Dangerous4 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 03, 2019 2:18 pm
I guess you get what you pay for.
Err, that's the problem, people often don't. There is nothing salubrious about the Final Whistle. The range of drinks is limited. The throughput and peaks/troughs of custom is known. They charge more than pubs. And yet....
Dangerous4 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 03, 2019 2:18 pmTo find a better caterer would no doubt cost more, and that increase would mean that prices would go up, which I feel sure would not go down well with customers.
As opposed to now, when customers are delighted... not..!
Costs don’t have to go up if efficiency is improved.
I’m certain I’m not the only one that often doesn’t bother just because of how much effort it takes (and a very real risk of missing the restart if you go at halftime)
Just heard on the Talking Tigers podcast that Cohen and the board recognise that things aren't as good as they could be. This is nothing new. However, the current 10 year contract runs out this year and the current suppliers (under new ownership) and others are under consideration going forward and a decision will be made in the next few weeks.
ourla wrote: ↑Sat Mar 09, 2019 1:14 am
Just heard on the Talking Tigers podcast that Cohen and the board recognise that things aren't as good as they could be. This is nothing new. However, the current 10 year contract runs out this year and the current suppliers (under new ownership) and others are under consideration going forward and a decision will be made in the next few weeks.
To me it sounded like he was teeing up the existing lot to stay on by dressing it up as 'new ownership, new me'.
Having made the trip to watch the game last night, debating about season ticket ownership for next year. Unacceptably long queues to both drinks and toilet facilities in the crumbie stand side of the ground and another disastrous performance in the pitch quickly killed that idea!
Rosco wrote: ↑Sat Mar 23, 2019 11:44 am
Having made the trip to watch the game last night, debating about season ticket ownership for next year. Unacceptably long queues to both drinks and toilet facilities in the crumbie stand side of the ground and another disastrous performance in the pitch quickly killed that idea!
Yes the service in the ABC, Crumbie Bar &Lounge was terrible last night the bar staff have few ideas and as for the "Blonde lady in a black trouser suit" well if it's fairy liquid looking beer& bad service she is the expert. no it cannot be fixed with your radio it's a beer engine not a hifi!
The Supporters forum do not appear interested either, worse than Buckie Thistle on a Sunday... Ugh##
To the world you may be just one person.
But to that one person you may be the world!
The Supporters Forum certainly are interested, we are fans experiencing the same awful service as everybody else. This subject has been talked to death at meetings with no conclusion reached. Te simple facts are that in order to raise funds for the Caterpillar (now Holland & Barrett) stand the club entered into a 10 year agreement. We all know that at ordinary fan level the results have not been satisfactory, the caterers have tried to do something about it introducing various layers of management but nothing has worked. The simple fact is that the labour source for a few hours on a Saturday or a Friday or a Sunday about seventeen times a year is inexperienced students who are unreliable, training is ineffective as they do not necessarily turn up next time.
I can assure you that the club are taking the matter seriously, there are plans for the future and they may work but I am not holding my breath as the main labour source remains the same however all the club can do is try to improve from the low that we have experienced over the last ten years. Things can only get better as they can hardly get worse!
Bad as things were on the pitch at our last home match against Saints, the worst performance by far was by the staff in the Drogolites bar! I stopped drinking in the ground a few years ago - a combination of poor quality beer, high prices and poor service but last week I had been for a meal prior to the match and thought I would take a drink in with me, after waiting for 10 minutes in a short queue that did not seem to be moving I gave up and went to my seat.
At half time I really was in need of a drink so went down to the same bar and again waited while a woefully inefficient team of three totally incompetent bar staff struggled to cope with the demands of others with the same idea as myself! After a 10 minute wait a young lady (supervisor?) joined the team and frantically did her best to serve the increasingly restless thirsty supporters, when I pointed out that I had paid to watch a rugby match not wait in a queue she couldn't stop apologising and indeed I was served a few minutes later.
If Tigers were running a City centre bar on match days they would soon find themselves with no customers but having a captive audience means their income is to some extent guaranteed. I realise that many supporters are ordering 2 pint containers and this takes longer to fill but then again what is wrong in pre-filling jugs and serving from these as we did in the "old days".
Our hospitality seems to reflect our on field efforts....
The club can claim to take the matter seriously and can claim that their hands are tied contractually and people can claim the situation is unavoidable given it's nature but I don't buy any of it (figuratively and literally). It's been poor for years and is still poor.
johnthegriff wrote: ↑Tue Apr 02, 2019 11:00 am
The Supporters Forum certainly are interested, we are fans experiencing the same awful service as everybody else. This subject has been talked to death at meetings with no conclusion reached. Te simple facts are that in order to raise funds for the Caterpillar (now Holland & Barrett) stand the club entered into a 10 year agreement. We all know that at ordinary fan level the results have not been satisfactory, the caterers have tried to do something about it introducing various layers of management but nothing has worked. The simple fact is that the labour source for a few hours on a Saturday or a Friday or a Sunday about seventeen times a year is inexperienced students who are unreliable, training is ineffective as they do not necessarily turn up next time.
I can assure you that the club are taking the matter seriously, there are plans for the future and they may work but I am not holding my breath as the main labour source remains the same however all the club can do is try to improve from the low that we have experienced over the last ten years. Things can only get better as they can hardly get worse!
100% agree John
If winning isn't everything, why do they bother keeping score?
johnthegriff wrote: ↑Tue Apr 02, 2019 11:00 am
The Supporters Forum certainly are interested, we are fans experiencing the same awful service as everybody else. This subject has been talked to death at meetings with no conclusion reached. Te simple facts are that in order to raise funds for the Caterpillar (now Holland & Barrett) stand the club entered into a 10 year agreement. We all know that at ordinary fan level the results have not been satisfactory, the caterers have tried to do something about it introducing various layers of management but nothing has worked. The simple fact is that the labour source for a few hours on a Saturday or a Friday or a Sunday about seventeen times a year is inexperienced students who are unreliable, training is ineffective as they do not necessarily turn up next time.
I can assure you that the club are taking the matter seriously, there are plans for the future and they may work but I am not holding my breath as the main labour source remains the same however all the club can do is try to improve from the low that we have experienced over the last ten years. Things can only get better as they can hardly get worse!
Hi John, I originated this thread back in 2016 and yes there have been some technological improvements but I do whole heartedly agree with you that the core fact is the casual labour but given a good bar supervisor in each bar this would at least prevent "fairy liquid" ale but possibly not the difference between cider & lager?
I hope that next season in the Premiership brings the improvements that the Supporters Forum and the fans require, thanks.
We went into the ABC bar after the last game, the room was full with tables and chairs, supporters were stopping!
After, we called into the Droglites, Greg Bateman and Adam Thompstone were in there and, if you were lucky, you got a token for a free pint of beer.
Speaking with Steve Kenny, he explained that there would be new caterers next season, not just a name change. The shutters would no longer be slammed down and the ABC and Droglites would remain open until the customers left, not thrown out as has been the case in order for the staff to go home!
Progress?
LE18 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 11, 2019 6:24 pm
We went into the ABC bar after the last game, the room was full with tables and chairs, supporters were stopping!
After, we called into the Droglites, Greg Bateman and Adam Thompstone were in there and, if you were lucky, you got a token for a free pint of beer.
Speaking with Steve Kenny, he explained that there would be new caterers next season, not just a name change. The shutters would no longer be slammed down and the ABC and Droglites would remain open until the customers left, not thrown out as has been the case in order for the staff to go home!
Progress?
The Speed bar in the old Captains Bar was the only one that pre poured pints and served the punters quickly.
It's not rocket science to do the same in the main stadium bars, it's pretty obvious when the busy times occur!!!!
As for training of the staff........it seems to be none existent, but in reality it just needs someone with an ounce of cocum and some get up and go, again it's not rocket science to be a good barman/maid, but it does require a positive attitude and a willingness to work hard at the busy periods.
I'm with Ourla, there's no excuse, it's just poor management.
So what is the beer like now? I understand that Everards are now having their beer brewed at Robinsons in Stockport until the new Brewery in Fosse Park(?) is up and running.