2009 ALMS Mosport
sportscarpros Off The GridRichard Dole

Communication Breakdown


Dear Mosport International Raceway,

Remember me?  No?  I am the customer.  I am the customer that returns to Mosport every year to take part in the American Le Mans Series race.

I am the fan that sits on the hills through sun and rain.  I consume food and drink and t shirts.  I gladly pay money to do so.

I am the corporate sponsor that has my logos on billboards, in programs, who erects a tent to entertain my guests, and activates my sponsorship that appears on the sides of all of those race cars.  I gladly pay money to do so.

I am the photographer, the sports writer, and the public relations representative whose job is to get images and words to my outlet (newspaper, magazine, website, and corporate headquarters) that convey information about this event.  My clients gladly pay me to do so.

Every year we all return to this fabled race track.  Every year we are greeted by your wonderful staff, all of whom do a fantastic job despite the limited resources at their disposal.  Every year we think next year will be better.

Remember me now?  No?  I am the customer who buys a ticket, but has not cell service to call my friends and tell them to get up here asap and check out these fantastic cars.  Nor can I call or receive calls to check on how my kids performed at their soccer games today.

I am the corporate sponsor who cannot send a text message or use my cell phone to call my co-worker and ask them to bring more product to the hospitality tent, as our guest are requesting more of that item.  Nor do I have internet service, so I cannot check my email or send an email message  regarding a concern I might have to improve my guests' time at the track.  Oh, and my guests cannot do any of these things either.

I am also that sponsor plastered all over that very fast and very expensive racecar you see.  I cannot use my cell phone to call, or use the internet to contact my boss - the person who writes a very big check so his company's logo appears on that car, in the program, on the billboards - to inform him on qualifying or race results.

I am the local newspaper writer and the wire service photographer who is on a tight deadline.  I have to transmit words and photos immediately to my clients so the ENTIRE WORLD can read and see about this event. I need fast reliable internet service to do so.  And when this doesn't exist, I cannot do my job.

Hello.  I am the customer.  I am literally the life and breath of this sport.  I am the teams, the sponsors, the media, the corporate guests, and the fans who make this event happen.  Would it be too much to ask you to please spend the money to bring this facility up to modern day communications standards?  Just a simple cell tower and some sort of halfway decent internet service would do.  By doing so, no one, including the guy that owns this place, will have to go to Starbucks, back to a hotel room, or simply drive 300 meters outside the front gate, to communicate with the outside world.

Remember the mottos of the ALMS?  "For The Fans" and "World Class."  There needs to be an asterisk at the end of both of these.  And the fine print should read: "*everywhere but Mosport."

Sincerely,

The Customer



Richard Dole, September 2009

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