Flyers fans, it seems like your favorite hockey team is starting to hear you.

In an effort to reconnect with a fan base that, based on attendance and social media vitriol, has reached their tipping point, the Flyers have decided that it’s not just the product on the ice that needs to be adjusted, but the relationship between team and fans as well.

This afternoon, the team emailed every ticket holder a link to a survey that will be ongoing for the remainder of the season.

Here’s what the email says (this is the season ticket holder version):

The first survey is more generalized – asking fans on a scale of 1-5 to describe their experience with things like parking, ease of entering the arena, concessions, merchandise, hospitality, in-game entertainment, leaving the complex and the overall gameday experience.

The second question in the survey asks fans on a scale of 1-10 how likely they were to recommend going to a Flyers game to a friend.

The Flyers have been holding small group discussions (read: focus groups) all season, that have led to initial changes with game-night staffing, the return of stop signs to know when it’s kosher to return to your seat so game action isn’t interrupted, to the launching of a study on the parking nightmare that getting into the building has become ever since things went cashless.

Executives have become so interested in the fan response that President of Business Operations Valerie Camillo sat in on the last small group discussion.

This is just the latest shift by the organization in recent weeks as it tries to repair a frail image.

Chairman Dave Scott attended a press conference last week to apologize to fans and tell them they weren’t getting what they deserve out of their hockey team. On Saturday, as fans trudged through a Nor’Easter to attend the game between the Flyers and Los Angeles Kings, the team waived parking fees for all fans, gave away free concessions (hot dogs, sodas, etc.), and allowed all fans with tickets in the upper bowl to relocate to the lower bowl for the game.

And they insist they aren’t done.

Crossing Broad has learned that there is more coming with these re-engagement efforts – including more surveys, small group discussions and what should be a great opportunity for fans to express their feelings, as well as an eye-opener for the Flyers execs – a big town hall meeting in the spring on a date to be announced.

I was told today that the Flyers are planning on taking this relationship repair seriously and use it as part of a rebirth, of sorts, as the team finds a way to reconnect with what has made them special to the Philadelphia community in the past while at the same time, forging ahead with new and innovative ideas to ensure the organization is at the forefront of fan engagement in the future and isn’t stuck solely in its past.

Time will tell, but after talking to a few people in the organization, this does seem to be a legitimate focus of the Flyers moving forward.

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