Company: Wavework Concierge
Base of Operations: Totowa, NJ
Website: https://wavework.com/
Industry: Premium Customer Relations
Key Challenges:
- Selling a product that changes old methods of VIP customer experience management
- Educating buyers about Wavework’s product and business impact
- Breaking traditional, inefficient habits of clients
Implementation Highlights
- Enabling modern, more efficient VIP customer experience management
- Designed and launched a new website with 20 Lemons
- Re-established the value proposition when sharing concept with buyers
Key Benefits
- Developed clear messaging on new website that educates viewers
- New opportunities for strategic partnerships have been realized
- Proven concept with Minnesota Wild has opened new opportunities in sports realm and beyond
Years in Customer Experience Management
It’s hard to fathom the amount of detailed organization that goes into a professional sports game, sold-out concert, or luxury corporate event. There are a million (maybe more) things to think about and plan for when hosting such events. However, one commonly overlooked sector in sports and entertainment hospitality are the premium buyers—who spend the most and are often the most under-served.
Premium seating represents more than 15% of seat inventory across professional sports in North America and generates up to 40% of a club’s total seat revenue. Each year, premium seating generates more than $7.3 billion across five major professional sports leagues.
Wavework is a company that has set out to better manage these premium clients. The company was founded and is currently run by Jessica Gaffney, who previously worked as a first-class services executive in the professional sports industry for two decades. Over the years, Gaffney recognized a lack of transformation in management methods for premium clients. Technology advancements were positively impacting many other aspects of the industry, however, the premium experience was locked into the way things have always been done.
“Ultimately, I recognized how impactful technology would be throughout the course of my career in premium service,” recalled Gaffney. “I really believed that there had to be a better way to operate more efficiently to deliver a more personalized VIP customer experience.”
Bringing Customer Relations into 2020
When Gaffney set out on her own with Wavework, her biggest challenge was not if the system would work. Instead, Wavework’s biggest hurdle would be convincing and educating her prospective clients that the decades-old method of managing customers had to be changed.
“The vision was to meet the expectations of today’s customers to be easy, fast, and personalized in order to transform a very old-fashioned, traditional process to a more modern and convenient experience,” explained Gaffney.
In an attempt to streamline this education process for prospective clients, Gaffney and team recruited 20 Lemons to create a website that would serve as the home base for education and information about Wavework Concierge.
“We believe use-cases and testimonials from clients who are using Wavework will help create a ripple effect throughout the industry,” explained Gaffney. “Most recently, the Minnesota Wild organization has shared that they are extremely pleased with their experience, as are their luxury suite holders. They expressed how excited they are for future potential as well and the impact it will have on their evolving business.”
“Wavework is a useful tool regarding conveying critical information, and truly the only tool we use that is customizes to suiteholders,” said Wavework’s client, Keri with the Minnesota Wild. “We have communicated to our suiteholders that all updates will be sent via Wavework.”
While Gaffney explained that she plans to seek new clients in her background of professional sports—she does persist that Wavework Concierge will be of use to more than just sports teams.
“The product is geared toward managing the VIP CX Management — the highest value customer base. By improving efficiency and meeting today’s expectations, Wavework can have a huge impact on CX management for any premium membership community,” said Gaffney. “We’ve been focused on professional teams, leagues, and venues. However, if you consider colleges and universities, for example, and how they manage high-end donor relations, alumni outreach, athletic advancements—it’s really a lookalike membership audience requiring high-end, white-glove management.”
Gaffney will use Wavework’s new site as a living, breathing representation of her company—just one of the tools she will use to show the world how how to digitally transform premium CX management.
“The main goal is not about technology, it is about the customer (i.e. human) experience,” said Gaffney. “My passion lies in providing the right tool that can enable a high-level, personalized customer experience. And our goal is to strategically partner with companies who have the same vision and intention for their employees and their customers.”
Addendum Regarding COVID Info
In light of the current COVID-19 concerns worldwide, we recognize the immense challenge to the sports and live experiences industry. Wavework is a useful tool for emergency response management to convey critical information to customers such as rescheduled and/or canceled dates as well as any potential need for evacuation.
We are facing unprecedented times with cancellations and broadcast-only events so how will teams, leagues, and venues deliver continuous value to their premium partners and customers? This unique scenario can be managed with a unique solution – Wavework – to proactively facilitate new benefits like at-home delivery, pre-recorded exclusive content, and gifts like autographed merchandise, for example, to convey gratitude for their continued partnership.
Event people know how to roll with the punches, but time is of the essence, and Wavework enables real-time, customized engagement to proactively tackle unique circumstances.