Disappointment for Season Ticket Holders

[Keygans]

Hi everyone,   

My father and I have had season tickets since ‘89 back at Memorial stadium.  29 games,  go to as many as dads health allows.   We are diehard fans, hence my daily reading here and occasional posts.   I wanted to take a few minutes to write this up and share another disappointing customer service experience/PR for the Orioles to season ticket holders for 30+ years
 

My father bought his grandkids, the dugout club starting in 2016.   Obviously last year cancelled it, but we still got our backpacks and laniards for the kids.  So this week he called to try to do a few things with our points and also with getting tickets for the kids to go.   So we called our ST rep. 

first;  our rep informed us that we cannot use our points for a specific give away in the past or future.   For example getting a Cedric Mullins shirt.   Well,  we know this isn’t true as the people that sit next to us did just did it , but let’s ignore that:   He said,  we could get a pot luck signed item from a “present or past” oriole:    Righhhht….no interest in a Freddy Bynum signed paper.   Ok,  so he agreed to get one thing for my nephew I think a signed picture of Mullins and then they were nice enough (in appearance) to let us pick up the giveaway for tonight’s game a day early to save dad a trip down , and me too from driving, walking parking etc.    even sent a confirmation email.    
 

So we get there last night to pick up the items, and the lady informs us that you cannot pick up the bobble head. In fact they haven’t come in yet. [bull$hit] Dad proceeded to show her the email and asked to speak to the girl that he talk to who was standing over in the corner. Then she comes over and says oh I was mistaken sorry about that.  Dad was very upset suffice to say. 

Second: back to the phone call.   We tried to purchase some tickets for the dugout club for a future game only to find out that the dugout club has been canceled and since replaced with the kids cheer free. Ok fine.  Confusing, but fine. Now, in the past, the dugout club was a number of games I believe four possibly even six games in which the kids got to go for free as long as the parents bought tickets.  So, we asked how we were going to be compensated for already having the passes, the lanyards, and everything for the dugout club for 2020 and 2021. They told us that we could have one game for the kids and we would have to buy tickets and then the kids cheered free.  of course those are only in certain sections too, not in our general area etc.   As a season ticket holders I kind of hoped given the inconvenience, or confusion, or terrible communication on their end, or he’ll even just for good PR/ customer service they would allow us just to bring the kids during one of the games we already have instead tickets for instead of having to purchase tickets and or trade-in tickets but they were not interested in customer service.  Those are the rules and that’s it. 
 

In slight defense of the rep, he was clearly following a script and was not allowed to deviate from it whatsoever. To me that just indicates that the Orioles do not care about their long term season ticket holders, nor do they care about putting fans in the stands.    I know we talk a lot on this site about things like this,  and I just wanted to share.  My father was so pissed off he told me he’s not getting tickets next year and won’t go to a game even if I keep them.   Now, maybe he changes his mind once he cools down, but I’m not sure he will.  And that makes me too not really feel like going,   The whole experience is time with my dad or the kids.   And If the orioles don’t care, why should I.   
 

I’ll still root for my birds, chat here, watch on TV, but last night might’ve been the last game I go to for a very long time.

Edited July 24, 2021 by Keygans
Typo

[Frobby]

I’d escalate that up the food chain.  Write a letter and explain how long you’ve been season ticket holders etc.  There’s no way they’ll stick to their position on this if anyone with half a brain gets involved.   

[beantownrefugee]

It sounds like there's not a great amount of training and communication to the front line customer service staff, and that at least some of your issues were resolved by their supervisor who was in the know.  I'd just ask to speak with a supervisor each time, much like most other customer service situations in other businesses.  

As for the Dugout Club, yes based on the in-game MASN promos, it has been replaced by Kids Cheer Free Plus

https://www.mlb.com/orioles/fans/kids/cheer-free

What isn't clear, at least to me, is whether the four vouchers means one per game for four games (similar to past Dugout Club), or four vouchers for one game with each member of the party gets in, up to four.  

[Keygans]

11 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I’d escalate that up the food chain.  Write a letter and explain how long you’ve been season ticket holders etc.  There’s no way they’ll stick to their position on this if anyone with half a brain gets involved.   

My Dear Frobby

 

I fear the damage is done with dad.  This isn’t the first incident with the ST reps or the Orioles being unhelpful, however I fear for dad it’s the last.  And that really breaks my heart. 

 

 

[Keygans]

Correct.  It’s unclear and confusing.  But the general idea is or should be to bring fans and kids in the stadium.  What should they care if it’s 4 or 6 with the way attendance is.  I think it cost $30?  $40?  Per kid.  So…if that’s only 1 game…jeez…

 

anyway, in fear it is now irrelevant.  

Edited July 24, 2021 by Keygans

[spiritof66]

34 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I’d escalate that up the food chain.  Write a letter and explain how long you’ve been season ticket holders etc.  There’s no way they’ll stick to their position on this if anyone with half a brain gets involved.   

and if that person cares enough to spend a few minutes to do the right thing, or has been directed to do the right thing, for a few potential ticket buyers. 

[Philip]

43 years ago I got my first job, and fast food, working at Arby’s, and to this day I love Arby’s. The number one thing that was hammered into my brain was customer service. Being fast, being accurate being polite. I got a couple years older went into retail, working for a local drugstore and eventually becoming floor manager. Again, customer service being polite was hammered in to me.

Fast forward 40 years, and I could tell you multiple stories about Walmart being openly rude to their customers, and a week or so ago Walmart opened the first all self check out store. Customers are required to check themselves out and the employees literally do nothing but stand around and monitor them while they do it to make sure they’re not stealing anything. I haven’t stepped inside a Walmart in four years.

The idea of customer service has literally deteriorated into nothing, and it is sad, and I am not just an old man shaking his fist at the sky.

I would recommend that you not just write but call, and document your call, get the name of everyone to whom you talk,so that you can include that in your second letter, And document the experience. If they do nothing, then send your letter to Dan Conolly or Roch. Roch won’t do anything, but he might. Dan probably would do something.

[Sports Guy]

If there is one thing the Os have been strong at is customer service and taking care of season ticket holders.  
 

I would be talking to the higher ups about it.

[Upper Deck John]

4 hours ago, Keygans said:

Correct.  It’s unclear and confusing.  But the general idea is or should be to bring fans and kids in the stadium.  What should they care if it’s 4 or 6 with the way attendance is.  I think it cost $30?  $40?  Per kid.  So…if that’s only 1 game…jeez…

 

anyway, in fear it is now irrelevant.  

I took my kids vouchers to the box office and redeemed them when going to another game.

It’s 4 seats to one game for each membership kit.  Got nice seats too.

[survivedc]

6 hours ago, Keygans said:

My Dear Frobby

 

I fear the damage is done with dad.  This isn’t the first incident with the ST reps or the Orioles being unhelpful, however I fear for dad it’s the last.  And that really breaks my heart. 

 

 

I haven’t had a good fan experience a single time this year, been to 5 or 6 games. Something has been off every single time and I was compelled to write an email last night. I’m skeptical it will ever be read, much less acted upon, but it felt like the thing to do.

It’s shocking to me, you would think a franchise with a terrible record in a sport that has seen declining interest would do everything possible to create a good environment. 

[ThomasTomasz]

19 hours ago, survivedc said:

I haven’t had a good fan experience a single time this year, been to 5 or 6 games. Something has been off every single time and I was compelled to write an email last night. I’m skeptical it will ever be read, much less acted upon, but it felt like the thing to do.

It’s shocking to me, you would think a franchise with a terrible record in a sport that has seen declining interest would do everything possible to create a good environment. 

I am curious to hear what has been going wrong, at least in your experience.  Aside from the lack of benefits over the years, which they started to fix in 2019, I’ve never had a problem with the tickets or the experience overall.  

[Keygans]

3 hours ago, ThomasTomasz said:

I am curious to hear what has been going wrong, at least in your experience.  Aside from the lack of benefits over the years, which they started to fix in 2019, I’ve never had a problem with the tickets or the experience overall.  

Outside my usher who is outstanding,  I do not feel like they do enough for STH.   We , like many have had them for many years and maybe something like a hat, or a laniard that says STH or Something, anything that thanks us for being with this team through the tough times.    Maybe I’m being over dramatic, but I just don’t feel appreciated. 
 

 I have the 29 game plan.   I can’t tell you how many games a year,  on average, I have to trade tickets in to get a give away night.  I know it’s probably dumb luck, but maybe they could put the give away on nights where they 29 or or higher games already have tickets.    Or at least the bobble heads or shirts?   Maybe dumb luck? 
 

Again, from the OP, outside of going up and above to management as suggested here which I plan to do, our season rep has just not helpful.   We have a ton of points,  why can’t I use them in the way I want.    Everyone knows they have to a of giveaway extras,  or, heck, give them to us in addition.    Just again… the customer service is bad.   
 

I thought of one last example that I’ll share from this year.  A few games after opening day we went to a game,  week night I want to say a Wednesday, sat in our normal section, behind home plate upper deck 3nn (don’t want to say specifically where) .  Now our Normal seats are row DD meaning about 15 rows up.    Since there was literally no one there,  we sat down lower.  When we walked in through the opening into the section we hung a right.   Our normal usher was not there.   An usher came over and asked to see our tickets.   I looked at him and asked “really?”      He made us move back up,  to our normal seats when there was with no exaggeration 20 people in the entire section.     Now look:  letter of the law ,  fine,  if I had moved into someone who showed up’s seats,  I’d move.   If instead we went from 3nn to like section 65 and 4 rows off the field,  I could understand.  But literally there were like 20 people I could see:   No one else in that entire section showed up the rest of the night.  
 

Anyway, to be honest, it’s never one Giant thing,  it’s a culmination of a ton of little things, like what I’ve shared here that just piss me off.   But I’d expect better and more from an ownership group trying not only to get fans in the stands,  but keep the ones they have had for a very long time,

thanks for listening everyone

Mike