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re: Crimson White addresses price gouging in BDS
Posted on 9/13/14 at 8:52 am to TideWarrior
Posted on 9/13/14 at 8:52 am to TideWarrior
Let me clarify my position. I don't care if they raise the prices of nachos, hotdogs, candy, or soda to meet the required profit margin. Maybe if they dropped the water price and upped the soda price a little, people would make a healthier decision.
Hell raise the ticket prices one dollar and you won't hear me complain. The problem is charging ridiculous amounts for one of life's basic needs.
Or if you must charge $4.50 then put it in one of those 24 oz disposable cups with ice. 4.50 for a bottle of water and then charging extra for ice in a cup is ridiculous. My $4.50 bottle of water was warm ten minutes after I left the concession stand. (Not that it was cold to begin with)
Hell raise the ticket prices one dollar and you won't hear me complain. The problem is charging ridiculous amounts for one of life's basic needs.
Or if you must charge $4.50 then put it in one of those 24 oz disposable cups with ice. 4.50 for a bottle of water and then charging extra for ice in a cup is ridiculous. My $4.50 bottle of water was warm ten minutes after I left the concession stand. (Not that it was cold to begin with)
1
Posted on 9/13/14 at 9:15 am to chattabama
At least put in more water fountains and let people bring in a clear bottle. I have no idea where a fountain in the west upper deck is.
Posted on 9/13/14 at 10:45 am to pvilleguru
On a mission to seek out these supposed "water fountains" today. Will report back tomorrow.
Posted on 9/13/14 at 10:52 am to chattabama
quote:
Our concession stand lines are ridiculous because they are run by volunteers as well. I stood in line for 25 minutes last Saturday, and that wasn't even during a marquee game.
When you say cheap, how much do they charge for a bottled water?
I don't drink water, I get the 32oz souvenier cup with coke, take a few sips off the top, then top it back up with whiskey. $8.00 which I'm fine with. I'd pay $10. Of course, if you were there with wife and two kids, and everyone wants a souveneir cup, it's kind of ridiculous. I don't yet have that issue.
The problem is that these church kids, bless their hearts, wait for someone to order a coke before they pour a coke. 65% of the people in line are ordering one. Take Cindy off register 3, she's the slowest anyway, and have her just stand by the coke machine filling up cokes. All day. Then Sally can turn over her register much faster, slinging out cokes and pizzas and hot dogs and nachos all day long, and not have to stand there smiling while the coke fills up with each order.
And if by God you can't take Cindy off register 3 because there's already a long line there, then start taking people's orders two at a time.... let's role play:
"What can I get for you sir?"
"Lemme get two hot dogs, an order of nachos, and two souvenier cups with diet coke"
"OK that will be $XX.... And you ma'am (behind the gentleman) what will you be having?"
"Just a pizza and a souvenier coke"
Sally fills up the coke and one of the diet cokes at the same time, and then while the second diet coke is being filled up, she turns to get two hot dogs, nachos, and 1 pizza, sets on counter, hands man his two diet cokes and while his credit card runs, she sets aside the pizza and the regular coke. She hands man his receipt and lady walks up, Sally hands her the pizza and diet coke
"That's $XX" and she completes the transaction. If it's a credit card transaction, she goes ahead and take the order of the next person while the card runs.
This is simple stuff.
It didn't piss me off so bad until I went to Columbia in 2012 and saw how smooth and fast their concessions flowed, it was like a professional operation. I saw that it could be done, and is being done.
While I'm pissed, I'll also share my other big issue with Sanford Stadium. They never have all the ticket gates open. There will be 12 turnstiles, but only 6 or 7 open at each gate. Getting into the LSU game last year took literally 40 minutes. No fricking excuse.
Do yall ever have to wait in line 40 minutes to get into the stadium? Sure there will be a rush right before kickoff, that's understandable, but 40 minutes? With only half the damn turnstiles open?
Posted on 9/13/14 at 11:09 am to deeprig9
quote:
Do yall ever have to wait in line 40 minutes to get into the stadium? Sure there will be a rush right before kickoff, that's understandable, but 40 minutes? With only half the damn turnstiles open?
It's never that bad at my gate at BDS. Maybe 15 minutes shortly before a really big game at worst. They actually have express lanes for people without bags which is a new thing this year which speeds it up even more.
Posted on 9/13/14 at 11:08 pm to deeprig9
quote:
Do yall ever have to wait in line 40 minutes to get into the stadium? Sure there will be a rush right before kickoff, that's understandable, but 40 minutes? With only half the damn turnstiles open?
Less than five minutes. Today I walked up 15 minutes before kickoff, and it was less than 20 seconds to get through the gate.
On another note, I went on walkabout looking for water fountains and found that there is a severely unequal distribution (lower bowl only).
If you are in the west stands, there are two water fountains at each women's restroom in the upper concourse. If you are in the north end zone, there is one at pretty much every single restroom on the interior walls (men's and women's) both on the upper and lower concourses. Every water fountain has a cup dispenser.
I didn't see a single water fountain in the east stands. I wonder why they shorted the east side?
ETA - I don't know what's in the south endzone, as you can't cross into the student section.
This post was edited on 9/13/14 at 11:13 pm
Posted on 9/14/14 at 7:44 am to crimsontater
quote:
does u of a run the concessions or is it contracted out to the highest bidder?
Contracted out or better yet outsourced
FTW I agree about the price
Posted on 9/14/14 at 9:42 am to Evolved Simian
quote:
I didn't see a single water fountain in the east stands. I wonder why they shorted the east side?
So I walked the length of the upper concourse on the east side. 4 water fountains within a few feet of each other in the northeast corner, none any where else. I sit in the southeast corner so naturally I'd never seen the ones on the far end of the concourse. At least I know they're there now.
Posted on 9/14/14 at 9:52 am to Funky Tide 8
Speaking of selling beer, did anyone notice when they panned the crowd early in the game, some young chick was standing there holding a BL? 
Posted on 9/15/14 at 12:01 am to Interweb Cowboy
Yes 
quote:
Lance Taylor
?@TheLanceTaylor
So are they serving at Bryant Denny now??? pic.twitter.com/T6TzTKljKS
Posted on 9/15/14 at 8:21 am to TideWarrior
quote:
I have yet to see fans start boycotting games at BDS because of the price of concessions or just bottled wate
I doubt anyone would boycott games over concession prices, so that statement is absurd to begin with. And it wasn't even my point. I do know several people, myself included, that don't go to as many games as they used to because because they're tired of being nickel'd and dime'd at every opportunity. Raising Tide Pride fee, raising ticket prices, making all parking on campus reserved and charging a premium, raising concession prices, etc., all while the quality of home opponents has decreased. I get that that comes with the territory when the team has success and has a coach that demands a higher salary, but where is the breaking point? Are we getting close to a point where fans say enough is enough?
Posted on 9/15/14 at 9:57 am to BamaGradinTn
quote:
If I want water, I'll drink from a fountai
I couldn't find a fountain Saturday. Did they take them all out?
Posted on 9/15/14 at 12:35 pm to The Spleen
quote:
I get that that comes with the territory when the team has success and has a coach that demands a higher salary, but where is the breaking point? Are we getting close to a point where fans say enough is enough?
In my opinion only when the staff starts being contenders for the SEC and NC.
Posted on 9/15/14 at 2:57 pm to TideWarrior
On a positive note...I thought it was cool to have the "yell crew", or whatever they're called, passing out sunglasses and shakers to everyone at the top of the circular ramp between U4 AA and the SS student sections. The sunglasses were especially cool.
But why were they wearing UGA red???
But why were they wearing UGA red???
Posted on 9/15/14 at 9:44 pm to sarc
The school complains about fan attendance but then does everything in their power to make the gameday experience as expensive and miserable as possible.
Posted on 9/16/14 at 3:17 am to sarc
The current contract is six years old, someone said? In other words, right about the time Saban started clicking, in 2008. Success breeds this sort of thing -- when fans are clamoring to get in, including opposing fans who want to see their team face the mighty Alabama, the AD has nothing to lose by letting prices get jacked up...at least in the short run. If they start to see a point of diminishing return in the future, they can always change their policies and renegotiate their contracts.
I find it interesting because I've attended more than one game at BDS, but those were back in the Dark Period of the program. While I honestly couldn't tell you what the prices were, I can say that I wasn't in the least bit put off, which means they were reasonably in line with prices I'd paid at other venues.
From an outsider's perspective though (and I'm well aware I'm not the AD's target demographic here) I'd certainly take pause at the idea of $4.50 bottled water and excessively jacked up concessions when deciding whether to attend a game (or, more likely, whether to come back again once I suffered the actual sticker shock.) Long experience with sporting venues, amusement parks, and hotel mini-bars has conditioned me to expect some jacking-up, but, like most people, I do have a general idea of what I consider a bridge too far. It's not about the money per se -- I'm reasonably comfortable financially -- but the excessive gouging aspect. I know some people are objecting to that word on technical grounds, but it can have a more generic connotation of artificially limiting peoples' options on in-demand items and jacking up the prices simply because you have people at a disadvantage rather than as a reflection of the actual value of the goods in that situation. And I do get that there are other options, but if I'm buying bottled water, it's because I prefer the taste and hygiene of bottled water, which isn't an unreasonable rationale. I have no philosophical objection to a vendor and the AD making as much profit as they can. But it's perfectly fair for people to have a personal objection because this profit isn't being made in some abstract market theory...it's being made off of these people. That extra 100+% increase over similar prices in similar venues is coming out of their own personal wallets.
Frankly, what makes the most sense to me is to simply ban coolers and the like, and let people bring in their own water. What people would be paying for in that case would be cold water. Warm water works as well as cold to prevent dehydration, but cold water is preferred for refreshment, and without coolers, no outside water is going to stay cold for very long in September temperatures down South. Past that, there's really no philosophical justification that I can think of to ban outside water bottles. They sell bottles in the stadium, so it's not a litter issue. They can check for seals, so it's not a safety issue. The only purpose of the ban is to siphon more money out of the pockets of the attendees. They're in their rights to do so, but whether or not it's a sound long-term strategy is a completely different question.
I find it interesting because I've attended more than one game at BDS, but those were back in the Dark Period of the program. While I honestly couldn't tell you what the prices were, I can say that I wasn't in the least bit put off, which means they were reasonably in line with prices I'd paid at other venues.
From an outsider's perspective though (and I'm well aware I'm not the AD's target demographic here) I'd certainly take pause at the idea of $4.50 bottled water and excessively jacked up concessions when deciding whether to attend a game (or, more likely, whether to come back again once I suffered the actual sticker shock.) Long experience with sporting venues, amusement parks, and hotel mini-bars has conditioned me to expect some jacking-up, but, like most people, I do have a general idea of what I consider a bridge too far. It's not about the money per se -- I'm reasonably comfortable financially -- but the excessive gouging aspect. I know some people are objecting to that word on technical grounds, but it can have a more generic connotation of artificially limiting peoples' options on in-demand items and jacking up the prices simply because you have people at a disadvantage rather than as a reflection of the actual value of the goods in that situation. And I do get that there are other options, but if I'm buying bottled water, it's because I prefer the taste and hygiene of bottled water, which isn't an unreasonable rationale. I have no philosophical objection to a vendor and the AD making as much profit as they can. But it's perfectly fair for people to have a personal objection because this profit isn't being made in some abstract market theory...it's being made off of these people. That extra 100+% increase over similar prices in similar venues is coming out of their own personal wallets.
Frankly, what makes the most sense to me is to simply ban coolers and the like, and let people bring in their own water. What people would be paying for in that case would be cold water. Warm water works as well as cold to prevent dehydration, but cold water is preferred for refreshment, and without coolers, no outside water is going to stay cold for very long in September temperatures down South. Past that, there's really no philosophical justification that I can think of to ban outside water bottles. They sell bottles in the stadium, so it's not a litter issue. They can check for seals, so it's not a safety issue. The only purpose of the ban is to siphon more money out of the pockets of the attendees. They're in their rights to do so, but whether or not it's a sound long-term strategy is a completely different question.
Posted on 9/16/14 at 4:31 am to randomways
quote:
They're in their rights to do so, but whether or not it's a sound long-term strategy is a completely different question.
Well stated. I tend to think that alienating the fans/customers=bad longterm strategy, but without a crystal ball to look into, who knows what if anything will ever come of the frustration people are feeling.If the team starts sucking several years down the road and people stop making the trek to BDS in droves you could maybe point to shite like this as a factor, though.
Posted on 9/16/14 at 5:26 am to randomways
Agree. Politically and philosophically, I also have no problem with any business or vendor making as much of a profit as they can. However, as a consumer, I do think the AD may reach a point in the very near future where a large percentage of their customer base feels the gameday experience is not worth the price. And I don't think it is so much the total outlay of money it costs us. It's more the perception that we are being wrung dry for every nickel.
When you're business is selling a non-essential product or service (such as entertainment in the case of Bama sports), perception and goodwill are about 90% of the battle.
When you're business is selling a non-essential product or service (such as entertainment in the case of Bama sports), perception and goodwill are about 90% of the battle.
Posted on 9/16/14 at 8:34 am to SoFla Tideroller
quote:
I do think the AD may reach a point in the very near future where a large percentage of their customer base feels the gameday experience is not worth the price
Outside of the big SEC games, we're already seeing it. Every game I've been to the past 3 years, I've bought tickets outside the stadium the day of the game. Only one(LSU last year) did I pay more than face value of the ticket. My brother got 40 yard line seats in the lower bowl this past Saturday for $5 5 minutes before kickoff.
The problem is, the AD still gets their money because of Tide Pride and the supposed waiting list. To clue everyone in that may not know, there is only a waiting list for the low level donation seats. You call the ticket office with the right amount of money and they'll move you to the top of the supposed waiting list and find you some seats.
Posted on 9/16/14 at 9:31 am to The Spleen
quote:
You call the ticket office with the right rightamount of money and they'll move you to the top of the supposed waiting list and find you some seats.
I have been on all waiting lists for 7 years, including the higher donations. Not sure what the right amount is. I asked one of the Asst AD's (they handle PR and donations) and he told me he had someone offer $50K and he couldn't promise him he would move up, so the RIGHT amount must be pretty up there.
What makes me mad in all this is the Athletic Dept actually promotes scalping by advertising StubHub. A Club seats are openly scalped (although they have been told they can lose their seats if caught, it hasn't happened.)
While I am at it another pet peeve is if you have the UA sheepskin, you should go above those on the waiting list who don't.
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