My buddy: Heat and Suns use internal program to improve relations with season ticket holders

Renewing season tickets is as much about relationships as it is about the product on the field.

At least this is what executives from the Miami Heat might argue after they created an internal rewards programs that directly contributed to a 25 percent higher renewal rate from accounts not in the program.

Last season, the team’s “Buddy Program” partnered about 20 season ticket holder account representatives with senior staff members from the Heat. The time commitment from the staff member was minimal but was intended to stress the importance of season ticket holders and their appreciation for their business both internally and to the customer.

“The staff bonuses was a little more money that our CFO had budgeted but it is a good problem to have because it means we are generating higher renewals.”

Each Heat staff member is required to contact the season ticket holder a handful of times throughout the season. These calls are designed to alert season ticket holders of an upcoming event or just to ask if there is anything they can do to make their ticket experience more beneficial.

At the same time, these fans know they are encouraged to contact their Heat Buddy with a question, comment or favor.

“These calls have ranged from season ticket holders asking for extra tickets, an extra bobblehead or just to ask if the mascot can come to their seats,” said Michael McCullough, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Heat.

This year, the team expanded the program to the entire staff. Senior staff members continue to have about 20 accounts assigned to them and the rest of the staff, even non-sales employees, have about 10 accounts.

Each group is provided cash incentives to have the best renewal rates and to be further encouraged to take this responsibility seriously.

“That says a lot to the season ticket holders and they have clearly responded at renewal time.”

“There is nothing more important than our season ticket holders and it has brought our entire organization together to humanize this, both internally and externally, to the importance of them,” McCullough said. “While at the same time, it has shown to our season ticket holders that there are faces behind their tickets and when you can call someone you know and get something done. That says a lot to the season ticket holders and they have clearly responded at renewal time.”

McCullough said it was imperative to start the program slowly and with senior management before opening it up to the entire organization and season ticket holder base.

“We needed to work out the logistics of it and show to the staff that senior-level staff is completely buying into the program,” McCullough said.
Following a scheduled slow rollout with senior-level support, he said the most important aspect is to keep it fun.

Which is exactly what the Phoenix Suns are doing as they have duplicated a similar program called the Sixth Man Program within their organization.

Much like the Heat’s Buddy Program, the Suns assigned staff members an equal number of the team’s 3,200 season ticket accounts to maintain a relationship with them throughout the season.

Each staff member was randomly placed in a team that received their bonuses based on the renewal rates of their team. The Suns took this team concept literally and created some non-sales competitions among the teams. Included among these friendly games were three-point shootouts, bowling parties and ice skating parties.
“It is a great way for people to meet others within different departments and share stories of their season ticket holders,” said Jim Brewer, Vice President of Fan Development for the Suns.

Brewer said that some sales teams walked away with individual commissions as much as $1,400 per person based on the renewal rates generated by their accounts.

“The staff bonuses was a little more money that our CFO had budgeted but it is a good problem to have because it means we are generating higher renewals,” Brewer said. “We had people e-mail at renewal time saying if it was not for this program that they might not have renewed. That is a very powerful statement for the staff to see and for us to build on in the years to come.”

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This story was originally published on December 1, 2003.

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