OPACY Is Not Ready For The Playoffs

[deward]

1 hour ago, Sports Guy said:

I am not sure what people expect.

First of all, ever since COVID and the local governments gave people incentive to not work, all businesses have struggled to find capable workers.

Secondly, we have an owner who will do whatever he can to save money. We know he has done that with “the little things”, so of course he is trying to do that here.

The solution is very simple. Get to the game as early as you can, get your food and drinks then (or bring them) and then stay in your seat the rest of the game and rely on the vendors that come to you.

Otherwise, don’t complain. You know what you are getting. Long lines, ignorant wait staff, poor customer service, mediocre overpriced food and a lot of missed baseball. If you choose to do this, it’s your decision and your decision is essentially to stand in line and miss the game.  You can’t complain if it’s your decision to do these things.

It would be nice if it was a well oiled machine that was run better but we also have to remember that this is probably the case around all entertainment venues and these companies that run these things are not exactly known for their customer service. There are plenty of pitfalls that they have to deal with as well that are beyond their control.

I know they have done some job fairs recently. They are trying to hire more support staff. I’m not sure if the concession people are doing the same but the Os are. 

It's too much to expect things to work properly, and complain if they don't? I live in the Boston area, so I see my O's games in Fenway, and they don't have most of these issues. I think you need to have higher expectations rather than just accepting poor service. It doesn't need to be that way.

[Sports Guy]

16 minutes ago, deward said:

It's too much to expect things to work properly, and complain if they don't? I live in the Boston area, so I see my O's games in Fenway, and they don't have most of these issues. I think you need to have higher expectations rather than just accepting poor service. It doesn't need to be that way.

Oh, I don’t disagree. My expectations are very high. I don’t go back anywhere if the service sucks or anything like that.

But that’s my exact point. Since things are awful, I just choose to not give them my business unless I see lines with no one in it. 
 

Now, if I have my kids and they want something specific and it’s a regular game, I won’t really care because it’s not as important but we are talking about something important like the playoffs.  Well, I’m not taking my kids to that because they just don’t have the attention span to sit and watch it and I sure as hell am not getting in lines for anyone during those games. 
 

So yea, if during an important game or something like that, you have to be mindful of what you are getting yourself into and if you choose to do that, that is 100% on you.

We can demand all we want but our demands mean nothing. All you can do is give them the middle finger and the equivalent to doing that is not giving them your business.

[Frobby]

18 minutes ago, deward said:

It's too much to expect things to work properly, and complain if they don't? I live in the Boston area, so I see my O's games in Fenway, and they don't have most of these issues. I think you need to have higher expectations rather than just accepting poor service. It doesn't need to be that way.

The way I see it, if prices are too high and service is too poor, sales will decrease and the concessionnaire can either respond by lowering prices/improving service, or make less money.  I’ve already changed my own habits in response to the prices.

[JimGinSP]

41 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

I believe this is a big part of it.

I also think people would rather drive Uber Eats/Grubhub or something else instead.  It's easy to paint people as lazy, they don't want to work, the government is giving them checks, etc, and part of that is true.  But if you want to skate by on making 30-35k a year there are plenty of other ways to do it than waiting tables or working in retail that weren't available 20 years ago.  I mean, I know what I'd do if I had the choice to make between working at a stadium or driving Uber Eats and it's not a hard decision to make.  

THIS!   The “gig economy” where you can be your own boss and make money as you see fit on the hours that fit you and your family’s schedule is the seismic change.  

Enhanced unemployment benefits were ended in September 2021!  Anyone still moaning about that as an issue is sorely out of touch with reality.  

[baltfan]

1 hour ago, Otter said:

Well said.  I have no doubt JA's cheapness is partially to blame, but I think it's more just a microcosm of what we're seeing in retail/restaurants/hotels throughout the country since COVID.  It's vey hard for these businesses to get people now to work these low paying jobs when they can sit at home and collect checks to do nothing.  Talk to any business owner and they'll tell you how hard it is to hire and retain these customer service jobs.  Have you noticed how understaffed retail stores are these days?  I travel a lot for work and it's this way everywhere...can't find anyone to help you in any stores.  Again, I'm not absolving JA of any blame in this but I'm also sure it's challenging to fully staff the stadium at this point.  Also, an unintended result of significantly raising the minimum wage in a short amount of time is many businesses hire less employees to make up for the fact they have to pay them more.  I'm not saying it's right or wrong, just that I've heard many business owners say they do that.

I am not going to comment on the politics of this other than to say the collection of checks that has been used as an excuse ended long ago.  I will say that during COVID patrons to retail/restaurants/hotels were extremely generous.  They tipped for things they never tipped for before, attempted to frequent such places more than they in fact needed to, and increased their tips to try to support the businesses.  They also understandably tolerated understaffing, delays, etc...  Since COVID restrictions have waned, it seems that a number of these types of businesses have attempted to continue to operate with skeleton staffs.  They also have included software that asks for tips for virtually every transaction.  I cannot think of a restaurant I have gone to post-COVID where the service is the same as it was prior despite the fact that prices have gone up precipitously in many cases seemingly more than enough to accommodate for wage increases and supplies.  Some amount of this behavior is clearly because they found that people were willing to tolerate it. Other examples of this are QR codes for menus and no more free dessert for your birthday.  Another example was that I saw chicken tenders listed at "market price" on a menu recently.  

Edited August 31, 2023 by baltfan

[Otter]

50 minutes ago, JimGinSP said:

THIS!   The “gig economy” where you can be your own boss and make money as you see fit on the hours that fit you and your family’s schedule is the seismic change.  

Enhanced unemployment benefits were ended in September 2021!  Anyone still moaning about that as an issue is sorely out of touch with reality.  

First, you can make your point without being insulting to those with a different opinion.  Second, every jurisdiction is different with how their benefits are handed out and the amounts and qualifications for them.  According to California's website, it shows that some COVID-era benefits are still being handed out.  And even if benefits in your jurisdiction have gone back to pre-COVID levels, COVID did show many people that they can make similar amounts on public assistance than they can working low paying jobs.  I'm very active in my local Chambers of Commerce, and know many business owners in many different industries and they all say the same thing.  Since COVID they've had a very hard time hiring, re-hiring, or retaining low level employees, and the answer they get most often from these employees is they can make similar amounts on public assistance than they can in these low paying jobs.  But I do agree the UBER-type jobs have also cut into the low-paying job market, even though I don't think it's the only reason.  Sorry, I certainly don't want to get into a political discussion, but getting back to the original topic I think there are multiple reasons the service in OPACY is poor this year and it may be difficult to fix it in time for the playoffs.

[Conway12]

42 minutes ago, Otter said:

First, you can make your point without being insulting to those with a different opinion.  Second, every jurisdiction is different with how their benefits are handed out and the amounts and qualifications for them.  According to California's website, it shows that some COVID-era benefits are still being handed out.  And even if benefits in your jurisdiction have gone back to pre-COVID levels, COVID did show many people that they can make similar amounts on public assistance than they can working low paying jobs.  I'm very active in my local Chambers of Commerce, and know many business owners in many different industries and they all say the same thing.  Since COVID they've had a very hard time hiring, re-hiring, or retaining low level employees, and the answer they get most often from these employees is they can make similar amounts on public assistance than they can in these low paying jobs.  But I do agree the UBER-type jobs have also cut into the low-paying job market, even though I don't think it's the only reason.  Sorry, I certainly don't want to get into a political discussion, but getting back to the original topic I think there are multiple reasons the service in OPACY is poor this year and it may be difficult to fix it in time for the playoffs.

I don't want to be insulting, political, or go away this much from baseball but this "nobody wants to work anymore" narrative just bothers me. The prime age labor participation rate is the highest it's been since the late 1990s which was when it was at it's peak. 

The reason it is hard to find people is that there are fewer prime age workers (aging of the population) and those fewer works don't want crappy low level low paying jobs. Why don't people want those crappy low paying jobs? The answer is in the question. 

[Sports Guy]

2 minutes ago, Conway12 said:

I don't want to be insulting, political, or go away this much from baseball but this "nobody wants to work anymore" narrative just bothers me. The prime age labor participation rate is the highest it's been since the late 1990s which was when it was at it's peak. 

The reason it is hard to find people is that there are fewer prime age workers (aging of the population) and those fewer works don't want crappy low level low paying jobs. Why don't people want those crappy low paying jobs? The answer is in the question. 

Well of course job participation rates are up…when you get rid of jobs and put businesses out of work for multiple years and artificially push the market down, it’s pretty easy to make it look great again. 
 

 

[Conway12]

2 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Well of course job participation rates are up…when you get rid of jobs and put businesses out of work for multiple years and artificially push the market down, it’s pretty easy to make it look great again. 
 

 

This measures the total population of prime age people and gives you a percentage of how many of them are working or looking for work. It has nothing to do with the available number of jobs.

[baltfan]

1 hour ago, Otter said:

First, you can make your point without being insulting to those with a different opinion.  Second, every jurisdiction is different with how their benefits are handed out and the amounts and qualifications for them.  According to California's website, it shows that some COVID-era benefits are still being handed out.  And even if benefits in your jurisdiction have gone back to pre-COVID levels, COVID did show many people that they can make similar amounts on public assistance than they can working low paying jobs.  I'm very active in my local Chambers of Commerce, and know many business owners in many different industries and they all say the same thing.  Since COVID they've had a very hard time hiring, re-hiring, or retaining low level employees, and the answer they get most often from these employees is they can make similar amounts on public assistance than they can in these low paying jobs.  But I do agree the UBER-type jobs have also cut into the low-paying job market, even though I don't think it's the only reason.  Sorry, I certainly don't want to get into a political discussion, but getting back to the original topic I think there are multiple reasons the service in OPACY is poor this year and it may be difficult to fix it in time for the playoffs.

Yeah, this whole no one wants to work thing would be a lot more compelling to me if I didn't know a ton of college students over the summer could not find summer work in retail on at restaurants no matter how many 100's of resumes they sent out through Indeed.  These same jobs are the types that 30 years ago when I was a kid were abundant but now suddenly are much more difficult to find.  Then when they do get hired, they can never get 40 hours a week.  As for those business owners, I don't understand the problem.  I continually hear that price increases are just passed on to the customer.  Just pay more and pass the price increase on.  Or are they just trying to make an even greater profit because they have found they can work the people they have harder and can convince customers to accept crappier service.  Or maybe use some of the PPC money that you pocketed since most businesses didn't need ALL of the PPC money that they got.  I am sure as an active member of the Chamber, you know lots of people that bought beach houses etc.... with that money.  

And before you claim, I don't know anything about business, I own a business and have experienced much of the same stuff that you are talking about.  I just have to pay more because everything is more expensive, especially housing and rent for these kids.  And that might mean that I have to make less.  If so, then I will have to accept that as part of a capitalist society.

I know this is complicated, but it does annoy me when one generation just screams about the other generation being lazy and not wanting to work.  Thirty years ago working meant making enough to actual rent a place and live on your own.  That was the incentive.  If you aren't paying enough for that, don't be surprised when people don't seem so motivated because they are depressed at the state of things.  

[JimGinSP]

Trying to steer this back to OPACY, I wonder if the MLB rule changes have impacted concession staff?  Seriously, as I mentioned a ways back I took a part time position with Aramark at the ballpark about 30 years ago and was required to get there by 5:00pm to set up for what was then a 7:35pm game time.   I know from comments here on the board that gates don’t open as early as they used to prior to game time and games seem to end on average one half hour earlier than they used to.   If your hourly wage went up $2.00 between 2022 and 2023 put you only work 5 hours instead of 6……. guess what no more $$$ in your pocket.  

[ThomasTomasz]

20 hours ago, JimGinSP said:

THIS!   The “gig economy” where you can be your own boss and make money as you see fit on the hours that fit you and your family’s schedule is the seismic change.  

Enhanced unemployment benefits were ended in September 2021!  Anyone still moaning about that as an issue is sorely out of touch with reality.  

Coming from a company that, before the pandemic, actively sought out those who might be willing to work between their kids leaving and returning from school, I can absolutely say this is something about the gig economy.  

Those same people are either driving for DoorDash/delivery services, driving Uber, or doing their own thing online with a side hustle.  It is much easier to work unstructured, if you will.  

Someone else was onto something where the start/end times of games has to factor in as well.  Why go through all of that effort for a “very” part-time job, if you lose an hour coming in, and an hour during, because the Orioles refuse to move gate times back to two hours before, and MLB rules has basically cut out at least 30 minutes, sometimes more, of the game.  

[Etch]

A buddy and I went to the 1:04 Wednesday afternoon Dodgers game. Left York at 11:15. Figured it would be a breeze getting in the parking lot. It was a freaking nightmare. Maybe 20k something in attendance, if that. Thankfully the wet field from a downpour the previous evening caused a thirty minute delay so we didn't miss anything. Plopped into our seat at 1:34!! Won't be going back for another decade or so.

 

Edited September 1, 2023 by Etch

[ledzepp8]

On 8/31/2023 at 10:25 AM, Moose Milligan said:

I typically don't like SG's hardass/hardline stance of "everything is your fault" but I agree here.

Get there early, eat early.  If you want to miss three innings because you feel the need to get a craft beer and don't like the Miller Lite they're bringing around, well, that's your problem.

Exactly right.  I don't know about other stadiums but OPACY is the best when it comes to bringing your own stuff in. Get a much cheaper brat or something outside the stadium, get your peanuts or pistachios, whatever and bring them in. The only thing I buy at the stadium is beer and unless you're in the upper decks (at least the last few times I was there), there will be vendors. That being said, the beer lines are usually pretty quick. I just don't know what people are expecting. Any kind of event like this (baseball, football, concert, etc), the lines are long. It's not uniquely related to the Orioles or OPACY. You have people working minimum wage to sling your hot dogs, tenders, popcorn, nachos, whatever.  They're going to go at their pace. They could care less that you're missing the game. 

If you choose to stand in line for overpriced food (not saying I've never done it), it's your choice and it's going to take how long it takes.

[cboemmeljr]

Wow, this discussion has run off the rails.  The point I was trying to make is that the ballpark is not ready to provide a good customer experience during the playoffs.  We hear the organization (ownership) talk about the customer experience and I think it has been established here that it is lacking at OPACY.

YES, my son, myself and my friends CHOSE TO EAT AT THE BALLPARK, I just think the wait time needs to be decreased especially when we are on the National stage of the post-season.

This was never meant to be a referendum or bitch session about prices, food quality/temperature, etc.  FWIW, I work in a local Baltimore hospital so I know high-priced, low quality food.

It also was not intended to be a discussion of work ethic, minimum wage and post-COVID economic issues; there are many other forums for those discussions.

What I find most disappointing in reading the responses was the personal attacks aimed at some who expressed dissatisfaction with the ballpark.  SMH

I wrote the original observation as both a fan and contributor to this site.  I thought all of Birdland would want the Orioles to shine both on and off the field during the playoffs, that's all.