't attend.
Our challenge is finding a way to address the fact that we do not know for sure how many tickets we get to each game until June. We no longer want to tell people they are getting a game and later have to switch them to another when tickets to their first game run out. At the same time, we recognize that some people want earlier notification to accommodate travel plans and make sure they are available on that day. This is just one element we will address when we do our yearly review of the ticket process in the fall.
Lastly, I am struck by how many people have contacted us with questions about purchasing tickets online. I am very pleased that so many of our alumni are applying on the Web, but we do realize we must do a better job of educating people about the online application process. Almost half of the total contacts we've received from members have been about purchasing tickets through the Internet, and those are important to address as we transition to an all-online registration process next year.
This past week has been educational and informative in allowing us to craft a more complete picture of how our members view the football ticket benefit. Keep that feedback coming at talktous@ohiostatealumni.org.
-Archie
