Free Credits

I'd like to add that while their communication on the forums is dismal, their customer service is really quite good.

Communications is part of customer service, and SOM's communications and customer relations on both the forum and in e-mails is dismal. From some of the e-mails I've received from them, substantially later than when I sent my own, it seems as though they have their techies writing them and not someone skilled in HR/customer relations.

Another problem with their customer relations is they do nothing to reward long-term customers in any way. I've been playing this since the night they advertised it in The Sporting News. However, neither I nor any other such long-term customer has ever received a reward or even a "thank you" for our loyal continued patronage. My wife and I have a favorite fancy restaurant to which we have gone every month for ten years. Every year, for one night, they throw in an excellent bottle of wine with our dinner as thanks. Even the private school to which we have sent our kids held a "raffle" give away for parents whose kids went their for 10+ years, and we got a weekend vacation to New Orleans

SOM clearly feels--and they're mostly right--that we'll just keep coming and no customer relations/rewards are needed. However, if you can't even recognize and thank your customers of 10+ years, somethings wrong.

I pretty much agree with the above. They do have that once a month lottery, I have never won, maybe you guys have? And their sales are nice but infrequent. So when they do have a problem that inconveniences the customers it might be nice to offer a free credit, or maybe offer their two teams for $15.00 introductory deal (which is a great deal) to the veteran customers for a couple of days.

TSN use to hook us up pretty nice. I remember getting one free credit per team when incidents arose there. And when they rolled out the 1986 season, they let us get a bunch of free teams.

How hard is it to add another past season, something from the 1970s or 1980s? 1986 and 1999 are a ball to play and I know a lot of the older guys loved 1969. Is it really that hard to calculate salaries and throw a new season up on-line? Maybe it is, that is why I am asking.

I still love SOM but I think Strether makes a great point, where is the love for the veterans who have spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars? It would cost SOM next to nothing to throw a few freebies around or offer a few more sales. As a matter of fact those kinds of things may help their bottom line.

I know they are a small company with a small staff, so they should let us know, they do not offer 24 hour help and customer service but that does not mean they do not appreciate us.

What I found interesting is that when the glitch happened that wiped out starter fatigue allowing many starter to go back to back series they said nothing could be done. They could not unplay and replay those games. Yet they were quickly able to reset all the leagues after this early playout of games. What that suggests to me is correcting and replaying those games was possible but they just did not want to make the effort. Thankfully in this case they decided it was worth the effort to roll back the teams and replay after corrections.

While not speaking to the wisdom of the practice, I'd like to point out most companies spend more apparent effort and time at acquisition than customer retention.

That may be so, since it is a lot more expensive to acquire customers than keeping new ones. However, that same truth makes the best businesses spend some money on retaining customers, since losing a present customer requires replacing him/her with a more expensive new one. So, logic demands businesses do work to retain customers and, as i noted, the best ones do.

As I said in my last post, SOM is the only business I have ever patronized to not give me any rewards, much less thanks, for my continued patronage. One would think 15 years of patronage would merit such gratitude/acknowledment. It certainly does for most businesses.

While not speaking to the wisdom of the practice, I'd like to point out most companies spend more apparent effort and time at acquisition than customer retention.

This is very true. One need look no further than almost any cable or cell phone provider. Current customers get nothing for staying. New ones get offered multiple new customer discounts. Almost every utility provider where customers have a choice offers cheap introductory prices that escalate after some period of time. Assumption is always made that once on the hook customers will not look elsewhere. And this really becomes true in any circumstance where there is a monopoly or anything resembling a monopoly.

While not speaking to the wisdom of the practice, I'd like to point out most companies spend more apparent effort and time at acquisition than customer retention.

This is very true. One need look no further than almost any cable or cell phone provider. Current customers get nothing for staying. New ones get offered multiple new customer discounts. Almost every utility provider where customers have a choice offers cheap introductory prices that escalate after some period of time. Assumption is always made that once on the hook customers will not look elsewhere. And this really becomes true in any circumstance where there is a monopoly or anything resembling a monopoly.

The problem with Valen's response is he forgets spending more effort (and money) on new customers does not negate the fact most businesses still spend to retain old ones. The best, most successful businesses do so, since losing a present customer requires replacing him/her with a more expensive new one. So, logic demands businesses do work to retain customers, and the best ones do. That's a common precept in the business world, as well as a common one taught in the best business schools.

Unfortunately, nobody taught it to SOM. And if SOM thinks they have a monopoly on on-line fantasy sports play, they are greatly mistaken...as is Valen for comparing their situation to the phone companies. There are many other internet fantasy sports options out there today. And while some SOM diehards will stay no matter what, the less-committed others will add it to their reasons for leaving.

Firstly, I don't claim to have been here 15 years; I have been here 15 years. If you require verification for some reason, I will gladly post a team. Secondly, continued patronage of a business hardly makes someone a die-hard customer. Like many others, I have patronized Target, 7-11, and Starbuck's (less so) for many years as well. That doesn't make me a die-hard customer of those businesses either.

Please tell me if you need clarifications of further words or phrases. I'd be glad to oblige...

I have to say, it's lovely to see Coyote instigating after all his preaching and wailing about behavior on the forum. Some good old-school hypocrisy is actually refreshing...