sort the catering out please. its farcical

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

First season there were fellas with the back packs of beer and handpumps ... surprised that didn't continue

 

[Hamilton]

I'm assuming that during the first half, whilst we are all watching the game, that the staff are pulling hundreds of pints so that they are all lined up and ready to go the second that the first half ends.

Or am I assuming too much?

 

[TonyW]

This next sentence, although hard to believe, is the honest truth. At the Sheffield Wednesday game I reached the concourse bar first, straight after it had opened ( ESL). They hadn't run the beer through at that point and the clueless moron "serving" me actually handed me a plastic beaker containing less than 2 cm of lager and about 10 cm of throth. £4.20 please. Absolutely f'ing unbelievable.
He repeated this stupidity 3 more times until someone with a brain came over to show him what a pint of liquid should look like. How can that possibly happen?

 

[Iggle Piggle]

There is only so much the club can tell the caterers.

This is the exact same attitude the club has with Seagulls Player. Be Patient. We've told them. Things will get better. Some Improvements are happening now they've bought in new resources etc. Meanwhile, nothing changes and more and more people get the hump.

Perform and Sodexo (are whatever they are called) are one and the same essentially. A company providing a service for the least cost it can which therefore compromises the quality. Unless they are constantly put under pressure nothing will improve. I admit I'd rather the club spent its time trying to sign a striker that could head the ball but unless it is prepared to spend more time managing 3rd parties and either embarrass or threaten them to improve, the status quo will remain.

 

[crabface]

The Swan is a much better place to go before the game if the weather is nice, cheaper drinks, prompt service and good food.

Id imagine that they are doing well, due to the shoddy service and high prices in the ground.

The outside bar is a brilliant idea, however stopping serving at 2 is a little early in my eyes.

 

[Seagull73]

There is only so much the club can tell the caterers.

I know it's not 'your' problem but that's a really lazy response.

The club can kick the caterers arse as much as they like. If the club are to be believed and they do read social media as much as they claim they do, then there are plenty of complaints on here to justify the metaphorical arse kicking without having to receive 'direct' complaints.

Sadly, if this hasn't been sorted now after at least 3 different catering companies in 3 years and a mountain of dissatisfaction, I fear it won't be, and that is only to the detriment of the club.

 

[The Large One]

This is the exact same attitude the club has with Seagulls Player. Be Patient. We've told them. Things will get better. Some Improvements are happening now they've bought in new resources etc. Meanwhile, nothing changes and more and more people get the hump.

The club has its hands tied with Seagulls Player. It hates the contract it currently has.

They've never said 'be patient', they've repeatedly said 'Sorry for something so shit...' (I'm paraphrasing, of course)

Perform and Sodexo (are whatever they are called) are one and the same essentially. A company providing a service for the least cost it can which therefore compromises the quality. Unless they are constantly put under pressure nothing will improve. I admit I'd rather the club spent its time trying to sign a striker that could head the ball but unless it is prepared to spend more time managing 3rd parties and either embarrass or threaten them to improve, the status quo will remain.

There is a school of thought that states that the club should bring the catering in-house. In other words, have people in direct employment of the club who know how to manage the systems and don't have a different agenda to what the club is achieving.

I'm sure there are pluses and minuses to any given scenario but two pluses would be (1) the individual is answerable to the club - and therefore the fans and (2) it cuts out a third party.

Whether that would change the very transient nature of the staff within the kiosks is a slightly separate issue.

 

[The Large One]

I know it's not 'your' problem but that's a really lazy response.

The club can kick the caterers arse as much as they like. If the club are to be believed and they do read social media as much as they claim they do, then there are plenty of complaints on here to justify the metaphorical arse kicking without having to receive 'direct' complaints.

Sadly, if this hasn't been sorted now after at least 3 different catering companies in 3 years and a mountain of dissatisfaction, I fear it won't be, and that is only to the detriment of the club.

I don't disagree. But my point was - the club and caterers have evidently identified the problem, but it's down to the caterers to get the staff in and trained. The club can only do so much within the contract.

As regards further problem resolution, the club has already taken the nuclear option with one caterer...

 

[Rugrat]

Sadly, if this hasn't been sorted now after at least 3 different catering companies in 3 years and a mountain of dissatisfaction, I fear it won't be, and that is only to the detriment of the club.

I think the fact that 3 have tried and failed is pretty strong evidence that it's nigh on impossible to please all the people all the time. You're at the arse end of the labour market and as TB said getting people to work for 3 or 4 hours every 2 weeks means you're pretty well on a hiding to nothing. The only surprise to me is actually that it isn't far worse

There is a school of thought that states that the club should bring the catering in-house. In other words, have people in direct employment of the club who know how to manage the systems and don't have a different agenda to what the club is achieving.

God help anyone tasked with the responsibility of running that, a job from hell!

Personally I think they are far better off outsourcing to the so called "experts". Even though the end result is sub standard service it could be a hell of a lot worse.

Not a lot I've got sympathy for when it comes to PB, but this is one of them!

 

[marshy68]

I'm assuming that during the first half, whilst we are all watching the game, that the staff are pulling hundreds of pints so that they are all lined up and ready to go the second that the first half ends.

Or am I assuming too much?

I think unfortunately that you are... I find it astonishing that the catering staff seem genuinely surprized that people want a drink especially at critical times eg from 2.30pm from 3.40pm and from 4.50pm. I know they are students, I know they are on low pay, but its not hard. Each Kiosk should have a floor supervisor who ensures someone is taking the orders, someone is pouring beer continuously and someone is monitoring the amount of pies, burgers and hot dogs that are being sold and cooked and bloody motivating the staff to serve fast and effciently.

The problem seems to be that the catering company dont appear motivated, either they have under cooked the bid and cant service the account correctly as margins are too slim or they are making so much money they arent motivated to make more. The club dont care as they have the contract money in the bank. Its not hard and I dont buy the arguement that the punters want a freshly poured beer and are prepared to queue for that pleasure for 20 minutes at peak time. Part of the experience is chatting with mates, watching the results come in etc. Its a real shame as the service has got worse and worse. And while i am at it why oh why cant they put the managers interveiw through the PA system after the game so we can actually hear it?

 

[Hamilton]

I think unfortunately that you are... I find it astonishing that the catering staff seem genuinely surprized that people want a drink especially at critical times eg from 2.30pm from 3.40pm and from 4.50pm. I know they are students, I know they are on low pay, but its not hard. Each Kiosk should have a floor supervisor who ensures someone is taking the orders, someone is pouring beer continuously and someone is monitoring the amount of pies, burgers and hot dogs that are being sold and cooked and bloody motivating the staff to serve fast and effciently.

The problem seems to be that the catering company dont appear motivated, either they have under cooked the bid and cant service the account correctly as margins are too slim or they are making so much money they arent motivated to make more. The club dont care as they have the contract money in the bank. Its not hard and I dont buy the arguement that the punters want a freshly poured beer and are prepared to queue for that pleasure for 20 minutes at peak time. Part of the experience is chatting with mates, watching the results come in etc. Its a real shame as the service has got worse and worse. And while i am at it why oh why cant they put the managers interveiw through the PA system after the game so we can actually hear it?

Maybe the club should charge corkage and then we can bring our own. I've got a lovely little Chianti that I'll happily share at half time.

 

[Return of the Rev]

There is a school of thought that states that the club should bring the catering in-house. In other words, have people in direct employment of the club who know how to manage the systems and don't have a different agenda to what the club is achieving.


THERE IS A MIDDLE PATH,THERE ARE SMALLER COMPANIES THAT KNOW THE CATERING TRADE IN SPORTING VENUES AND HAVE FAR MORE TO GAIN MAKING THE AMEX A QUALITY PART OF THEIR BUSINESS.
STILL THINK THERE IS AN OPTION TO GIVE THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STADIUM TO DIFFERENT CATERERS,THUS GIVING A DIVERSE EXPERIENCE AND COMPETITION WITHIN THE COMPANIES AND IF ONE FOULED UP THE BETTER PROVIDERS COULD COVER THE OTHER AREA,ITS ALOT EASIER TO GET IT RIGHT IN A SECTION OF THE STADIUM,AND WHO KNOWS YOU MIGHT MOVE SEATS TO ENJOY ANOTHER/BETTER STYLE OF CATERING.

 

[Seagull73]

There is a school of thought that states that the club should bring the catering in-house. In other words, have people in direct employment of the club who know how to manage the systems and don't have a different agenda to what the club is achieving.

I'm sure there are pluses and minuses to any given scenario but two pluses would be (1) the individual is answerable to the club - and therefore the fans and (2) it cuts out a third party.

Whether that would change the very transient nature of the staff within the kiosks is a slightly separate issue.

I would be absolutely amazed if the club ever considered bringing the catering 'in-house'. It will almost certainly be totally cost in-effective, and there is no guarantee the product and experience would be any better than these so-called experts. It really would be a massive gamble.

Nobody know the details of the contracts, but you would like to think there is some sort of performance based pricing in there (speed of service, revenue uplift, transactional uplift etc). A shotgun survey of all fans would prove an interesting insight into the catering experience.

 

[Rugrat]

I would be absolutely amazed if the club ever considered bringing the catering 'in-house'. It will almost certainly be totally cost in-effective, and there is no guarantee the product and experience would be any better than these so-called experts. It really would be a massive gamble.

Nobody know the details of the contracts, but you would like to think there is some sort of performance based pricing in there (speed of service, revenue uplift, transactional uplift etc). A shotgun survey of all fans would prove an interesting insight into the catering experience.

Agree, they would be on a hiding to nothing if they tried it themselves.

PB said at the NWSS meeting that he knew it should be improved and they are keeping on at the caterers but he also admitted it would never be 'perfect'. In saying that asking supporters what they want might help, at least show that they were interested in hearing some of the ideas, many of which might provide some incremental improvement

 

[Moshe Gariani]

I have been able to leave around 5 mins after the whistle and and have always got served and returned before the second half kicks off.

That doesn't sound too bad, but you're still missing 40 minutes of the first half.

 

[Sheebo]

All got a bit heated after the game in the north when it turned out there was one kid operating 2 Tils

 

[crabface]

Has anyone tried the fish and chips outside? Any good?

 

[Iggle Piggle]

The club has its hands tied with Seagulls Player. It hates the contract it currently has.

They've never said 'be patient', they've repeatedly said 'Sorry for something so shit...' (I'm paraphrasing, of course)

This reply was where the patient comment came from.

http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?307715-Player-Video-Quality-(2)&highlight=perform

On the 2nd point, I don't expect the club to start up their own catering business essentially - The whole point of an outsource model is that this takes the pain away so whoever it is in question can concentrate on what they are good at. I'm in the IT outsourcing game which does exactly that, however, we are sometimes micro managed (and we sometimes manage our suppliers depending on whom they are) very very tightly meaning we have to deliver or face the consequences (which in my case once involved an IT director luzzing a phone at me, calling it an effing piece of shit before storming out the office but I digress). I don't sense the Albion go quite so nuclear in this position. Unfortunately, The best people in these jobs tend to be right ********s.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

There is only so much the club can tell the caterers.

Then the club need to bring the catering in-house. The recent NSC poll showed that an astonishing 85% of punters would spend more money on food and drink if they could get served. That's a shocking figure. Doubtless the caterers only report the positives i.e. number of pies and pints and snickers bars sold, and the club are pleased as punch with the reported figures. It only tells 15% of the story however.

 

[Return of the Rev]

then the club need to bring the catering in-house. The recent nsc poll showed that an astonishing 85% of punters would spend more money on food and drink if they could get served. That's a shocking figure. Doubtless the caterers only report the positives i.e. Number of pies and pints and snickers bars sold, and the club are pleased as punch with the reported figures. It only tells 15% of the story however.

i would spend more if i knew the albion got more than just pennys on each item,and i would be alot more tolerant of any hiccups.