Every quarter, LEGO Ambassadors are asked to fill out a survey and give feedback on the LEGO Ambassador Network platform and experience, as well as other related topics. The survey is filled out anonymously by Ambassadors, and the AFOL Engagement Team takes into consideration all the feedback to make improvements. Most of the questions are pretty straightforward, but there are also some interesting creative questions that take a bit of thinking.
One of the questions in the most recent survey was the following: “Imagine you are the CEO of the LEGO Group. If you could change one thing, what would that be in order to improve the experience of AFOLs (Adult Fan of LEGO)?”
I found this question interesting and challenging. In fact, I rewrote my answer at least four times. In my first response, I mostly focused on my own grievances and those I have been hearing from other adult LEGO fans. But then I remembered that I was the CEO, and if anything wasn’t going in the way I wanted, I can only blame myself. So, I started looking at the broader picture and tried to think more proactively. What could be the one area that, if improved, could make the biggest positive difference for adult LEGO fans? Something so impactful that could perhaps even cover all the grievances I listed in my earlier response.
I realized that thinking like a CEO is not so easy, and I wrote what I felt would make the most sense from my perspective. Then I thought that this question might also be interesting for the larger LEGO fan community. So, my question to you is the same as what was asked in the survey; “If you were the CEO of the LEGO Group, what would be the one thing you would change to improve the experience of AFOLs?”
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My first thought is I’d make give the Bricks and Pieces parts-ordering site some organization instead of making AFOLs go through pieces set-by-set.
If I think of something more profound I’ll share it. 😛
Curious to hear what you came up with, if you don’t mind sharing! 😉
Can you tell us what you wrote instead?
I rewrote my answer like four times, as it took me a while to wrap my brain around being the CEO. I wasn’t thinking big enough! Ha-ha! 🙂
So, I don’t remember my response exactly, but I pretty much settled on the importance of more efficient communication both with fans and within the company. While LEGO does have various ways to gather feedback from the community (both AFOLs and parents), the company is large, with lots of departments, and the communication often gets lots before it reaches the right department/person that can act on it. This results in inefficiencies and frustrations, which in turn results in fans feeling like the company doesn’t care.
For example even though as an Ambassador I have direct access to LEGO employees, and the AFOL Engagement Team does take our feedback on behalf of our communities seriously, sometimes the message gets lost as it gets passed on to other parts of the organization. Many Ambassadors reported the frustration about the new VIP program from their communities but corrections were slow and the VIP program is still not up to what it should be. There are many other examples of inefficient communication like this; issues with their website, issues with people getting banned from LEGO stores, IP related problem, dealings with their legal department, and everything that has been happening since LEGO purchased BrickLink.
There are positive examples as well. Like when LEGO acted on the reports of some colors and pieces having quality issues, and when some sets were not up to standard (i.e. the first release of WALL-E). In all of these instances our communication was acted upon quickly and the issues were mostly resolved. The change to make all sets available worldwide was also the result of community feedback (i.e. the Chinese New Year sets).
That was the main thing I wrote about, but if I remember other parts, I will share them as well. I just came back from a long bike ride with friends, and now ready to go see the Rise of Skywalker. 😀
I still don’t get the new VIP program — and I graduated high school.
Ha-ha! I know what you mean! It gives me a headache! 🙄
I would re release old sets to put a stop to reseller price gouging on out of production sets. Just like Disney does with movies.
This might not be feasible due to retired molds. Also, that there are a few people willing to pay outrageous prices for retired sets, doesn’t necessarily mean that a re-release with thousands of new sets is profitable.
As soon as I read this, immediately thought about nostalgia. Trying to recapture the feeling that I had as a kid now that I am an adult. That’s what I would work to increase and I’d use all the power, tools, and technology at my disposal to make the experiences I had a a a kid happen again as a grownup.
Hm… I like that…
We really need a greater availability of lose parts. Maybe their recent purchase of Bricklink will help with that. So, if I would be the CEO, I would make sure that the pick a brick wall and website are always fully stocked.
I second this.
Tiles, windows, embossed (brick looking) bricks come to mind.
I submitted a suggestion at their innovation site. I suggested two things (1) create a voting process for an older part that would be resurrected – many older parts should have never disappeared. I understand mold cost but I am sure when the 2×4 mold is broken, they just go and build another one. And (2) create a voting process for a new recolour of an existing part – some parts are highly desirable but not available in the proper colour (go on bricklink, select a part, see what colours exist for that part and see also the wants for that part in not-yet-produced colours). The innovation site says you should receive an answer within 2 days – I receive my answer within a couple of hours: No Thanks. If I would be a CEO I would create options for buyers to buy what they really want. Not all the recent opportunities/collaboration/program which amount to only a lot of blah-blah-blah and not much more. Wasn’t it the problem of Lego in early 2000 (involved in too many things not directly related to the brick). The brick and pieces portion of the web site should also be searchable by colour. Let’s say I want sand green: what are all the pieces available in that colours. I already mentioned that to Lego but they seem to have problem finding programmers…
Both good ideas.
They are really part of the administrator’s comments about better communication.
Good ideas! I can very much relate to all of those.
I don’t want to get too heavy, but I think it raises a very general question tied in to current U.S. politics in a vague way. What could the CEO of a food company do? Cut all prices in half? Give the company to the workers? You could see where this goes….
To answer the question, one would need more info about how important AFOLers are to the company and how important different themes are to the company.
As a city and train collector, my answer would be to give me/us more of what we want at the lowest possible prices. Specific suggestions come up all the time. Examples: Better and more specific pieces in the wall,
can start with windows and big plates, half and quarter base and road plates, more trains, train cars, train buildings, greater availability of unique parts, more store and normal house models, etc.
Do everything I say and I’ll be happy, but the CEO might get fired and the company might go broke.
Yeah, being CEO and keeping a good balance between satisfying customers and also continuing to make profits for the company is not that easy! 😀
Simple. If I were the CEO, I would clean up and update Bricklink and then run it free for the community.
Change the VIP system back and get a website that actually works and doesn’t crash every time a new product is released.
Yes, please. I don’t get how a billion dollar company has such an awful website. Have you guys seen the kids zone of the site? It’s a horrible mess. And yes, constant crashes when new products are released. And bring back the old VIP program. It wasn’t too special, only 5% off, but at least it worked.
Bring back the Castle range for AFOLs!!
If I were the CEO, I would release more boxes with basic and specialty bricks in certain colors. They already have rainbow boxes, but I would also like one with with just grays, and one with landscaping colors like greens, blues, etc.
Sounds good.
It reminds me of the discussion where Lego was asking for ideas for the brick wall — with a promise to take suggestions.
I don’t think any of that happened — at least in the New York area.
I think they’d have a couple of PAB bowls with “fan favorites”, if I recall correctly.
I’ve mostly been to the Copenhagen and Stockholm stores, though.
They should open more stores around the world. They have like no stores in Central and South America, India, Africa, countries in Europe, and even in the US they only have a few stores. So, if I would be a CEO, I would focus on opening more brand stores and franchised stores.
Well, I guess a specialized brand store only would make sense if there already is a guaranteed market and audience. For most of the world, the market is too small for a franchise store to be a reliable economic venture.
I do like the idea to bring back older models and I do understand the mold issue, but there are older models (such as the challenger launch platform) which i.m.h.o. looks better than the once available now. I also would like a box-to-order where you can go through a catalogue and select a model which you like and order it (for reasonable prices). A fancy box is not needed and you can provide a link to the downloadable instructions…..
I like your order-from-catalog idea! Basically that’s what Lepin and other clone manufacturers are doing. Hm… I would love to see this happen! 😀