Will Azure up their game this season?

[severnside gull]

30p a pint? That's one hell of a price hike!

I don't drink any more but have pub prices gone up correspondingly? I'm sure I'd have heard.

Certainly answers Gibseagulls question as there isn't a lot of room to manouevre on passing-on higher wage costs.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I saw a job advert for frontline matchday staff. £6 per hour. Will Azure up their game this season? Probably not.

Didn't they struggle last season getting suitable staff at £6.50 per hour ?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Didn't they struggle last season getting suitable staff at £6.50 per hour ?

So, according to what I have read in this thread a major part of the reason Azure cannot deliver a half decent service is that they pay such shit wages. You don't need to have a business brain to work this one out do you.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Didn't they struggle last season getting suitable staff at £6.50 per hour ?

Depends on your deffinition of suitable really. I only had two problems in the East stand all last season, so those people were "suitable". But I know other people had varying experiences. It's a difficult job, and for the money you're only going to attract people who are desperate, out of options and shaking down the suitee looking for pennies.

I hope they received my application successfully.

 

[Notters]

So, according to what I have read in this thread a major part of the reason Azure cannot deliver a half decent service is that they pay such shit wages. You don't need to have a business brain to work this one out do you.

Same wages as every other catering job in brighton.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I saw a job advert for frontline matchday staff. £6 per hour. Will Azure up their game this season? Probably not.

Unlikely, since the national minimum wage is £6.08 for workers aged 21 and over.

 

[kevo]

It's easy to complain, isn't it? I didn't have any particular problems with the catering last season. The people working there are students - they are on poor money. I personally found everyone who served me friendly and helpful. Sure there are things that could be done better (like keeping the pies hot!), but personally I never had a major issue.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Same wages as every other catering job in brighton.

But the AMEX strikes me as very different to most other catering jobs. The kiosk staff will only work 23 times during the year so they will need to be able to pick up the training very quickly and not forget it during all the between match down time. They also need to be super speedy and more motivated as they will need to deal with huge sales spikes. I presume you will have to pay more for this type of employee.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

SG also suggests that relatively low margins are the industry norm - I wonder if this is the case at the Amex and how much pay flexibility they've got without passing the cost on to the customer? Would we be prepared to pay for better service I wonder?

Flexibility will also be determined by how much profit they make. Costs do not necessarily have to be passed onto the punter.

 

[R. Slicker]

It's easy to complain, isn't it? I didn't have any particular problems with the catering last season. The people working there are students - they are on poor money. I personally found everyone who served me friendly and helpful. Sure there are things that could be done better (like keeping the pies hot!), but personally I never had a major issue.

Agree, I don't understand why everyone sees long queues etc. as a personal affront. If you go to a major sporting event elsewhere, you will have to queue for refreshments.
Get there early to be sure of being served or be prepared to wait.
Half time, be prepared to queue or don't bother.
The catering is for everyone, not just me.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Price hikes, same problems, I probably wont bother turning up to matches early anymore and just get in 30-15min before KO and spend my money in the Pub. I'm in the ESU and I reckon its gonna be a nightmare at the kiosks and the toilets. Best place to be will be the South stand because it'll be half empty. One really good thing about the Amex last season was the sense that you didn't feel ripped off. £3.60 for Harvey's is ok, not cheap but ok. If its £3.90 as someone suggested thats expensive. So if thats gone up, the food has probably gone up. Matchday ticket prices are up 15%ish and its only a matter of time (next season), season tickets will go up. If this type of pocket squeezing continues, poor service continues, I can see less people using the kiosks. Thats a knock on Azure and the club's profits. Its very easy to lose customers, and twice as hard to get them back.

 

[Notters]

But the AMEX strikes me as very different to most other catering jobs. The kiosk staff will only work 23 times during the year so they will need to be able to pick up the training very quickly and not forget it during all the between match down time. They also need to be super speedy and more motivated as they will need to deal with huge sales spikes. I presume you will have to pay more for this type of employee.

I know people who've worked on events at the South of England show ground. They have a similar number of events per year. They get picked up from Churchill Square at five in the morning, don't get fed and are still on minimum wage.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Pay peanuts, get monkeys.

 

[Vegas Seagull]

I know people who've worked on events at the South of England show ground. They have a similar number of events per year. They get picked up from Churchill Square at five in the morning, don't get fed and are still on minimum wage.

They get a more worthwhile 10/12 hours pay not 4 tho?

 

[Vegas Seagull]

Price hikes, same problems, I probably wont bother turning up to matches early anymore and just get in 30-15min before KO and spend my money in the Pub. I'm in the ESU and I reckon its gonna be a nightmare at the kiosks and the toilets. Best place to be will be the South stand because it'll be half empty. One really good thing about the Amex last season was the sense that you didn't feel ripped off. £3.60 for Harvey's is ok, not cheap but ok. If its £3.90 as someone suggested thats expensive. So if thats gone up, the food has probably gone up. Matchday ticket prices are up 15%ish and its only a matter of time (next season), season tickets will go up. If this type of pocket squeezing continues, poor service continues, I can see less people using the kiosks. Thats a knock on Azure and the club's profits. Its very easy to lose customers, and twice as hard to get them back.

30p will turn a 15 minute wait into a 14 minute wait for 30 mins pre match & HT in WSL and simply increase revenues & therefore reduce complaints...early & esp after IS different tho
Giving all the extra work to the already shambolic amateurs does seem like as good a move as giving the all extra Olympic security to G4S....

 

[happypig]

Pay peanuts, get monkeys.

Can we pay potatoes and have chips ?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I know people who've worked on events at the South of England show ground. They have a similar number of events per year. They get picked up from Churchill Square at five in the morning, don't get fed and are still on minimum wage.

Same as Glastonbury to a degree. But what strikes me as different with SoE and other events is there is a slow build up of punters and the opportunity to learn, for a few hours at least, on the job and a much longer day. At the AMEX it's pretty much in at the deep end as soon as the gates are open and sink or swim time for staff. Some staff must only get 3-4 hours of real work and then they're on their way until the next game. If it takes a few hours to get the hang of working in a real environment then you can see why there are so many issues. Because of the spending patterns at the AMEX, Azure need staff who are quick witted, sharp and can pick things up very quickly but this comes at a cost; one I suspect they do not want to pay.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

They get a more worthwhile 10/12 hours pay not 4 tho?

Fair point.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Unlikely, since the national minimum wage is £6.08 for workers aged 21 and over.

Most of the front line kiosk Staff are University students, aged 18-20 so surely this doesn't apply?

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

I really hope that Azure up their game - there are SO MANY simple things that could be done to improve Customer service, yet they don't seem to listen.

I for one am not holding my breath.

Oh, and if the beer has gone up 30p a pint, then I'd be very disappointed.