When Debbie Yow was introduced as the Athletics Director of N.C. State University, she made a promise to the fans—an outlet for them to express their concerns on all issues concerning Wolfpack Athletics.
“For our fans, there is going to be a new email address set up…so they have a special place to share issues they might encounter,” Yow said. “Because what fans need will always matter.”
This promise has come to fruition in the form of the Wolfpack Unlimited feedback tool on gopack.com. The tool, located under the “Contact Us” tab on the website, allows fans to submit feedback about the site, the Wolfpack online store or general questions about anything in the athletics department. These concerns are being taken seriously by all in the department, according to Yow.
“[The comments have] been great because some people have just had some bad information that we could explain,” Yow said. “Some people have come up with good ideas that we’ve initiated because of them.”
And through Labor Day, each concern has been addressed.
“We answer every question,” Yow said. “We comment on everything that is said to us.”
Before the weekend’s football opener, the feedback tool, which forwards to an email account checked by a member of the athletics department marketing office, saw a slow but steady stream of input, Associate Athletics Director Dick Christy said.
“It’s only a few emails here and there, like questions and thank you’s,” Christy said. “But I would say it’s a steady stream, it’s not overwhelming.”
Following the Pack’s victory over Western Carolina, the feedback tool saw a spike in usage.
“Sunday and Monday we probably had 50 emails,” Christy said. “People were thankful for the changes we made or talking about the live mascot or talking about maybe they had to wait in line for a bathroom and they let us know, ‘Hey, you may want to look at this.’ It was all constructive stuff, so it was really good.”
And those who have given feedback have received timely responses, according to Christy.
“We had 50 emails from this weekend, and our staff had most of those responded to by midday on Labor Day,” Christy said.
The athletics department is not only making note of fan concerns, it is also acting on them.
“If it seems like there’s a trend among the fans that might be of value, we’ll sit down and talk about it and try to implement it,” Christy said. “Some of the changes to the field, including the block ‘S’ in the middle, the red lettering in the end zone, some of the enhanced graphics in the stadium, and the customer service locations, if it’s of value, we’re going to try to be as responsive as we can.”
Christy said the tool is also helping Yow to stay connected with fans interests.
“Yow is copied on each of the emails so she can kind of keep her finger on the pulse, too, of what are people looking for, what are the concerns, do we have any problems, this is good, this is working well, that kind of thing,” Christy said.
The feedback tool is an endeavor Yow is committed to, according to senior associate athletics director David Horning
“She knows that the questions will come in a lot at certain times in the year and she’ll just continue to be relentless in getting feedback to everybody,” Horning said.