University of Tennessee Athletics
From the Desk of Mike Hamilton
September, 2003
We'll return to the "core values" in our next issue, but, this month, I wanted to welcome you back to Knoxville and Neyland Stadium for the 2003 season.
It's certain to be an exciting season and I have taken as my goal to make every fan's experience at Neyland Stadium on game day as pleasant as possible.
Here are some things you can look for in 2003. We want to make the Neyland Stadium experience the best it can be.
We are working every day to make sure we have the best athletic program possible, to put a product on the field you can be proud of. We have talked to our staff about being focused on our goals and doing the right things to carry Tennessee athletics forward. I have seen that commitment from the staff.
We have been working diligently since the transition to refine and change the customer service culture. You will see the beginning stages of that this year, starting from the inside out. The staff has to believe in that cause and everybody has to be pulling in the same direction. I'm seeing the staff buy into that.
We had UT alum Lisa Ford, author of an excellent book entitled "Exceptional Customer Service," speak to the entire staff in mid-August. That morning, in two separate sessions, we discussed the opportunities effective customer service can bring us in the months and years ahead. I think everyone is getting the message.
The staff's response and the issues that were raised impressed me. I'm hopeful this will make the Neyland Stadium experience more enjoyable than ever.
We've met with the ushers, gatekeepers and ticket takers to talk about them being a vital part our program. They are the University of Tennessee on game day. We're also doing the same things with the concession and souvenir workers. They are the ones most of the fans connect with on game day.
We've also hired 50 greeters at Neyland Stadium. You may wonder why we're doing that, but it's important for each fan to know how much we appreciate their support. When fans enter Neyland Stadium, we hope that not only gatekeepers and ushers will be welcoming you, but there will also be someone inside the gate to help you in any way possible.
We'll be setting up information kiosks around the stadium. There are a number of fans each game Saturday who are making their first visit to Neyland Stadium. We're hopeful we can help point those folks in the right direction.
Look for an announcement about the 25 millionth fan to come through Neyland Stadium this fall on p. 32. That event should happen around the Vanderbilt game and there will be all kinds of prizes and honors for that lucky fan.
We have a great organization in place, but you can't stand still in our business. We'll always be looking for ways to do things better to serve you better. I've have told our staff to come up with ways to improve our product. It's 2003 and our lifestyles have changed. There are so many opportunities out there that we need to be prepared for the new challenges we face.
This is the finest institution in America and the best athletic program. We'll continue to work to keep it that way. There's a great tradition here and we're working to make the most of it. We can do it together. I want us to be the model program in college athletics. Let's work to make our vision a reality.
We appreciate your continued support and look forward to seeing you whenever you're in town.
Expect to win!
Mike Hamilton
