For what it's worth, my concession experience at the Houston game was much better than the Seattle game. I'm finding the beer carts along the stands are moving much faster than the regular concession counters along the back wall. I used the membership card, and the beer cart folks were faster this time on getting it read and processing the sale. Still for such a small crowd, the concourse was still pretty corwded at the half. If they start to regularly sell out, then crowds for concessions and bathrooms will be a nightmare.
Have you heard of this new thing called tipping. These people make about $3 an hour. Their compensation is supposed to be tips.
Yep - I tried to tell one of the vendors we were told they wouldn't be going in the aisles and he said he was specifically told to go down there.
Vendors were back again (in the aisles) last game. I emailed to complain (AGAIN) and got this response:
I sent a pretty angry response. I have an aisle seat, so it's especially distracting/obstructing to have these clowns rolling past me.
whats annoying is people going to their seats in the middle of the game. They'll come randomly at 26th minute with a whole bunch of beer and food and take there sweat ass time.
I don't blame you and am sure others will do the same. These guys get a commission, so this may not be pretty. Their answer to folks missing the game by standing in line is to block the view of the fan who is actually there to watch the game???
I got a similar email back. I'm curious about the "We've been informed" part. Does this just mean that the ticket guys who respond to the emails are relaying what they've been told by their superiors or that Fan Services and the FO have been informed by Delaware North that they're trying this out? This could be another fantastic act by Delaware North in addition to the concourse concessions speed and some of the Bull Shop mistakes which is apparently also run pretty unilaterally by them. Whatever the case is, I wonder how much familiarity Delaware North has with soccer crowds and exactly how much control they--or the next company--should be given over how they run things. Might also be the FO's decision.
The problem isn't the long lines - the problem is clearly the incompetence of the folks behind the registers. Despite the fact that it was a slow day due to the rain and Sunday night, it still took them a long time. The guy I sit behind waited forever for his burger and watched burger after burger go out ahead of him and when he finally asked what the heck, they said "you ordered 2 burgers so we are going to give them to you together". Apparently it was so bad, the manager was giving away free drinks.
For the first time, the special Stiegl beer window by my section 124 had no line at half time. I suppose it was partially due to it being a Sunday night. They also seemed to have some Stiegls poured.
Was it a problem in your sections the last game? In my section, I saw two people come during the lights delay and only two come during the actual game selling "icies" (spelling?). I don't know if I was so into the game and didn't notice more, but I didn't find them to be a major hassle on Sunday night.
The woman charged with wrapping the Brazilian and Spanish sausage sandwiches in the NorthBank was frighteningly slow, lost on another plane... Not the first time I've encountered precisely this kind of bizarre delay due to incompentence. I don't go to RBA to eat or drink but it can be maddening watching people move in slo-mo as I'm eager to get to my seat to watch the warm up.
A lot of them came in our section but most actually avoided the front rows. It's a distraction that I wish we didn't have to deal with - but this game no one tried to buy any hot dogs and I actually didn't see the hot dog guy so maybe they are trying to keep it to water and peanuts - stuff that's quick. People still got up and down like it was a baseball game. Too bad we can't treat soccer like theater where you need to be in your seats and only get up for intermission.
Indeed! It is theatre and should be treated accordingly so all can watch the drama unfold without interference or interruption!!!
I agree. I think MLS is the only league in the world where many empty seats during play are as a result of some folks waiting in line at the concession stand. The game is only 90 minutes long.....I don't want to miss a single minute.
This. I forget who said it, but some journo in Once In A Lifetime made the same point and it's one I always use.
I'm with most of you guys on this one, I have no sympathy for you missing that game if you can't go 90 minutes without having to order a burger...