Yup, there's about 250+ racers reading your letter and wondering whether or
not they should bother supporting Mid Ohio in the future. With all the
forwarding and other phenomena, or just a ink on Tim's part you might
eventually reach several hundred thousand critical eyes. Long, long haul for
me and I'd have to hear verification from someone I know that you are not
acting like stormtroopers anymore before I'd make it. All I've ever heard,
from local SCCA folks and my Friends Of Triumph buddies is that you do.
My only criticism of your response would be that you've deflected the blame
to the staff level. Mistreatment of customers is a management lapse no
matter who does it. For most racers, the only track staff they will meet may
be security people, and they are mostly in charge of saying no. Management's
attitude is amplified and radicalized in staff. If management thinks
customers are a pain in the butt and a dime a dozen and can always be
replaced, that's how staff acts.
I understand all too well the forces that drive this kind of behavior. You
and most other businesspeople walk a tightrope between liability, profit and
customer service. I empathize, but it's very hard to repair a damaged
relationship. If I were in your shoes, I'd publicize a cell phone contact
number that people could reach if they are being poorly treated.
Best of luck to you.
Bill Babcock
Babcock & Jenkins
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