Chris Heck - President of Business Operations

[sidcow]

On 06/09/2024 at 23:58, Vive_La_Villa said:

I don't like Heck's face.

Surely this has to be on a banner

[Tomaszk]

13 hours ago, AshVilla said:

This is massively small time and something i'd expect the likes of Everton to come up with.

Please don't turn the club into a circus ffs.

 

Love this passion.

Please print off Chris Heck faces and hold it up at the start of the Everton game.

Show your support for the price increases.

[DakotaVilla]

1 hour ago, Tomaszk said:

Looking forward to Heck chants.

Emery will be asked about this multiple times. This has already affected the team and we haven't even played.

If we have any sort of organisation behind the scenes he'll be briefed properly and can think about where he stands. Oh the fun if he says tickets are too expensive...

It certainly affected the team v Everton last season. Heck basically had us dumped out of the league cup. 

Statues will be built if Emery formally expresses concern on the supporters behalf. He is such an honorable man that this will definitely be bothering him. He shouldn’t even be put in this position but no doubt will have to be very careful in how he responds to such questions. 

[DakotaVilla]

11 hours ago, TRO said:

Problem is for me, I go with the wife, she’s a STH too.

I have never been under the impression, that this business gives a damn about me, in 60 odd years.

I go because I give an unconditional damn about them, that admittedly leaves me at a distinct disadvantage, but I am well aware of it.

sadly, I think Heck’s reputation in some quarters, precedes him….maybe Unai should have been the one to sign it off…….just kidding.

we have to have good cop, bad cop as part of the strategy.

We absolutely don’t have to have a bad cop. Quite frankly, it’s terrible business to have a poor relationship with your customers. 

As I said, a modicum of empathy and prioritizing delivering against basic core customer wants would go a hell of a long way to strengthening that relationship and maybe then people would feel far better about paying the premium that this business thinks that they can command. 

He’s been in role long enough for people to judge him on his actions. This has nothing to do with his previous reputation however it is extremely instructive that he appeared to have exactly the same issues with his customers in previous roles. It therefore appears that he does not have the capacity to learn or thinks that having a positive relationship with a very core constituency of his customers is not important. Neither are acceptable for a modern day senior leader in such a high profile/high engagement business. 

[blandy]

This thread was locked while posts were moved to the correct threads because posters ignored requests to stay on topic. There are threads for Champions league, for season tickets, for commercial income, for other clubs and so on. For example:

 

Please keep this thread for posts about Chris Heck and use other threads for prices, revenue, parking and so on.

[Stevo985]

On 07/09/2024 at 13:48, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

I fully agree with Simon Jordans line where it's only " Our Club " until things need to be paid for... then suddenly it's the " Owners Club " or in this case " Chris Hecks " club/fault.

Please don't try to muddle my comment with anything to do with disabled parking charges either.

Hopefully none of those fans celebrate if we score... or moan if we lose due to distraction.

There are better avenues to deal with this, than with these dramatics.

Some people deserve wholesome Nationwide Football where they can " Take the club back " and bring football back to it's essence as that is their main concern allegedly.

Obviously just my opinion and i'm open to being totally wrong in it.

The general idea that fans aren’t allowed to be angered or upset by anything because things are going well on the pitch is troubling. 
 

And the idea that fans who are unhappy aren’t allowed to celebrate good things on the pitch. 
 

Load of cobblers if I’m honest

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

2 hours ago, Stevo985 said:

The general idea that fans aren’t allowed to be angered or upset by anything because things are going well on the pitch is troubling. 
 

And the idea that fans who are unhappy aren’t allowed to celebrate good things on the pitch. 
 

Load of cobblers if I’m honest

1.No one has said " fans aren't allowed to be upset " because things are going well on the pitch lol

2. This was in reference to protesting at Everton... we are nowhere near " protest " level in my opinion, I stated it was my opinion and multiple people have gone on to explain the viewpoint as to why.

But yes, there is also an element of credit in the bank to the owners and employees which should be considered.

We've been brought from the Championship to Champions League in 5 seasons, and the moment a few things happen which people don't like, it's time to  " Protest ".

Say it out loud, and realise that you are protesting about prices of Matches in the CHAMPIONS LEAGUE when a few seasons ago we almost went into administration.

Say it out loud again... you are upset at something about our first Champions League Campaign in 40 years.

I'd probably more convinced to back a protest in relation to Disabled Parking fees than anything else if I were to. 

Seeing things like " I want my Villa back " is hilarious... which Villa do you want back? The one before NSWE came in? Because i'm sure we can get it back if we want it badly enough.

ALOT of good has happened both on and OFF the pitch, if you want to blow it all up because of a few bad things, instead of addressing it the right way in the context of all the other good things and good will which have been done it's up to you.

I'm not asking for blind following or agreeance, i'm simply asking for perspective and context.

Owners don't go through 5 - 6 years, and pumping in hundreds of millions of pounds to make us respected again, only to become the " greedy "devil incarnate over a summer. They don't make any money from us, if anything it's probably more unnecessary stress than pleasure i'm sure.

I've repeatedly stressed that good and open communication could/would go a long way in helping offset a lot of this, and this is probably their major failing thus far with Heck.

And he will ultimately get sacked if it turns out he made a load of " bad " decisions on his own without the greenlight of the owners.

 

 

Edited September 8 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN

[tomav84]

10 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

1.No one has said " fans aren't allowed to be upset " because things are going well on the pitch lol

2. This was in reference to protesting at Everton... we are nowhere near " protest " level in my opinion, I stated it was my opinion and multiple people have gone on to explain the viewpoint as to why.

But yes, there is also an element of credit in the bank to the owners and employees which should be considered.

We've been brought from the Championship to Champions League in 5 seasons, and the moment a few things happen which people don't like, it's time to  " Protest ".

Say it out loud, and realise that you are protesting about prices of Matches in the CHAMPIONS LEAGUE when a few seasons ago we almost went into administration.

Say it out loud again... you are upset at something about our first Champions League Campaign in 40 years.

I'd probably more convinced to back a protest in relation to Disabled Parking fees than anything else if I were to.

Seeing things like " I want my Villa back " is hilarious... which Villa do you want back? The one before NSWE came in? Because i'm sure we can get it back if we want it badly enough.

ALOT of good has happened both on and OFF the pitch, if you want to blow it all up because of a few bad things, instead of addressing it the right way in the context of all the other good things and good will which have been done it's up to you.

I'm not asking for blind following or agreeance, i'm simply asking for perspective and context.

Owners don't go through 5 - 6 years, and pumping in hundreds of millions of pounds to make us respected again, only to become the " greedy "devil incarnate over a summer.

I've repeatedly stressed that good and open communication could/would go a long way in helping offset alot of this, and this is probably their major feeling thus far with Heck.

And he will ultimately get sacked if it turns out he made a load of " bad " decisions on his own without the greenlight of the owners.

 

 

i agree with some of what you're saying. however, you asked for perspective and context. well this has been brewing for a while.

a long waiting list of people (plus those already in the current shite stand, who have had their tickets massively increased because it's a similar quality view to those sitting in the holte but ignoring the comparitively shite facilities and space) eagerly awaiting the building of a new stand only to be told the plans have been scrapped

losing a big chunk of the holte concourse to corporate

losing the holte suite to corporate

fans being moved having had the same seat for years, in some cases to a seat that doesn't even exist...again, to satisfy corporate offerings

wading through our own piss, doing the right thing by raising to the FCG, told it would be sorted, only to wade through our own piss again this season

thoughout all of the above, there's been grumblings of discontent, but no protests. quite the contrary in fact. the fans have done their bit: despite increases, seaton tickets were renewed in 99.9% of cases. after initial complaints, corporate season tickets have started to sell. despite the high price, the new shirt sold in record numbers. the CL ticket price is just the straw that broke the camel's back. IMO, if none of the rest of what i listed had happened, there wouldn't be talks of protests at everton

these are more than just "things that fans don't like" IMO

for the record, i don't plan on joining any sort of protest because i've been largely unaffected, but i get why some would be feeling pissed off at the moment

[maqroll]

Heck is low hanging fruit. He knows it, and he's content to be that. He's being paid well for it. He's been hired to do exactly what he's doing, so the vitriol towards him is somewhat misplaced, in my opinion. He's doing what he's been tasked to do.

Heck is but a mere appendage of NSWE. 

[ozvillafan]

2 hours ago, maqroll said:

Heck is low hanging fruit. He knows it, and he's content to be that. He's being paid well for it. He's been hired to do exactly what he's doing, so the vitriol towards him is somewhat misplaced, in my opinion. He's doing what he's been tasked to do.

Heck is but a mere appendage of NSWE. 

I dunno.

His brief will be "to increase revenue". Every little bit counts, I guess....

.... but I'm not sure NSWE would be happy at a disgruntled fanbase knowing that Heck has squeezed them for the sum total of what? £2 million?

That's not even Dendonker's wages for a year.

And how much did the badge redo cost? That seems like a Heck decision too.

[QldVilla]

1 hour ago, ozvillafan said:

I dunno.

His brief will be "to increase revenue". Every little bit counts, I guess....

.... but I'm not sure NSWE would be happy at a disgruntled fanbase knowing that Heck has squeezed them for the sum total of what? £2 million?

That's not even Dendonker's wages for a year.

And how much did the badge redo cost? That seems like a Heck decision too.

This is where I get lost on the conversation. Fans are quick to blame Heck, but this was signed off by the board. They would have had several options some cheaper, some more expensive. They wouldn’t be happy that UEFA determine away fans ticket prices and I Believe this played a part in the ticketing option for Home fans.

Its not just one thing, its several things and ultimately the board chose the current one.

[CVByrne]

1 hour ago, ozvillafan said:

I dunno.

His brief will be "to increase revenue". Every little bit counts, I guess....

.... but I'm not sure NSWE would be happy at a disgruntled fanbase knowing that Heck has squeezed them for the sum total of what? £2 million?

That's not even Dendonker's wages for a year.

And how much did the badge redo cost? That seems like a Heck decision too.

The fan disguntlement is just a section of fans and just online really. NSWE would only worry if you had big fan demonstrations wanting them out at games. Which is never ever going to happen. 

Also the badge redo cost little because it's 99% identical to the old badge. The club saved a big chunk of money by not having to do a big rebrand to the round badge. This was a Heck decision and clearly the right one given the PSR hole we were in last year. 

[WallisFrizz]

12 minutes ago, CVByrne said:

Also the badge redo cost little because it's 99% identical to the old badge. The club saved a big chunk of money by not having to do a big rebrand to the round badge. This was a Heck decision and clearly the right one given the PSR hole we were in last year. 

I don’t get the logic behind this. A new badge is a new badge no matter how different or similar it is. Also the round badge was actually in use! I actually agree with Heck (!) that a shield is better than another generic round badge but your point about rebrand doesn’t make sense. 

[Andy_10]

Following from Blandys message, I think if the poster I had quoted had responded to my questions, that I may have steered the topic off topic, so I have edited them out. 

Edited September 10 by Andy_10

[OutByEaster?]

9 hours ago, CVByrne said:

The fan disguntlement is just a section of fans and just online really. NSWE would only worry if you had big fan demonstrations wanting them out at games. Which is never ever going to happen.

I don't think NSWE need to worry at all, the fan demonstrations aren't aimed at them, they're aimed at highlighting to them the failures of those they pay to administer the club. At the moment, Mr Heck is clearly struggling.

[mikeyp102]

9 hours ago, CVByrne said:

 

Also the badge redo cost little because it's 99% identical to the old badge. The club saved a big chunk of money by not having to do a big rebrand to the round badge. This was a Heck decision and clearly the right one given the PSR hole we were in last year. 

Have you any evidence on this? Even small changes would require a lot of clearance through the legal team.

[thunderball]

14 hours ago, maqroll said:

Heck is low hanging fruit. He knows it, and he's content to be that. He's being paid well for it. He's been hired to do exactly what he's doing, so the vitriol towards him is somewhat misplaced, in my opinion. He's doing what he's been tasked to do.

Heck is but a mere appendage of NSWE. 

This (almost).

Heck is just doing his job, everyone before did a poor job on this front so why are we lambasting him?

I seem to be in a minority to think that the ticket prices are not 'greed' or 'exploiting fans' etc. It's not, if the pricing is too high, tickets will go unsold and the market will then dictate the acceptable price. Honestly, the pricing is exactly where I thought it would be. 

Like it or not the club is a business. Success at football costs a lot of money - do we want it or not. Sure, complain about overflowing urinals but everything else comes with the territory.

The fact we old Luis is because the club doesn't earn enough. The owners bankroll the club out of their own pocket, the least they can ask for is the market rate for what they are serving up and have subsidised.

On balance Heck is doing OK for me, its a thankless job, putting up prices is going annoy and fuel any and all gripes (badge/announcement timings/ticketing/seating/lower grounds and terrace view/Beer supplier/fan zone/tunnel/ground development/sponsorships not being high enough/Adidas deal not enough etc) and he seems to be the dog everyone wants to kick for whatever their beef is today. He has overseen more in his short tenure than the previous 15 years, he won't get everything right but we are moving forward.

[nepal_villan]

Less inclined to point fingers at our owners as they have a track record of success. Heck has a track record of controversy.   

[CVByrne]

1 hour ago, OutByEaster? said:

I don't think NSWE need to worry at all, the fan demonstrations aren't aimed at them, they're aimed at highlighting to them the failures of those they pay to administer the club. At the moment, Mr Heck is clearly struggling.

I think Mr Heck is doing an excellent job. I'd go as far as saying an outstanding job. Club is raising ticket prices so fan backlash was inevitable and NSWE will have known that. The other issues relate to commercial decisions around the Badge and North Stand, both of which NSWE would support. Heck comes across well in the videos he's been in and I love the fighting talk about revenue growth. I can't remember ever been as optimistic about the commerical side of the club ever. He's a breath of fresh air and if he can deliver his remit it will be such a significant step for this club consistently competing at the top end of the PL.

[claretman]

11 hours ago, CVByrne said:

The fan disguntlement is just a section of fans and just online really. NSWE would only worry if you had big fan demonstrations wanting them out at games. Which is never ever going to happen. 

Also the badge redo cost little because it's 99% identical to the old badge. The club saved a big chunk of money by not having to do a big rebrand to the round badge. This was a Heck decision and clearly the right one given the PSR hole we were in last year. 

I presume you don't talk to fellow Villa fans in person?  That is just completely untrue, I have plenty of Villa supporting mates who don't bother with forums/Social Media and people are widely pissed off.  This is national news, not a few fans getting irked online.

Just now, CVByrne said:

I think Mr Heck is doing an excellent job. I'd go as far as saying an outstanding job. Club is raising ticket prices so fan backlash was inevitable and NSWE will have known that. The other issues relate to commercial decisions around the Badge and North Stand, both of which NSWE would support. Heck comes across well in the videos he's been in and I love the fighting talk about revenue growth. I can't remember ever been as optimistic about the commerical side of the club ever. He's a breath of fresh air and if he can deliver his remit it will be such a significant step for this club consistently competing at the top end of the PL.

Are you trolling now?  Causing friction and backlash at at time when we should all be simultaneously excited about the Champions League fixtures?  Talk of backlashes, protests.  That is not the product of an excellent job.

The badge was an unnecessary change and the prices are higher than they should be.  I think Heck comes across a bit of a dick tbh.