CARDIFF CITY CUSTOMER CHARTER 2012/13

CARDIFF CITY CUSTOMER CHARTER 2012/13

2 Introduction Thank you for taking the time to read the Cardiff City Fan Charter this document to expresses our commitment to you the supporter and cements the strong relationship between the fans and the football club. Cardiff City Football Club are dedicated to providing the best possible match day experience for all fans that enter Cardiff City Stadium. This is demonstrated by the fact that we have been awarded the Family Excellence Standard every year since its inclusion in 2006. In addition the Club were awarded Family Club of the Year 2011 for the Football League and the Best Customer Experience at the Stadium Business Summit 2011, which is testament to the club-wide ethos. Our Fans Charter sets out to help you, the supporter, understand the club s many policies in order to make your experience with us as memorable as possible. This document also covers a wide range of areas such as ticketing, community, activities, merchandise and public services. At the heart of everything we do here at Cardiff City is our loyal and passionate fan-base and so we encourage constructive feedback from them on all level. If you have any feedback please contact tom@cardiffcityfc.co.uk We hope that this document further progresses the communication channels between ourselves and you, the customer. Once again, thank you for your continued support introduction

3 commitment I'll Be There With my little pick and shovel, I ll be there! When the coal comes from the Rhondda, And the water s running fine, With my little pick and shovel, I ll be there! I ll be there is our promise that no matter what as a club we will do all we can to ensure that all supporters have an enjoyable experience with us. Be it ambassadors, first time fans, away supporters or corporate guests our team are on hand to ensure that you have a fantastic time here, whatever the result. This promise will underpin all aspects of the business, in particular the relevant customer touch points to ensure that all supporters receive the service levels and attention they deserve. Cardiff City Football Club is committed to continually improving the fan experience and our relationship with supporters and South Wales as a whole. This commitment to our supporters and the aim to wider community will harness the power of football to deliver key social and educational messages across South Wales. For all of our Supporters I ll Be There

I'll Be There in the 4 Local Community As a football club we understand the important ties which we have with our local community. This commitment continues to deliver football and fantastic experiences to full spectrum of community citizens Our Mission Through Football The Cardiff City FC Community & Education Foundation encourages children and young learners to enjoy playing, watching and learning through sport, in particular football. We firmly believe that by utilising the stature of Cardiff City Football Club within the local community, we have a responsibility to facilitate the development of youngsters, both physically and academically. Our commitment to equality and social inclusion is evident as we strive to provide the highest quality of service, in a safe and friendly environment where children can reap the rewards our projects in the local community. Who are we? Cardiff City FC Community & Education Foundation is the charitable arm of Cardiff City Football Club Ltd formed to help broaden the relationship between the Football Club and its Local Communities. We gained Registered Charitable Status in March 2008 and are headed up by Community Foundation Manager & former Cardiff City player Scott Young. Scott is supported by his Assistant, Marc Cahill and Education Manager Steve Ellis heading up the Education side of the department. This team has overseen the considerable growth of The Community & Education Foundation over the past few years. During the years when Cardiff City FC Community & Education Foundation habited a small office in Ninian Park, it had a total of 7 full time staff and a pool of 23 part time or casual staff delivering a number of community based projects throughout Cardiff, Bridgend & the South Wales Valleys. Having received Bronze Accreditation from The Football League Trust in September 2008, The C& E Foundation was one of a handful of Community Schemes to achieve Silver Accreditation in March 2009. This was due to us having reached a number of criterions raised from areas such as education,social inclusion and community participation. The Community Reward Scheme offered by the Community Foundation and supported by Cardiff City FC Ltd offers children who are underprivileged or children who are performing well in school the chance to watch a home Cardiff City fixture. Tickets are made available by the Football Club and by supporters who cannot make certain fixtures. This great scheme shows strength within the local community. Cardiff City s Community arm also helps those who are not fully abled. You will find out more about our work with those with mental and physical disabilities on page 7. inclusion

I'll Be There to 5 Prevent Discrimination Cardiff City are committed to ensuring that all fans enjoy the experience of attending a match here together in harmony. Cardiff City Football Club is committed to confront and eliminate discrimination on the grounds of race, nationality, ethnic origin, colour, religion, disability, sex or sexual orientation. Although cases are extremely rare, as a club we do not condone any sexual or racially based harassment or other discriminatory behaviour, whether physical or verbal. The Club works with others to ensure such behaviour is met with the appropriate action in whatever context it appears ensuring that the extremely large majority of fans who are behaved can enjoy every moment that they share with us. As a club we support the Football Association and the other football bodies in their commitment to develop on-going training and awareness-raising activities in order to promote the eradication of discrimination. The Club is an active participant of the Enjoy The Match campaign. Although these instances are extremely rare we encourage fans who do witness any unsatisfactory behaviour then please email kickitout@cardiffcityfc.co.uk or call 0845 365 1115. Equal Opportunities Policy Cardiff City Football Club is an equal opportunities employer. The Club is committed to equality of opportunity within its organisation and encourages a similar commitment from organisations with which we have contact, either through our business or socially. Equality of opportunity at Cardiff City Football Club means that we will not discriminate against or in any way treat less favourably, any person on grounds of race, nationality, ethnic origin, colour, religion, disability, sex or sexual orientation in any of our activities. These activities include: The advertisement of jobs The selection of candidates for employment or promotion Job location or working environment Pay and employment terms and conditions Internal and external training activities and awards To view our Ten Point Plan and On-going Campaign to tackle and racist behaviour please visit the Cardiff City website. equality

6 I'll Be There for Disabled Supporters Cardiff City FC cater for all supporters with policies regarding disabled supporters established to ensure that accessibility and comfort is of paramount importantance when attending games and functions. At the Cardiff City Stadium we have a superb range of facilities to ensure that our disabled fans can enjoy the match in comfort. Cardiff City Football Club has an active Disabled Supporters Association. Their aim is to assist all disabled fans who support Cardiff City and those supporters from visiting clubs to fully enjoy the match-day experience. There are regular open social evenings where speakers from the Club take part in question and answer sessions and speak about football in general and their role in the club in particular. We also hold other social evenings with entertainment and similar activities throughout the year. All new members are welcome to attend any of the events to find out more about how we can accommodate you. The Community Foundation also caters for a wide range of disabilities and impairments, from children aged five to adults aged fifty plus. They hold weekly specific sessions that are run for the following groups, with 180 registered participants: Wheel Chair Football Sessions Blind & Visually impaired sessions Learning difficulty football sessions Physical disability (Cerebral Palsy) Deaf and hearing impaired football Down s Syndrome Football Players from within the programme have been selected for a number of National Disability Squads,in recent months and the schemes have proved extremely popular in engaging with those with a disability. The contact for the Disabled Supporters Club is Maggie Verrinder who can be contacted on maggie.verrinder@googlemail.com The Club s Disabled Liasion Officer is Phil Halligey who can be contacted via the main stadium reception number: 0845 365 1115 accessibility

7 I'll Be There for Charities As a key pillar of the local community we understand the important ties which we have with our local projects and initiatives. This commitment continues to deliver fantastic experiences and support to those that do key work in the local community. At Cardiff City we support local charities who undertake invaluable work in the local community and beyond. The club often donates merchandise (both signed and unsigned) as well as providing publicity over our public address system, using our giant screen and in our match day programme all free of charge. On a match day we allow different charities to do collections at the Cardiff City Stadium. This proves extremely popular and is a fantastic way for us to show support for the good causes locally. Each season we select three club charities which we give additional support to too throughout the season. This season those charities are Ty Hafen and Breast Cancer Wales and The Welsh Guards Appeal. Throughout the season we will hold a number of charity events in aid of these organisations such as a charity race day at Chepstow Racecourse and a Ladies Night with a supporting charity calendar. In addition to this we offer support for the Official Football League Charity which for this season is Prostate Cancer Charity, who will have a designated match, as well as other promotional and fundraising opportunities throughout the season. As an additional push for this the club also have a large following for Movember and have an online team full of staff, players and fans alike. This can be found by visiting the Movember website. fundraising Cardiff City Community Reward Scheme Aims To reward underprivileged children Maximise capacities in the family stand Improve match day experience for families by ensuring that the right people are in the rightstands Tackle the age old issue of no-shows Give fans that may ordinarily not be able to come to matches the chance to attend. Scheme The Cardiff City Community Reward Scheme is an initiative where we ask season ticket holders who are not going to attend a specific fixtures in the Family Stand to let us know that their seats will be empty. We will then give their tickets to schools and charities, allowing those who may not have the opportunity normally to attend the game. Each match we will donate 50 tickets to the scheme, ensuring that we have an initial reach into the community and these tickets will be targeted at the key community groups. We will then put a deadline in place of 24 hours before the match to let us know if you are unable to attend, this then gives us ample time to distribute the tickets to charities, schools and the underprivileged. This scheme gives supporters a feeling of worth whilst overcoming a problem of no shows and not being able to sell them which then in turn puts families in areas that are not suitable. In addition all supporters that give up their tickets will receive a letter from the manager, thanking them for their help.

8 I'll Be There for the Stars of the Future Our commitment to sporting success starts deep within our academy and the development of our superstars of the future. Cardiff is continuing its commitment to developing talent internally through our Academy programme The Cardiff City Academy is the lifeblood of the club. Every football fan loves a new local talent emerge through the ranks of the club that they love. At Cardiff City we work hard with the future generations to bring through talent that the Wales and Cardiff would be proud of. New for the 2012/13 season under the new templates set out by the EPP, Cardiff City Football Club have a Development Squad, consisting primarily of under-21s and aimed at bridging the gap for young players between the Academy and First-team setups. Brief profiles on those forming the core of our Development Squad this season can be found on the clubs website by clicking here: www. cardiffcityfc.co.uk/team/the_academy/. Within the Academy we have a dedicated team of staff working closely to bring through the next generation of stars. To find out a bit more about the team behind the team and their responsibilities, please click here. Fans who wish to support the academy can do on a match day by purchasing a 50-50 raffle ticket. Tickets can be purchased around the ground with the winning fan receiving half of the total money taken from the raffle, the other half of the proceeds are re-invested in the academy programme. In addition donations can be made through the academy foundation with regular prizes up for grabs. Please contact Clive Hall at clive.hall@cardiffcityfc.co.uk academy

9 I'll Be There to keep you informed We strive to keep in contact with fans and open more communication channels using a variety of mediums. get in touch At Cardiff City we have an open communication network with all fans, through a number of channels and mediums. Through these channels we aim not just to inform customers of club news and events but to make them feel engaged and part of the process. Our website has recently switched to a new design which is looking to make things more visual for our fans, this is regularly updated with news, highlights, and interviews as well as containing lots of information regarding the club, tickets and other areas. The club promotes the use twitter through @CardiffCityFC where it communicates with more than 23,000 fans. In addition we have recently created a new hospitality brand which is also represented on Twitter @CityHospitality. As well as this we have representatives from most departments who have Twitter accounts, in particular Media Manager, Barry who regularly answers questions from over 3,500 followers through his account @MAcMcAuliffe The club responds to every letter, fax or e-mail within 14 days of receipt. For the contact information of all departments at the club, please see the staff page of this document. Fan Pack This season we have created the clubs first Fan pack, which is aimed at those who haven t been to the stadium before. This document collates information from all areas of the business giving, a step by step guide of all fans need to know for their visit. This pack will cover all areas of the matchday experience from ticketing to transport and will be given to all fans that register a new contact on our ticketing system. Not only will the pack be online but it will also be printed and in the ticket office to be presented to new fans purchasing tickets. Survey of supporters After each match we randomly survey supporters with a view to finding out the little things that may negatively affect their match experience. This is done by taking a sample of stand ticket and corporate customers and asking them a set of questions in regards to their visit. If there are any complaints are issues raised from this survey they are immediately investigated with appropriate action implemented. This survey allows us to give ourselves an internal rating out of ten across the board so that we can ensure that we achieve a consistently high standard of service quality across all areas of the club. As a club we seek to constantly improve the match day experience for every fan that enters the stadium and so welcome and feedback or comment from fans. If you have any comments about your day please email: tom@cardiffcityfc.co.uk

10 I'll Be There if you need to appeal At Cardiff City we do not condone any untoward behaviour here at the Cardiff City Stadium. However, in the unlikely event that you do get into trouble, we will be on hand to guide you through the below procedures. Banning Orders Any Cardiff fan found guilty or banned by the courts will also be subject to a club ban. Following your case you will then be invited to the club for a further meeting to discuss the incident. Cardiff City will then judge the severity of your offence and hold the right to add an additional club ban at our discretion. This additional ban stands to attempt to create a family friendly environment for all those that visit us at Cardiff City Stadium. For any questions or queries about this procedure please contact our Stadium Manager, Wayne Nash at stadium@cardiffcityfc.co.uk Appeal Procedure The right of appeal against a club ban is open to all fans when their original banning order has been served. Fans who appeal against any additional club ban will then have to. Pass a Police assessment. Pass a Club interview. Become Season Ticket Holders or Member. If unsuccessful in their appeal fans will have to wait a further 12 months before any new application to have any club ban lifted is made. Any persons not complying with this club ban i.e. gaining or attempting to gain entry to any ground where Cardiff City are playing will have a further 12 month club ban imposed on them at the discretion of the safety management team. appeals

I'll Be There if 11 you're not happy We work hard to make sure your experience is as best it can be with Cardiff City but should you need to contact us for anything we will always be there to help. Complaints Procedure for both Home and Away Supporters At Cardiff City we strive to ensure that all fans leave the stadium having had a positive experience, whatever the result. Therefore if you are not happy we want to hear about. If you have had an unsatisfactory experience please contact Tom Gorringe on tom@cardiffcityfc.co.uk or call 029 20 643 634. If we are unable to deal with your complaint to a satisfactory level you can then take your complaint further. If your complaint isn t resolved by us, then your next step is to take it to the appropriate governing body. This will be the Football League for a league or league (Capital One) cup game and the FA for an FA Cup game. The FA is the governing body for the game in England and Wales. They are primarily responsible for all regulatory aspects of the game including the organisation of The FA Cup and other domestic competitions. If you would like to submit a complaint to The FA, you can put it in writing addressed to: Customer Relations The Football Association Wembley Stadium PO Box 1966 London,SW1P 9EQ Tel: (0) 844 980 8200 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) They will strive to respond within five working days. If further information is required, they will send a comprehensive response within a further ten working days. Alternatively, you can e-mail your complaint via the feedback form. If you wish to complain to the Football League please contact Andrea Brown, Customer Services Manager. Contact can be made by post, with letters addressed to: Customer Services Department, The Football League Operations Centre, Edward VII Quay, Navigation Way, Preston, PR2 2YF By Direct dial: 0844 335 0183 Or by email to: enquiries@football-league.co.uk contact us Still not satisfied? Contact the Independent Football Ombudsman (IFO). The Independent Football Ombudsman was established at the beginning of the 2008-09 season and will have a clear remit to receive and adjudicate on complaints from football supporters and participants which have not been resolved by the football authorities, and to raise any policy issues which have been highlighted by those complaints, directly with The FA, Premier League and The Football League. The creation of an Ombudsman will maintain a position as the independent and final arbiter of football complaints. Independent Football Ombudsman The Independent Football Ombudsman (IFO) is the final stage in the complaints process established by the English professional Football Authorities (The Football Association -FA -, The Premier League and The Football League). The IFO comprises an Ombudsman, his Deputy and an Advisory Panel. This section explains the role of the IFO. Further information and guidance are available in a short leaflet which may be requested, using any of the contact addresses given below. For further information on the IFO, please visit the website, www.theifo.co.uk or contact them on the details below: Address The Independent Football Ombudsman Suite 49 57 Great George Street Leeds LS1 3AJ Tel(Voicemail): 0800 588 4066

I'll Be There on 12 a matchday We have made changes to the stadium to ensure that all fans have a fantastic time with us no matter the result. We deliver a versatile viewing experience with different offerings depending on your preference. Family Stand Entry to the family stand is via gates 8 and 9, which both lead you to an expansive concourse with plenty of facilities. Come and enjoy our Sony Playstation Area or sit down and watch some cartoons in our Sony Kids Zone! We also provide entertainment every game on the Sony stage in the Family Stand this starts an hour prior to kick off. We have numerous spacious toilet facilities for men and women and also baby changing facilities. Safety and security in this stand is paramount and we have a number of stewards in this area, should you have any problems or issues. We also have a confidential line to report any problems or issues you may encounter. This number has never been used due to the superb atmosphere within this area of the ground, however if in the unlikely event you do have a complaint please call 07554158224. Canton Stand In this stand we are the proud host to the Football League s only live in stadia music stage. 2 hours prior to every game we have a band perform live on the stage which has proven extremely popular. In addition we have recently brought in a beer voucher system so fans wishing to have a few drinks can purchase their vouchers for their drink on arrival so they no longer have to queue when exchanging their voucher for their next drink. This stand has also been recently renovated to the inside of the stand contains newspaper cuttings from through the years of the key moments in our history for all to share. Grandstand Our Grandstand provides a comfortable experience for our more senior fans. The concourse areas within this stand have additional seating for those within the stand to rest their legs away from the elements. In addition we ensure that the internal concourse areas are kept suitably warm with additional use of the heating system, which has proven extremely popular. We have a dedicated member of staff on hand to ensure that everyone within the stadium has an enjoyable experience in a safe environment. If you have any problems please call: 07554158224 and we will do all we can to help. atmosphere

13 I'll Be There after the game We are dedicated to ensuring that we create the perfect environment for all fans to enjoy their football. Whether your experience is good, bad or indifferent we want to do hear from you as to how we can improve it. feedback At Cardiff City we are constantly looking for ways to improve the match day experience for all supporters that visit us. Should you have any problems on the day we have a designated phone number that you can call and someone will be on hand to deal with your query. This number is 07554158224. Following the match we seek to hear feedback, positive or otherwise from fans that enter a statement. Following this feedback we look to make changes to the match day experience to suit the needs of you, the fan. This has seen us create our live music area in the Canton area which hosts a live band in the build-up to every match and has proved extremely popular with all supporters. In addition we have added playstations, skills areas and a magician into the family stand as well as creating a inside seating area and heated concourse areas in our Ninian which inhibits our more senior fans. Full details of this process can been seen below. City Calling This is a scheme that searched to empower supporters in voicing their opinions for change anonymously. At Cardiff City we realised that the only voices we heard were currently those that shouted the loudest or those who are the most pro-active. A regular family for example does not fit either of these criteria and this is one of our prospect groups therefore the more we can learn the better. We opened up certain elements of the matchday experience and give fans to chance to comment on things they have never been asked: - Range of food offerings on the concourse - Music Choice - Park and Ride options - Entertainment suggestions - Competition suggestions - What fans want to see in the matchday programme? - How was their match day? - How could it be improved? But most importantly, did they feel that outside of the matchday entertainment did they get value for money? We assess all feedback post match and then feed back a critique into each department before looking at ways to overcome any issues and make continuous improvement. This initiative searched to look beyond the creative minds in an office and instead ask those who experience matchdays at Cardiff City Stadium as supporters. If you have any additional comments about your day please email: tom@cardiffcityfc.co.uk

14 I'll Be There on the Road Whether you are a Cardiff City fan wishing to support our team away from home this season, or a supporter of a team visiting Cardiff City Stadium, we are on hand to guide you through. Away Tickets Cardiff City Football Club operates a away travel membership. To travel to any away fixture you must hold one of the following: Ambassador card, Season Ticket card or an Away Travel Card. The Club s supporters are allocated tickets for away matches as follows. The club will give priority to Ambassadors, then season ticket holders and away travel members. Cup Competitions I ll Be There Tickets for cup competitions are priced at normal league admission prices unless stated or as mutually agreed with the visiting club. Season ticket holders may purchase their allocated seat during a priority sales period. Returns / Refunds Ambassadors or Match Tickets The Club s policy on the return and distribution of unwanted tickets is as follows: Supporters are not entitled to return tickets for a refund. Any unwanted tickets i.e. unclaimed season ticket holders tickets for cup competitions will go on sale to the general public after the priority sales period has ended. For each match all the relevant sales times are advertised. If a match is postponed, ticket holders are entitled to use their original ticket to access the re-arranged game. If a match is abandoned prior to half-time spectators will be entitled to half price admission to the re-arranged game via a voucher system. awaydays

15 I'll Be There for visiting fans As well as delivery the best facilities and matchday experiences for home supporters we want visiting away fans to leave Cardiff with a lasting and memorable matchday experience. feedback The away end at the Cardiff City Stadium is host to a FIFA area where away fans can challenge each other before the match begins. In addition select television screens within this area will be showing a greatest goals DVD of the visiting team. At Cardiff City we aim to make all travelling fans feel like they are at home whilst they are with us at the stadium. As well as this for selected matches this season we will be hosting an away fans village in our House of Sport located just behind the away end. This will be focusing on families so as well as packaging up ticket, travel, accommodation and coaching session package for families we will also be putting on live music and having the away mascot attend. Please contact your club for more information. We have an Enjoy the Match liaison officer in the away stand who will be on hand to deal with any questions or problems you may have during your visit. Your Liaison officer s name is Debbie, who can be identified by her green branded Enjoy The Match jacket. A number of stewards will also be present in this area and will be happy to assist you. We also have an away family information point situated in the away ticket office should you need any help on the day of the game before entering the ground. This is situated next to Gate 7. If you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to email Luke Hughes who is our customer focus representative. His email address is lukeh@cardiffcityfc.co.uk while he is also available through our ticket office during standard working hours on 0845 345 1400. The Club abides by Football League Regulations governing the allocation of tickets to visiting clubs. The Club does not charge admission prices or pre-booking fees to supporters of a visiting club, which are higher than those, charged to our own supporters for comparable facilities. Family Section AWAY Visiting families and youngsters are also catered for at Cardiff City Stadium, with a designated family section in place within our away end. This is located in Aisle 121 of the away section, with 125 seats to offer. Please contact your Club to purchase tickets in this area. Pricing is as follows: Adults - 18 U16s - 5 We also offer a family ticket, which allows for admission of 2 adults and 2 children for just 40. The away family stand section has a very strict policy - that is we admit no adults without children and no children without adults.