Woeful customer service from AVFC

[bilsim]

Hopefully it's not too presumptuous of me to start a new thread for this as there's been a few others that have touched on similar topics.

I've spent the last couple of weeks trying to contact the club to get a birthday message for my nephew added to the half-time announcements for the Newcastle game and quite honestly it's been appalling from the club in every way.

I sent messages via Facebook and Twitter last week. No reply. I found a message somebody had posted requesting information on how to go about this with an official club email address. I sent the email. No reply. I sent the same email to the ticket office. Still nothing.

Yesterday, I called the ticket office. Nobody answered and the "recorded message" was completely inaudible. I left a message with my contact details. No reply. I've called twice today. Nothing.

Finally I decided to call the club reception. They have a multiple choice keypad option which says "to speak to the club reception, press 0".

I pressed 0.

"Sorry, that extension is invalid, please try again."

Really annoyed that it's so difficult to do something so seemingly straightforward. The fact that after a week of trying I haven't even got an automated response from the club is pretty shambolic.

If you have any suggestions of what else I could do... Or just want to share stories of your poor experiences with the clubs customer service team, have at it!

[AsTallAsLions]

First of all, sorry to hear.

From personal experience, the club is not great at this sort of thing. I'd have hoped they might have improved by now, particularly under the new ownership, but evidently not. When my mother passed away I tried to get the club to acknowledge her 60 years of support in some small way, and tried various channels, and I never once got a response. Not even a courtesy reply.

I would say keep trying, and if you run out of patience or options try getting in touch with Lee Preece who is the Supporter Liaison Officer.

[ChicagoLion]

My wife tried to send a gift back, wrong size and after several calls and emails Not attaching The form they referred to. Then being directed to the returns page in the site to eventually being told that yeh that form does not work.
The organization regarding off pitch and commercial activity is completely useless.
I have also had problems with corporate hospitality and gave up.
Maybe this can be raised at the next fans forum.
They really need to sort this out

[in exile]

I agree with AsTallAsLions, contact Lee Preece

[Demitri_C]

I have had poor customer service form the club also. I ordered a top and waited a while then they send me a completely different top.

I rang them and their response was "we ran out of that top so we thought you would like this one instead!"

Unbelievable

[Marlon From Bearwood]

I have had poor customer service form the club also. I ordered a top and waited a while then they send me a completely different top.

I rang them and their response was "we ran out of that top so we thought you would like this one instead!"

Unbelievable

Reminds me of when I had a Touchwood voucher to spend. I asked in JD Sports if they were selling the new Villa shirt, to which the reply was ‘No, but we do have the new Man Utd one”.

[Drummond]

I agree with AsTallAsLions, contact Lee Preece

Where's the General now eh?

[Legion]

As far as I am aware Lee Preece is still the Supporter Liaison Officer so he should be able to help. PM if you need his contact details.

[wittonwarrior]

Yes Lee Preece is still the man. 

I have to say that generally I find Villa quite flexible all round.  Yes there is a problem with fanatics but they  are detached from the club unfortunately, but you can still complain via Lee and almost certainly it will be sorted.

I still  get the vibe that we  are wanted as individual supporters.

Just my honest view.

[cdbearsfan]

It seems to have gone massively downhill. I've mentioned it before, but it annoys me that they have got rid of the telephone system that told you what number you were in the queue and replaced it with one that just keeps ringing. So you have no idea whether you will be waiting two minutes or two hours. Bringing the old system back would make a huge difference. Not sure if it was expensive and got culled during the post-relegation cutbacks, but a club with ambitions of competing with the very best shouldn't be harder to contact than Lord Lucan.

Be good if our representatives that meet with the club could pass on the complaints on this thread. The club should want to hear how it can improve.

[ChicagoLion]

I am pretty sure the new owners have no idea and should somehow be told.
Wes Eden’s runs a very successful sports franchise and there is no way he would put up with this crap.

[Bad English]

They'll probably do the announcement on his 21st.

[themossman]

I had some dealings with Lee recently. I was mightily impressed by the speed of response and willingness to help.

[dave.woodhall]

Lee's always been a credit to the club but there's definitely something missing now. We have to accept that supporters are a revenue source first and foremost.

[Risso]

Lee's always been a credit to the club but there's definitely something missing now. We have to accept that supporters are a revenue source first and foremost.

Why do we have to accept that?