DCI Direct

[Lance]

I'm not sure why it's hard to figure out....

Obviously.

Anyway, I hope that DCI actually attends to what the survey says from the company they shelled out the bucks to hire.

I'm by no means a DCI corporate apologist. They've done plenty of things to get me pretty upset, too.

[garfield]

I'm not sure why it's hard to figure out. Maybe I expect good customer service? In this day of cheaper/faster/one size fits all I am insane for having that expectation. Shelling out over 500 dollars over 2 days for an experience that fails to deliver surely shouldn't be met with some sort of expectation.

I'm on the board of directors at a large financial institution. Each complaint is answered with a thank you, an investigation, a followup, and a commitment to do better. It is personal and from the CEO. Even someone who only has 5 dollars on deposit will get a response and an attempt to make the situation right.

Lack of this service is the same reason that GM, The USPS, many major Airlines, etc. have failed. I guess DCI doesn't REALLY market that it is a great fan experience, so I suppose maybe they do deliver what they commit and it just isn't what I want? Understand if you want, disagree if you want, it doesn't matter. The customer is always right and will take his/her business elsewhere if they are not satisfied. We each get to make that choice.

There is a lot of validity in this. I've been a platinum Friend for over a decade (and a Friend since '84) but last year I got busy and forgot to send in my seating request (I always buy 4 packages in addition to the 6 comped by the level). My first thought when I discovered in January that I'd forgotten was "Why the h--- didn't someone from DCI call me?" I paid for my oversight by sitting on the 37 yard line in the LOS can.

While I certainly don't shift any blame for my oversight to DCI, didn't SOMEBODY notice that I'd not sent them my contribution? I realize that DCI is not a multinational mega-corp with endless customer service dollars, but the smaller they are wouldn't my contribution mean even more to them? Wouldn't everybody's?

That all said, I've had this conversation with a DCI muckity-muck (who happens to lurk here as well) and I know this type of issue is actively being addressed. It's a good thing; after all, my local symphony would treat me like a king for what I give to DCI.

Letting the contributors (and complainers) know they are appreciated is basis of all good customer service.

Here's hoping Bob's article is a first step at that, and that DCI has the ability to improve.

[glory]

Wow, you're right. Do you feel better now? Is that what you wanted? To prove that many of us misinterpreted DCI's intentions? Way to go!

No it doesn't. Not at all. I remain mystified by and disappointed in the attitude that equates an honest effort on the part of a not-for-profit organization with the sort of contempt voiced in this thread.

HH

[glory]

There is a lot of validity in this. I've been a platinum Friend for over a decade (and a Friend since '84) but last year I got busy and forgot to send in my seating request (I always buy 4 packages in addition to the 6 comped by the level). My first thought when I discovered in January that I'd forgotten was "Why the h--- didn't someone from DCI call me?" I paid for my oversight by sitting on the 37 yard line in the LOS can.

Seriously? Isn't it just possible DCI was busy with all the other people who weren't forgetting, the people who booked the good seats between the 40s? I too am a Friend. And I too have forgotten more than once. I've always found DCI to be responsive and obliging to help me pick good seats given that you and others already had selected the best seats in the house.

HH

[cowtown]

Thanks Bob, I appreciate your efforts and do like having some sort of direct contact with DCI as my other means didn’t pan out the way I had hoped.

Now as to the format of this thread

Why are there people on here trying to speak on behalf of DCI? We have DCI here, you folks that are challenging our posts are really mudding up the debate between those of us that do have questions and concerns with this specific issue. If you thought the stadium was great, good. Maybe you can leave one comment saying such and get out of here.

I thought the point of this was to get good, direct information from DCI and not just a lot of guesses, speculation and conjecture from others with no real official capacity to speak on behalf of DCI

So I’ll refrain from responding to you folks directly but I’d ask that you stop mudding up the waters and challenging my posts, it’s really not your business – perhaps open a parallel thread to comment on this thread but really, I don’t know why you’re on here and it strikes me as going against the spirit of what was intend.

Of course, that’s just my opinion

[Lance]

This is a discussion forum first and foremost. Expect people to discuss what you have to say in it.

A DCI official choosing to act in his official capacity contributed an article to DCP. This thread is for discussing that, and it's nice to see Bob come in from time to time to comment on the discussion. It's the start of a great thing.

If somebody violates guidelines, please report the post. But don't attempt to dictate what people can respond to in a thread, please.

[Wadep66]

Being a not-for-profit is not an excuse for poor customer service, poor communication, and deceptive ticketing practices. The financial institution I mentioned is a not-for-profit credit union that has to compete with banks and other for-profits just like DCI competes with for-profit for our entertainment dollar. Management is management, regardless of where the money is going.

Everyone on here has the right to be either pleased or disappointed with what they get for their money. And you can be disappointed with those who expect different from you if you want. Perhaps you have no expectations. If my goal was simply to donate to DCI, I would do just that and not expect anything in return. Other pieces of the drum corps activity get just that from me with no expectations in return.

I am apparently far from the only person who feels as I do and again, in the end I will take my money where I feel like it is being used well for education as well as my entertainment.

[cowtown]

This is a discussion forum first and foremost. Expect people to discuss what you have to say in it.

A DCI official choosing to act in his official capacity contributed an article to DCP. This thread is for discussing that, and it's nice to see Bob come in from time to time to comment on the discussion. It's the start of a great thing.

If somebody violates guidelines, please report the post. But don't attempt to dictate what people can respond to in a thread, please.

I respect that and am all for the debate, as you well should know but somehow, this doesn’t feel like a debate

but if you don’t mind this thread getting bogged down with posters going back and forth based mostly on speculation and filled with misinformation, I’m cool with that too

maybe you could give Bob (or the DCI rep) a different font or ‘look’ in the thread, you know, make it easy to know what the official word is

[cowtown]

As I suspected. The response from DCI doesn't promise to invite any one individual to participate in the survey. This notion that lots of people were promised they specifically would be surveyed is bunk.

HH

no, its not bunk and you know why?

because THEY, DCI, told me I'd get one

they didn't have to say that so someone blew it, there was a breakdown

Either their reps made promises they couldn’t keep or what’s looking more likely, the reps bosses’ gave the reps the wrong answer to give to the customers which means the foul up is much higher up the management food chain and thus more galling and serve

But to say that it was bunk for me to expect something I was told would be delivered

well, maybe you should think about that

[garfield]

Seriously? Isn't it just possible DCI was busy with all the other people who weren't forgetting, the people who booked the good seats between the 40s? I too am a Friend. And I too have forgotten more than once. I've always found DCI to be responsive and obliging to help me pick good seats given that you and others already had selected the best seats in the house.

HH

And I received the same from DCI when I finally called them. But you missed my point.

Friends seating is based on the highest level you qualify for and how many years you've been at that level, so the data is there to identify DCI's longest contributors as well as how much they give. Considering my purchase was for 10 seats in one phone call the leverage would be worth someone translating that data to maybe indicate an oversight by an, otherwise, long-term contributor (goodwill), and at the very least a chance to find out WHY the contribution didn't come in, if the contributor was unsatisfied (damage control). Contacting an otherwise long-term supporter would yield tons of useful data.

Your connotation is that DCI's role is simply to sit back and process the dollars as they roll in. Some of us believe that any organization, non-profit or otherwise, that depends on customers needs to be more proactive. Is the fan base going to thrive and grow on its own?

That's the point of this thread, and I guess we know which side of the argument you fall.