Home Match Day Thread Giveaways for kids yesterday?

Ox4Eva said:
Fair play to the club for making an effort although I thought they would actually be OUFC scarves instead of just plain yellow ones.
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There were definitely OUFC scarves in the East Stand. New logo and all.
 
Manorlounger said:
However, the North stand did look very good from our viewpoint. Lot of people and a lot of yellow. Shame on those adults who deprived the kids of a scarf. (everybody likes a freebie so only human nature to take if offered)

Would be good if the club can afford to do something similar again. Watching the Derby County game yesterday they had obviously distributed small flags to everyone, the teams arrival onto the pitch saw a mass off waving - very effective on the Sky cameras.
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Was at the Derby game with friends. Flags did look good shame about the weather though. Pride Park is a lovely stadium, but at least 30% of the crowd got soaked me included. Boy Derby were that bad it was like watching us during our bad times in the conference
 
Hello All, I am the mother who originally spoke to Sarge (the author of this thread) about our experience on Good Friday in the family stand (full of adults wearing the free scarves as well as their kids) I have sent a detailed email to the MD copied to a few other people concerned and have so far yet to receive any actual apology or admission but then the MD himself has not replied yet. I will keep the forum informed. Also, I am happy to be involved in any fund-raising or similar initiatives.
 
happimamma said:
Hello All, I am the mother who originally spoke to Sarge (the author of this thread) about our experience on Good Friday in the family stand (full of adults wearing the free scarves as well as their kids) I have sent a detailed email to the MD copied to a few other people concerned and have so far yet to receive any actual apology or admission but then the MD himself has not replied yet. I will keep the forum informed. Also, I am happy to be involved in any fund-raising or similar initiatives.
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Welcome aboard @happimamma ..... how are you finding the Email way of raising issues with the powers that be at OUFC?

Personally, despite emails being invited, I've found that raising issues via email with OUFC, when eventually replied to, they do seem to be treated like they're brushed under the carpet, and barely even considered? - Which is why I find raising issues at fans forums at least brings any issues into the public domain

Hope you fare better than I've so far (over the years) experienced in communicating with those who are in a position to actually do something by email at OUFC.... new owner, who knows, emailing issues MAY results in a positive outcome.
Be interesting to see if the new regime actually do walk it like they talk it.... or if it, emailing issues to OUFC, get treated in the same old way
 
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Hi Sarge Hmmmm I am most disappointed in their response to me which i will publish here as promised -

My initial email to Niall and copied to Chris Williams and yourself -

"
Dear Mr. McWilliams,

I am writing to express my disappointment over the management and execution of the advertised free scarves with the new club crest for kids initiative.

My eleven year old has been to one previous Oxford United match (in December against Wigan) where i bought an Oxford United football shirt for her. She had been thinking of going to watch them again and upon looking on the website said to me "Mum, Oxford United want children to go and welcome the new manager and theyre giving children a free scarf to wave and I'd like to go and do that" so i had a look and explained to her that i would take her and a friend and we would go early but there would only be so many scarves and so they may or may not get one which she accepted, no problem.

However, when we arrived before 12.00 noon so over an hour before kick off, not only were there none left but more adults than kids were wearing them. I was astounded.

We were in Stand 22 and i said politely to the families who were there "Excuse me, but did you realise that the free scarves are intended for children, not adults?" When i drew a blank and a lot of shrugged shoulders i said "There are children sitting in these stands who do not have a scarf to wave to welcome the new manager for his first home game - these scarves are intended for the children so would some of you adults be prepared to relinquish your scarf to give to a child please?" By this time a number of scarf-less children were watching and not one adult responded.

I sat down in shock and a lady behind me said to me "What you fail to realise is that we adults were handed the free scarves - We did not ask for them" so i replied very politely "Oh, thank you for making me aware of that - that is good to know but now you have the information that they were intended for children and now you can see around you children who were not given one, would you like to give one of the children the scarf you have round your neck?" and she said "Of, course - your daughter can have mine - I don't need it" Unfortunatley, no other adult followed suit.

I went inside and asked to speak to the stand manager who responded positively and agreed with me that indeed the scarves (and some flags) were intended for children. He promised to investigate and come and see me. He came to see me at half-time but merely said "Sorry, all the scarves are gone - It was our youth volunteers who handed out the scarves"

I mentioned this to my friend Mark Sargeant (copied) a loyal supporter and share-holder for many years, who mentioned the matter on the unofficial yellows forum.

Interestingly, on the forum it became clear why there were hardly any of the free flags - someone was spotted filling a big bag up with them! a forum moderator Malc immediately got in touch with Chris Williams (copied) who said he would get in touch with my friend Mark about the matter but to date has not been in touch with him to my knowledge.

I find it extremely difficult to comprehend how whoever handed the scarves out to all and sundry instead of the intended recipients could have done so without someone stepping in to remind them what their role was.

I am appalled at the attitude of the adults (as i am sure you are) and I can't understand how it was allowed to happen but most of all i feel upset on behalf of the children who were there who had been promised that a few hundred of them would receive a scarf or flag to wave and for my daughter and her friend who are right at the start of what could be a life-time of being stalwart Oxford United fans. I just have the memory of my little girl reading what the website said and answering the call by saying "Yes, I'll go and welcome the new manager and wave a scarf for his first home game", excitedly arriving very early and not only there being no scarves or flags (at 11.50am!) but seeing adults with them.

I would very much like you to take on board what has happened and do everything to ensure the same doesn't occur again. I would also feel happy if either my daughter and her friend receive an apology and / or the website make an apology and assure children that they are very much appreciated as fans - because obviously that is not the message they received on Good Friday.

Further, If you have any similar initiatives, I would be more than happy to manage the giveaways for no payment whatsoever as I would guarantee that the operation would be managed efficiently, with good heart and with a strong message of gratitude to fans.

Thank you for reading,

Kendra Kirkham"

*********************

Chris Williams reply to me, Niall and Sarge copying in Kath Faulkner Supporter Liaison Officer -

!
Hi Kendra (are you the Kendra who used to work here? Hi if it's you!)

I've copied in Kath Faulkner who is our Supporter Liaison Officer and will be better able to provide a reply but just wanted to say sorry if it caused any young fans any disappointment.

Just to clear up one thing, Malcolm messaged my personal twitter on Saturday and I promised to pass it on, which I did when Kath and I travelled to Shrewsbury on Monday, but I did say at the time to always contact the club via official channels as I don't use my own twitter for work purposes. Apologies for any confusion/delay as a result of that but I work for a lot of clubs, not just OUFC, and try and keep my personal space well away from those clubs.

Mark phoned earlier and spoke with Kath and I think she outlined what happened and talked it through with him and I am sure she will provide a better reply on this.



Chris Williams
Communications Manager"
***********************************

My reply to Chris et al -

"Hi Chris,

Thank-you for the prompt response. I never worked for OXFC and am aghast that there is another Kendra! :))

I take on board what you say - Thank you for the explanation.

Definitely good to keep personal twitter a/c separate from work!

Regards,

Kendra"

***********************************

BRUSHING UNDER THE CARPET / FOBBING OFF BEGINS!

Kath's reply to me copied to Niall, Chris and Sarge -


"Hi Kendra,

Thank you for your email and I understand your frustrations.
As Chris says I spoke to Mark earlier and I am sorry for any disappointments caused for your daughter. Unfortunately with such a small number of giveaways and a large Good Friday crowd we were not able to guarantee one for everyone.

I've spoken to some of the community coaches who were over in that area as well as involved in giving the scarves and flags away and they have said that they were being given out specifically to children or those with children in the stand, but I can see that seeing adults wearing them in the stands would be disappointing if you'd been told there were none left for your child. We will make sure that with any giveaways we do at future games the staff responsible for them are fully briefed.

We gave away over 2000 flags and 300 scarves across all three stands on Friday and whilst we stressed in the build up to the game that fans should take one per person and that the scarves were for children we are somewhat at the mercy of those who wish to "game" the system.

Thank you again for your feedback, we will certainly be taking in on board for any future giveaways that we do.

Kind regards,
Kath


--
Kath Faulkner
Supporter Liaison Officer and Social Media
Oxford United Football Club, Grenoble Road, Oxford, OX4 4XP"

*********************************************
My reply to Kath, copied to Sarge, Chris and Niall -

"
Hi Kath,

Thanks for your response.

There was not a big crowd when we arrived.

There were a good number of entire families wearing the scarves - for example immediately behind us were three adults and three children together all wearing the scarves in fact in the entire family stand when we arrived every single person was wearing a scarf - I wish i had taken a photo. There were not 300 people in the family stands at that point so we can only hope that the remainder of the scarves were given to children! Any families that came in after us had no scarves.

Several of the adults in the stand confirmed to me that they had all been handed the scarves individualyl - No-one said that anyone handing out the scarves had said they were for children only - and I suppose i believe them since they were wearing the scarves also.

It would be good to think that all OXFC volunteers had kept to the remit of scarves to children only and that a few bad eggs took advantage but it is patently obvious that they did not - at least not for stand 22

When we went in there were really not many people in the ground. There were no away fans at all and not many in the main stands. It was 11.50am

The 300 scarves and 2000 flags were really not given out as promised - I only precid what i saw - I saw more than one person (member of public) carrying whole piles of flags.

As I said, a written or stated apology (web-site) is the least that would satisfy me and some admission that OUFC did not execute the job properly and in the interest of younger fans.

Sorry to sound so blunt but that is what it amounts to - I am so bitterly disappointed

Kendra"

************************************

MISSING THE POINT

Kath's response to me copied to Sarge, Chris and Niall -

"Dear Kendra,

We are very sorry that you have gone away feeling disappointed.
Our goal was simply to give away merchandise to fans to bring some colour to the stadium for Karl’s first game in charge.

Kind regards,
Kath"


My response to Kath et al

"Dear Kath,

I will await a response from Niall to whom after all this email is addressed.

Kendra"

HERE FOLLOWS A LONG WAIT FOR RESPONSE FROM NIALL

PART TWO TO FOLLOW SHORTLY

Kendra
 
There can’t be a part two surely [emoji16]. You do say u want an apology and I may be missing it but I’ve read several times where club staff have said “we are very sorry”

As I said to sarge, the club have tried to do a nice thing, but as with the free ticket give away a couple of seasons ago, there will always be those who take advantage of a “freebie”.
 
Nothing seems to have changed then from the previous regime.
Bit of a cop out from Chris’s Williams, but then he does work for other clubs.
 
Hi Dave, They gave an apology to me but that is not what i asked for = I wanted them to take it on board, hold their hands up and apologise to the kids whom they asked to go to the game to support the new managers first home game where scarves would be distributed to 300 of them

"I would very much like you to take on board what has happened and do everything to ensure the same doesn't occur again. I would also feel happy if either my daughter and her friend receive an apology and / or the website make an apology and assure children that they are very much appreciated as fans - because obviously that is not the message they received on Good Friday."

Dave T said:
There can’t be a part two surely [emoji16]. You do say u want an apology and I may be missing it but I’ve read several times where club staff have said “we are very sorry”

As I said to sarge, the club have tried to do a nice thing, but as with the free ticket give away a couple of seasons ago, there will always be those who take advantage of a “freebie”.
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PART TWO

CLOSING RANKS

First reply from Niall (after being prompted) and where he took Sarge and Chris out of the email respondents ie only copied to Kath

"Dear Kendra,

I hope this e mail finds you well.

Thank you very much for your communication in regard to the scarves and flags issue you encountered in our recent match against Scunthorpe.

On behalf of Oxford United Football Club, please accept our apologies. We are sorry that you left the match feeling disappointed. Our aim was to simply generate a better atmosphere to enhance our supporters match day experience.

We will undoubtedly learn from your observations when we consider this type of initiative again.

We hope that you will continue to attend Oxford United matches, your support is greatly appreciated.

Yours sincerely,

Niall."

********************************

My reply to Niall (and Kath)

Dear Niall,

Thank you for your response.

You seem to echo what Kath said re: OUFC's original intention and an apology for me "being disappointed"

All i wanted / want is an ADMISSION and/or APOLOGY TO THE CHILDREN that all didn't go as intended. Perhaps also confirmation that OUFC appreciates young fans.

My impressionable child and her friend were two of a number of children who turned up on response to OUFC'S WEBSITE CALL FOR THEM TO GO ALONG TO WELCOME THE NEW MANAGER - WITH POSSIBLE FREE SCARF MADE ESPECIALLY FOR THEM

Now seems to be the time to hold your hands up and say sorry????? WE messed up but we do appreciate you.

More than one OUFC member has suggested i go to the press with this - Let me state here that I will not. I am not interested in damaging OUFC's reputation in the least.

Would you please consider an official apology or at least an email apology to my daughter and her friend?

Last time of asking,

Regards, Kendra

***********************************

Final reply from Niall = copied to Kath and Chris added back on

Dear Kendra,

Thank you for your most recent e mail.

As stated in earlier e mails, please accept our apologies in relation to your disappointment surrounding the recent match.

It would also be greatly appreciated if you could pass on our apologies to both your daughter and her friend.

Yours sincerely,

Niall.

THAT'S IT FOLKS!
 
So in the end you basically had to spoon feed them - mouthful by mouthful - what you wanted. Kind of defeats the purpose. Unfortunate reading.

Unrelated but I emailed the club (2 different people) regarding the women’s team and didn’t receive a reply. The question was an easy one to answer, or so I thought. Emails are far too easy to ignore.
 
Methinks those on the current admin side of OUFC would and could benefit from a bit of instruction and coaching in Customer relations/customer services, AND in responding to emails, ...which have all but replaced snail mail,. In the old days of letters sent by post, ethically an acknowledgment of receipt was the first response, followed by a response to the subject of letter several working days later. In today's world of electronic mail (email) those kind of responses are few and far between sadly.

At the more corporate level, current admin at OUFC appears reasonably capable, especially in attracting short-term 'sponsorship' and the like.

However, inviting emails from 'ordinary' supporters, and not grasping ( intentionally or unintentionally), what the issue really is, really does need addressing I think. Especially when it concerns a young and impressionable potential new long term supporter (of OUFC) at only their second OUFC match ever. After reading the 'call to arms' on the official website @happimamma 's daughter was inspired to badger her mum to take her and a friend to the Good Friday game, in response to the clubs request to welcome Karl Robinson, at his first home game in charge, with a sea of yellow. 300 free scarves, intended for youngsters (in family stand) along with 2000 flags (in all areas of the breeze block) were being given away as freebies by the club to help to achieve this. A great gesture by the club, very well intentioned....on a par with the sentiments of distributing free match tickets to schools (aimed at youngsters) a few seasons ago. Another well-intentioned initiative by OUFC. Sadly, OUFC admin depts learned nothing from the free tickets for school kids a few seasons ago, when instead of the intended schoolkids, Adults hoovered up the freebies, which was wrong. Good Friday, the 300 free scarves, intended for kids, were apparently tasked to unsupervised youth team members. Who it appears, instead of ensuring that the limited amount of free scarves went to intended recipients, gave them to all and sundry, hence more Adults ended up with scarves than the intended recipient, youngsters in the family stand. A bit of clear instruction or even better supervision may have ensured scarves intended for youngsters ended up with youngsters, instead of mainly Adults!!!

As we all can see from @happimamma 's email exchanges above, emailing anyone at OUFC, currently doesn't really have any effect whatsoever.
@Craig has emailed the club re OUFC women's football, and has not yet received a reply!

Maybe OUFC administration should all be sent on a hospitality, customer service course of some sort?

Currently, youngsters have a plethora of leisure activities open to them as options ( especially when compared to when I was a youngun way back in the mists of time), even if they get an interest in following football, it's so much easier to align themselves to a premiership or even top European club with the amount of media (all formats) fawning over percieved Premiership and European clubs. When a youngster, swept along by the hype put out by the club on its official website, chooses to answer the clubs request to welcome the new manager with a sea of yellow, then , due to the clubs mismanagement of what the official website implied, instead of addressing the issue and (publically- which may shame some of the Adult recipients of the mis-distributed scarves) actually saying so on the OUFC website, the powers that be appear to close ranks. Seemingly without even considering that new potential young supporters, if treated 'right' by the club when they're at their most impressionable, could become long tern avid OUFC supporters of the future. Who knows, after said youngsters themselves reach adulthood, they may become successful in their working lives, eventually 'tapped up' as potential corporate sponsors of the future. Treat em 'wrong' as kids, and that's a long-term OUFC supporter lost, and possibly a potential corporate sponsor lost too. All due to lack of customer service skills.


Of course initiatives by the club to attract new young supporters ( free school tickets, free scarves in the family stand), are well-intentioned, welcome and appreciated. IF they are implemented as intended. When they are abused by Adults, who should know better, I think it would be helpful if OUFC officially acknowledged that their well-intentioned gesture(s) didn't quite go as intended, and that they'd endeavor to get it right, should there be a next time.

If there was a hiccup involving potential corporate sponsors, in any small way, hordes of suited, laminate sporting OUFC lackeys would be fawning, simpering and bending over backwards to ensure the situation is rectified, immediately, if not sooner. As corporate types must be nurtured.


Question is why do 'ordinary' supporters get different treatment in comparison to corporate 'supporters' , there's no difference between a small but significant injection of cash for a year or so and a valued young supporter becoming a lifelong season ticket holder, which is a small but steady stream of income for the club over many decades.


I feel a crash course in hospitality, customer services for ALL OUFC admin staff would be beneficial.....and may even result in electronic mail correspondence being processed, as they should be, like old-fashioned handwritten letters. Given the tone of the clubs representatives on the above (in this thread) email interchanges, any admission that OUFC havent got it right does appear to be, for now, an alien concept!!!
 
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To be fair, she did get responses from 3 different staff members, all of which apologised, one asked for those apologies to be passed onto her daughter. It’s hard to address her personally as I don’t think a name was included. They have also promised to look at how they handle any future giveaways. Now I’m a big advocate of offers, attracting young fans, and good communication between club and fans. But Im honestly not seeing this one. The club made a nice gesture, she did get a scarf (eventually). Emails were answered and apologies were given, not so long ago, none of that would have happened at this club. The only thing I would probably have done as the club, is offer to send another scarf by way of apologies, or a free kids ticket to the next game
 
Craig, I'm waiting for the subject of how clubs treat their supporters to come up on Talk Sport then i will surely phone in!


Craig said:
So in the end you basically had to spoon feed them - mouthful by mouthful - what you wanted. Kind of defeats the purpose. Unfortunate reading.

Unrelated but I emailed the club (2 different people) regarding the women’s team and didn’t receive a reply. The question was an easy one to answer, or so I thought. Emails are far too easy to ignore.
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Hi Dave, My name is Kendra.

My feeling is that they were deliberately not understanding when I repeatedly asked for an apology to the children (officially to all young fans on the website preferably but at least an email to my daughter)

They never admitted anything and they never apologised for anything they had done wrong or mis-managed.

Picture this -

Scene One -
A new keen fan reading the website and saying "Oxford United want children to go on Friday and support the manager in his first home game - I want to go and help them Mum. I might get a scarf but I'll wear my Oxford United top anyway. They really need children to go"

Scene Two - 11.50am (over an hour before kick-off) in the family stand having been told all the scarves were gone same child sees adults wearing scarves and looks at me in puzzlement.

Shame on Oxford United and Niall who failed to get the point, failed to try to get the point, failed to care but exceeded in taking the P**s with his throwaway repeat of an apology for me being upset and by the way do apologise to your daughter and her friend won't you?

Absolutely not good enough for me!

Dave T said:
To be fair, she did get responses from 3 different staff members, all of which apologised, one asked for those apologies to be passed onto her daughter. It’s hard to address her personally as I don’t think a name was included. They have also promised to look at how they handle any future giveaways. Now I’m a big advocate of offers, attracting young fans, and good communication between club and fans. But Im honestly not seeing this one. The club made a nice gesture, she did get a scarf (eventually). Emails were answered and apologies were given, not so long ago, none of that would have happened at this club. The only thing I would probably have done as the club, is offer to send another scarf by way of apologies, or a free kids ticket to the next game
Click to expand...
 
I understand ur upset, maybe I’m just reading the emails differently, but it really doesn’t come across like that at all to me. I would be far more annoyed at adults that have taken advantage of an initiative intended for children, and fair play for calling a few out on that. Also not really down to the youth team players handing them out, being just kids themselves. I think they have acknowledged a mistake by saying they will look at how they do these things in future. I think they have apologised several times . And knowing macca, and him chris and Kathy all being fans as well as employees, I don’t think any would fail to care or take the P**s
 
Dave T said:
To be fair, she did get responses from 3 different staff members, all of which apologised, one asked for those apologies to be passed onto her daughter. It’s hard to address her personally as I don’t think a name was included. They have also promised to look at how they handle any future giveaways. Now I’m a big advocate of offers, attracting young fans, and good communication between club and fans. But Im honestly not seeing this one. The club made a nice gesture, she did get a scarf (eventually). Emails were answered and apologies were given, not so long ago, none of that would have happened at this club. The only thing I would probably have done as the club, is offer to send another scarf by way of apologies, or a free kids ticket to the next game
Click to expand...



If theres a job in customer services at OUFC up for grabs @Dave T , youve got my vote for the position:cool:
your assessment is 3/4 of the way to how it shouldve been handled IMO ( only an admission, via OUFC website, thanking those that answered the call, and that it, scarves intended for kids, didnt go quite as intended, missing from your overview. Which wouldve made it a 100% correct 'handling' of the situation ) :unsure:
 
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