Customer Service ??????

[Multiple Sports]

Last year at all of my hs school meetings, I kept hearing the term "customer service". However on the small college circuit, I never heard the term once.
Now look I am all for being on time, contacting my partner 48 hrs prior, etc,etc, but on many occasions I got the impression from assigners / board
presidents that we were to cater to coaches.

On the college level I never heard such absurdities. I think the hs groups are
so worried about keeping games that they pander to the coachers and administration by asking who the coaches want in the postseason and other things.

Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on this topic...........

[JRutledge]

I have heard this comment before. I am not sure I agree with it. I think first and foremost we are there for the game, not the coaches and players per say. And whether we like it or not our jobs are often in conflict with what coaches want to do anyway. I do agree that many times assignors and associations I have heard use this are a little worried what the coaches think or how their relationship with the coaches affect their jobs.

Peace

[Tio]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I have heard this comment before. I am not sure I agree with it. I think first and foremost we are there for the game, not the coaches and players per say. And whether we like it or not our jobs are often in conflict with what coaches want to do anyway. I do agree that many times assignors and associations I have heard use this are a little worried what the coaches think or how their relationship with the coaches affect their jobs.

Peace

We worry too much about this garbage. Get your plays right and be professional and you will move up. Officials who try to buddy up with coaches bury themselves.

[MD Longhorn]

If you heard it at several meetings there may be something else going on... perhaps something political or behind the scenes. Perhaps there's another association trying to take your area's games. Perhaps the AD's met with your officiating leaders and complained - maybe not about during-game officiating, but about pre-game attitudes or somesuch. I think it's likely there's more to this than just the surface.

[Adam]

Sounds to me like a new-fangled term for "be approachable." It's not always true, but if the complaint is widespread enough that your associations are addressing it in meetings, I would guess the coaches are just *****ing that the officials aren't listening to their complaints during the game and the balance of power in your area favors the coaches.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Sounds to me like a new-fangled term for "be approachable."

That's a charitable interpretation. The problem with treating our avocation in terms of "customer service" is that the customer is always right.

Field #7,353 where the "business model" does not apply.