“Can I just be the Coach, Not the customer service rep for all the issues with apparel and gear?”
There is a Better Way! Avoid the Tale of Three Coaches!
Today’s coaches volunteer countless hours to help channel the energies and talents of today’s emerging athletes. However, for too many coaches, there are issues that have nothing to do with improving performance on the court or field. While many aspire to coach and help their team strive to peak performance, too many get bogged down in the task of having to pick team gear. I would like to share conversations that I had with three recent coaches and what can be done to help them.
Recently, a coach of an elite AAU baseball program recounted his frustrations. While all he wanted to do was spend time coaching and mentoring the kids, he caught up dealing with the parents of the team. Certain parents had some ideas about what the team should get for their gear pack and other parents and varying opinions. Other parents even wanted to use an apparel resource they knew and used in the past but did not offer an easy solution using a self-service online store.
“In the end I had an order form made up in Microsoft Word, I passed it around to parents, and it was really difficult for to get the forms back and collect the checks,” said the exasperated AAU baseball coach. “All throughout the parents complained and I wondered why I was even dealing with this.”
A high school women's volleyball coach shared similar frustrations. The captains of the team asked her if they could get their own gear for the team. “I needed to provide some controls for the captains, but I didn't really want them to get involved,” said the volleyball coach.
The coach said that she liked the idea originally but grew concerned when she heard about special logos. “I knew that another team already got in trouble for buying off-color gear and not following the school's brand standard,” she said. The players picked some gear and one of the player’s friends designed a logo, only to be disappointed when they were told they couldn't use it
In a third incident just last week, a coach called to share a horrific story about an order where names and numbers ended up on the wrong sizes. Both the coach and the parents stopped by the store to ask for a credit. They were told that there was nothing that could be done. To placate the parents making the many calls and visits about their child getting the wrong gear, the coach ended up paying $85 for player gear packs.
“As a coach, the last thing I want to do is become a customer service rep,” lamented the coach. “Can't I just be the coach, not the customer service rep for all the issues with apparel and gear?”
More than just a promise…
Fortunately, there is a better way!! At SquadLocker, we offer a Customer Bill of Rights, which is more than just a promise. We are dedicated to helping coaches select from the world’s best sports apparel for today’s athletes, all in a hassle-free web environment. So what does that really mean to our three coaches?
- In less than 5 minutes each coach can select the best gear for their team and then make that solution available for parents. That means that gear and brand guidelines are chosen within an easy to launch workflow.
- When a coach launches a SquadLocker TeamLocker™ gear store, all the parents buy through a customer-friendly eCommerce environment, with options to speak with a dedicated customer service representative through the company’s 1-800-number or chat.
- If a parent wants to check on an order or ask about a defective product, there is a staff of professionally trained customer service agents called Team Gear Specialists to assist.
- Captains, working the coach, can select the best gear for the team and even customize logos within the controls of a school's brand guidelines.
- No order forms, no check collecting and no complaining parents. A no-hassle return policy that if any parent wants to return their gear order for any reason they’ll take it back and provide a credit or replacement product for up to 6 months, which is the whole season and even more.
SquadLocker’s easy online process provides everyone with what they need. The team gets the best gear and the coach has peace of mind that she won't end up in the AD's office for a conversation. All of the heavy lifting is done so that the coach can coach.
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