When preparing for the possibility of a work stoppage, the Eagles' had a fan-friendly plan in place when the league Owners and players association were unable to agree to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Eagles offered their season ticketholders a plan that allowed for multiple payments and the fans' money back, plus interest, should any 2011 games fall by the wayside due to the work stoppage.
Now, the Eagles have taken it a step further.
With a second payment due date approaching for season tickets, the team has announced that fans have a deferred payment option that allows Club Seatholders and Season Ticketholders to provide a credit card for payment that won't be charged until it becomes official that the NFL season will proceed.
It's a great move, and one that continues the priority of making sure the fans are treated right.
"It's simply the right thing to do," Said Eagles Chief Operating Officer Don Smolenski. "We have heard inquiries from Season Ticket Holders and members of our Season Ticket Holder Advisory Board about how much they would appreciate flexibility for the remaining payment. We want to do whatever we can to work with our fan base. We are thankful that once again 99% of our season ticket holders have renewed and already made their first payment. And we are fortunate and humbled in addition to have a 40,000 person waiting list."
Every person in this organization comes to work with the mindset that we are a public trust and that the fans must come first. You may not know this, but for years the Eagles have ranked in the lower third of the league for ticket prices. The team has raised season-ticket prices just one time in the last four years. Our goal is to win a Super Bowl. At the same time each one of us is committed and driven to making the fans' experience the best in sports. Personally speaking, I feel very fortunate that to this point our organization has committed to no layoffs or furloughs during the current labor situation. It allows all of us employees to focus on you.
A lot of what we do here is driven by your feedback. The fans are expressing their opinions, offering suggestions, and the Eagles are listening. Just last week, we heard from you that you were upset with our newly implemented discussion boards. So we switched them back – a costly decision quite frankly, but the right one. The Season Ticket Holder Advisory Board, which meets once a month with the Eagles, has been unbelievably instrumental in many new conversations the team has had around the game day experience. I can tell you that we will be implementing many of their suggestions and you will notice a difference this season. We can't thank them enough for their dedication. I think all fans would be extremely pleased with their level of commitment and the suggestions that they have provided.
We have an extraordinary bond with the fans and the community of Philadelphia. As we prepare for the 2011 campaign, we will continue to listen to our fans and search for ways to enhance your experience. As always, thank you for your support.
