Text Messaging with Fans is Easier with Fan Identity
During a game, fans may request a variety of information and services from Operations teams.
It varies from venue to venue, but anyone from Fan Experience to Security may be fielding messages from fans.
And those messages could be anything from a request for information about the event, a report of an incident, an ADA request, or something you’ve never even heard of before.
But does your team know with whom they are talking?
Probably not.
If your team knew whom they were talking to, would they respond differently?
Maybe. Let’s explore.
Taking out the Garbage
A good example of where identity would help with fan interactions was shared with us a few weeks ago.
Surprisingly, (or not) it had to do with garbage.
One Fan Experience team was receiving many reports that included a picture of trash cans overflowing.
Not until they used ticketing data to look up the identity of the reporters, did they discover that the bulk of messages came from staff using the fan-focused text line to report issues.
It turned out that one team was trained (incorrectly) to report these issues to the wrong keyword.
Lots of time was lost responding to staff as if they were fans.
An apology regarding the cleanliness of the stadium takes time to write.
This is a time that inundated Fan Experience teams don’t always have.
If they had known that these messages came from staff, they could have passed the issue to dispatch and moved on to customers with needs they could meet.
First time in the stadium vs. I’ve been coming here for 20 years
Not all fan experiences are equal. Most people can recall the first time they went to see their favorite team play.
Or most of us remember that exact game or concert where they saw our favorite athlete or performer.
But how many Fan Experience or other Operations teams are aware of their fans’ perspectives when reacting with them in real-time during the game?
Most Operations teams treat all fans the same way.
But customized experiences are usually better experiences.
For example, imagine you know a fan requesting directions to the nearest fan store.
If this is a first-time venue attendee, a 20-year season ticket member, or a VIP suite owner and sponsor, would your response be the same?
Perhaps a first-time attendee would be made aware of the promotion for additional tickets while being told where the store is.
Maybe the season ticket holder will be notified of a new store opening planning to come next year while being directed to a store that is currently undergoing renovations.
Maybe the sponsor would be sent some swag directly to their suite.
Identity can play a large role in customizing fan experiences when known in real-time, and staff is trained to make the best of the situation.
Speeding up Response Times, Introducing Prioritization, to Improve Fan Experiences
Identity can also help in managing the entire queue of requests and messages that come into an Operations team during an event.
Looking at identity and using it to assess priority can help make sure more urgent requests are met first.
The challenge comes in understanding the identity of fans contacting the Operations teams.
Fans with experience with the venue may need less explanation. Whereas a first-time attendee to the venue may need a more in-depth explanation of an issue.
Also, a fan who is experienced with the venue may have a more severe issue considering their familiarity with venue rules.
Teams familiar with these circumstances can prioritize their responses in a message queue.
Lower priority items can be left unread to allow other representatives to pick them up as they focus on more urgent issues from identified individuals.
Over To You
Utilizing a text messaging system can help teams on event day communicate with fans more efficiently and expeditiously.
Combining this system with a ticking provider integration for fan identity can help with identifying fans related to incidents.
We have noticed that our integration with Ticketmaster has allowed us to create a new “Contact Caller ID” feature in the Conversations (Text Messaging) module.
This is a fan identity look-up that runs automatically when a new message is received.
Early adopters who used this feature during the 2021-22 NFL season found many use cases for this feature that go way beyond the examples shared in this blog.
It’s worth noting that this feature can be integrated into other ticketing systems, CRMs, or any database where you store fan identity.
To keep up with the latest technology and safety measures, we recommend that Security teams visit our website on https://www.247software.com/.
On our 24/7 Software + Ticketmaster testimonial page, you'll find information on utilizing operations software and identity.
Or, if you have specific questions about using Fan Identity with Conversations, please feel free to reach out to our VP of Product, Analytics & Integrations, Matthew Dobrosevic at mdobrosevic@247software.com.
