Sports stats



Talons Conducting Fan Survey at Saturday's Game

June 20, 2003 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Tulsa Talons News Release


Tulsa, Oklahoma - Professional sports teams across the country are starting to realize that legendary Green Bay Packers football coach, Vincent Lombardi, wouldn't last long in the front office in today's sports climate.

Famous for his successful teams and tough attitude, Lombardi once said, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." While this quote may motivate those in the team locker room, personnel in the front office have learned that winning is only part of the equation. For a franchise to be financially successful, the team has to draw fans, and many teams are finding out that fans go to games for the experience. Fans want to see their team win, but more importantly, they want to be entertained.

For the Tulsa Talons, making sure their fans have a great time is nothing new. "We've always stressed the importance of making our customers happy. All of our employees whether they're players, coaches, or staff know how important our fans are. Without the fans, we don't exist," says Talons Operator and CEO, Jeff Lund.

After their 2002 season, the Talons decided to survey their season ticket holders. The results of the survey revealed that these fans were happy with every aspect of the Talons game experience from the parking, to the concessions to the in-game entertainment. More importantly, 99% of the respondents indicated that they would recommend others to go to a Talons game.

According to Lund, this was just a first step, "I want 100% of our customers to not only be satisfied, but ecstatic. We are trying to do everything we can to create the best experience for our fans. I got a lot great ideas the other night at a game just talking informally with the fans," says Lund.

With the 2003 season coming to a close and the Talons in first place in the National Conference Central Division, with the second best record in the af2 (9-2), the franchise is still committed to fan satisfaction. For example, this Saturday, June 21, a fan survey will be taken at the Tulsa vs. Bakersfield game. Everyone who takes the survey will be entered into a raffle for a variety of prizes that includes two tickets to the final regular season home game on July 12th and two season tickets for the 2004 campaign. A booth will be set up at the Convention Center and surveys can be taken before, during and after the game.

While many firms in various industries have measured customer satisfaction for years, few sports franchises have stopped to take the time to see if their customers were actually happy until recently. According to Todd Thompson, CEO of Thompson Sports Marketing, sports teams have traditionally concentrated on wins and losses.

"The old adage ‘If you win, you sell tickets' is not necessarily true anymore. Fans go to games to have a good time. Of course, they want their team to win. But, it's not just about winning anymore" says Thompson.

• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League message board...

Arena Football League Stories from June 20, 2003


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Tulsa Talons Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central