Do you spend as much on catering at the Amex as you would like?

[Lethargic]

You don't get discount at half time anyway. Assuming your two paragraphs were connected.

They weren't connected no, no discount at ht is understandable although disappointing.

 

[mwrpoole]

My problem is that they seem to employ a lot of students/ casual staff, none of which seem to know what they're doing as they've not had any training.

I see this grip quite often, but look at the job - 5 or 6 hours, 23 random times a year, mainly Saturday afternoons but some Tuesday evenings as well. Might be needed for extra days depending on cup draws/play offs.

It's hardly going to attract anyone else but students/ casual workers. I suspect the turnover is high and the level of staff not turning up high as well, investing in training is just not worth it.

It would be a nightmare to manage this part of the business and I would think that is the main reason it's been outsourced.

 

[bn1&bn3 Albion]

I would definitely spend more if, at half time I was guaranteed the pie I wanted and not miss the start of the second half.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It's hardly going to attract anyone else but students/ casual workers. I suspect the turnover is high and the level of staff not turning up high as well, investing in training is just not worth it.

It would be a nightmare to manage this part of the business and I would think that is the main reason it's been outsourced.

Trouble is, the companies the catering is outsourced to are thinking in exactly the same way. At least if it was in-house, the club could offer some kind of job progression, same as McDonalds do, and maybe develop the catering options for the 12 out of 14 days the stadium is not in use during the season and the 14 out of 14 days it is not in use the rest of the year, while offering catering apprenticeships etc etc. Seems we're currently getting the worst of all worlds.

 

[TheDuke]

Let me tell you a story which pretty well sums it all up. A guy in front of my son in the 1901 Club asked if the barman would top his short-measured pint up to the correct level. The barman apologised, poured the pint away and started again. The level of the competence of the staff is 80% the problem...not their fault, they are set loose on us within adequate training. Simples!

 

[MissGull]

I'd spend more if they still sold the fish finger sandwich...but they don't, so I mostly just take my own drink now, and don't bother with queues at all.

 

[Return of the Rev]

let me tell you a story which pretty well sums it all up. A guy in front of my son in the 1901 club asked if the barman would top his short-measured pint up to the correct level. The barman apologised, poured the pint away and started again. The level of the competence of the staff is 80% the problem...not their fault, they are set loose on us within adequate training. Simples!

last home game in 1901(CLUB) my mate got given a 2/3 pint glass after drinking it he complained so they gave him a refill

 

[phoenix]

Ist visit to lower part of North Stand Vs Bolton. No pies at Half Time, is this the norm? My Son got there Before half time whistle!

 

[dazzer6666]

Trouble is, the companies the catering is outsourced to are thinking in exactly the same way. At least if it was in-house, the club could offer some kind of job progression, same as McDonalds do, and maybe develop the catering options for the 12 out of 14 days the stadium is not in use during the season and the 14 out of 14 days it is not in use the rest of the year, while offering catering apprenticeships etc etc. Seems we're currently getting the worst of all worlds.

Maccy Ds always seem to have a manager or supervisor on hand to deal with any issues too.

 

[Superphil]

I see this grip quite often, but look at the job - 5 or 6 hours, 23 random times a year, mainly Saturday afternoons but some Tuesday evenings as well. Might be needed for extra days depending on cup draws/play offs.

It's hardly going to attract anyone else but students/ casual workers. I suspect the turnover is high and the level of staff not turning up high as well, investing in training is just not worth it.

It would be a nightmare to manage this part of the business and I would think that is the main reason it's been outsourced.

The same just isn't true of places like Goodwood for example, same criteria, events a few times a year, and they don't have the benefit of 2 universities on the other side of the road, yet the staff there are polite, can speak English, know which way up to hold a beer glass, and don't seem to stick their fingers in your beer as they hand it over (and it's filled to the pint line). Whatever goes on at the Amex, it is just not good enough, I feel sorry for them to a degree if they simply have had no training, but one would assume if they are students, that they have been in a bar or two.

I kid you not, we asked for 2 and a half pints of Amstel, the barman looked perplexed, walked up and down, came back and said "we only sell pints", we responded, yes, that's what we want, 2 pints and a half, he the told us that they didn't do 2 pint glasses. I swear that is 100% the truth. That's nothing to do with transient staff, but I'm not sure I know just what it is.

 

[Barry Izbak]

It seems oh so simple

POUR a couple of dozen pints IN ADVANCE

SELL them during Half time

I'd like a pint at HT - but there is simply no time if you leave your seat on the whistle and want to get back before it starts.

My priority - contrary to popular belief - is actually the football, but yes I would buy a beer at HT if they made it easy

For such a forward thinking club who like taking money off us, you would think they would fix it.

 

[Garage_Doors]

[MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] Did the club ask you to do this poll as a marketing exercise?

 

[BN9 BHA]

No - the queues put me off. Change the kiosk queue mechanism to a single snake barrier so you go to the next available server, rather then stuck behind the 10 minute I want a full pint no head. Need to make the process behind the counter more production line, one person one function.

I would like to see this happen.

 

[mwrpoole]

The same just isn't true of places like Goodwood for example, same criteria, events a few times a year, and they don't have the benefit of 2 universities on the other side of the road, yet the staff there are polite, can speak English, know which way up to hold a beer glass, and don't seem to stick their fingers in your beer as they hand it over (and it's filled to the pint line). Whatever goes on at the Amex, it is just not good enough, I feel sorry for them to a degree if they simply have had no training, but one would assume if they are students, that they have been in a bar or two.

I kid you not, we asked for 2 and a half pints of Amstel, the barman looked perplexed, walked up and down, came back and said "we only sell pints", we responded, yes, that's what we want, 2 pints and a half, he the told us that they didn't do 2 pint glasses. I swear that is 100% the truth. That's nothing to do with transient staff, but I'm not sure I know just what it is.

I agree, I go to Cheltenham each year and the staff there are fast & efficient, otherwise you'd go all day struggling to get a drink. There are events like these up & down the country probably most weeks of the year, so there must be companies who ship in decent staff for them and are geared up to do just that. I guess they cost too much for the club to consider but polls like this show there is a need to analyse what the club are missing out on vs cost of service.

Cheltenham is a good example though, at the bars you can only buy drinks. At the food outlets you buy food, and I know where I go there is a dedicated hot drinks area. If you could buy the lot at one place it would probably descend into chaos regardless how good the staff are.

 

[MissGull]

I would like to see this happen.

Yes. I always end up in the queue with the new kid, on his first shift or 31st shift for that matter who can't work the till properly and has to go and get someone. In fact my queuing process is something like this:

1) Choose the shortest queue
2) End up behind a guy who is then joined by his whole family in the queue...and then everyone he knows joins him in the queue.
3) The guy and his family and friends have the most complicated food order ever and you could mistakenly believe they are buying for the whole crowd.
4) Get to the front of the queue and discover there's nothing left of what you want, so have to settle for something else.
5) Kid behind the till is on his first shift and can't work the till. Accidentally charges you for 150 Mars Bars and has to have someone over to help him.
6) Everyone behind you is tutting
7) The second half whistle is blown and you are still waiting for your purchase.

 

[kalinski]

Not after the £100 cancelation fee for cancelling mine and my son's ST...won't spend an extra penny when I go...


As I warning I may add this to every post...very miffed

 

[albionite]

Would spend more if they had a half decent cider on sale and not bloody strong bow.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Yes. I always end up in the queue with the new kid, on his first shift or 31st shift for that matter who can't work the till properly and has to go and get someone. In fact my queuing process is something like this:

1) Choose the shortest queue
2) End up behind a guy who is then joined by his whole family in the queue...and then everyone he knows joins him in the queue.
3) The guy and his family and friends have the most complicated food order ever and you could mistakenly believe they are buying for the whole crowd.
4) Get to the front of the queue and discover there's nothing left of what you want, so have to settle for something else.
5) Kid behind the till is on his first shift and can't work the till. Accidentally charges you for 150 Mars Bars and has to have someone over to help him.
6) Everyone behind you is tutting
7) The second half whistle is blown and you are still waiting for your purchase.

you have too laugh otherwise you would go mad.

I always pick the wrong queue if I'm getting a pint before the match, I'm sure at some point most of us experience what you have posted.

 

[Bozza]

@Bozza Did the club ask you to do this poll as a marketing exercise?

Nope, as I said in post 27.

 

[Garage_Doors]

My apologies didn't see that before posting.
Have now read that post I can only agree as someone who walks through all the lower concourses at half time the queues are unnecessarily long.