NO BLOODY STAFF

It's not a one off tho is it.

 

I think that's the main thing. If everything usually ran smoothly and service was outstanding, then people might say "fair enough, **** happens".

But because our food and drink operation has been a shambles for years, then people are rightly cheesed off.

 

Not sure if you mean agression in this thread, not seen any, or at the match. Given the continual poor service from catering at Oakwell, what other conclusion other than a lack of regard for the customer from the owners, would you draw.
If it was any other service industry you wouldn't go back, you'd go elsewhere, to a competitor.
As supporters we can't do that, it's put up or don't go. The owners shouldn't be happy with that. The fact that nothing changes leads me to believe they don't care, that therefore shows contempt for their customer base. But it's just my opinion, it's no more a fact than your opinion.

 

ESL bar near ponty end- 2 staff on. Lass kept ringing someone on her phone, presumably cos half the stuff on tap was off. Then she bogs off somewhere leaving bloke on his todd. Took him a good minute to work out how much change to give me for one pint £4 from a £20 quid note.

 

Catering is shocking. Is it 2022? If so maybe our club catering can join us in the same year. Here are some ideas.....

1) Offer people the chance to pay cash or card. All about consumer choice.

2) Make sure there are enough staff to serve.

3) Look in to being more green as the stuff we sell comes in stuff likely to end up in landfill like single use drink cups for example.

4) Sort a app out or at least people purchase something pre game when it's quiet that they can choose a time to pick it up at in or around half time. That's a simple thing to sort. Someone wants a £2 bovril so goes to the queue pays and says they will pick it up at 3:40. They are given some kind of ticket and at 3:40 go to the front, hand over the ticket and get their order that's waiting for them. It will cut down queues.

5) Offer better choice. I love meat but more and more people now are veggie or vegan. What can they eat or drink at Oakwell?

 

On this whole topic, and speaking as someone who leaves home at 1pm for home games:

I don't get it. Just dont get it. Realistically, and with a bit or organisation in your personal life, bring a flask. Bring a sarnie. Bring your own snacks. As far as I am aware that is allowed (what we do). Alternativley have pie and peas at the dove (lovely). Grab a buttie at popeyes. Have lunch before leaving home (as we do). Whilst appreciating some people will leg it to the match straight from work etc most people can surely cope from 1430-1700 without eating hot food and bringing their own snacks and hot drinks if needed. Again appreciate its about choice but never seen the problem. Never seen anyone faint due to a lack of food for 2 hours. Plenty of things to winge about but catering pretty much a "meh " from me. Can people really not cope for 2.5hrs without eating bought food? Bonkers. Girl I saw in ESU today getting massive grief trying to serve a huge queue of grumpy, sometimes aggressive people, must have been 17 at least. Would I want my daughter (currently 14) doing that job for £6-£7 per hour? No chance. What I would put her in charge of is 1/2 time entertainment though- her suggestion today of dizzy penalties involving the alumni was, quite frankly, genius

 

I just don't understand this kind of post. We get them a lot and they're just bizarre. It's the most spurious, ridiculous, worthless argument. Yes, of course people can cope without eating and drinking for a couple of hours. It's not about coping, it's about trying to enjoy yourself on a day out. People have worked all week. Often in a crappy job. This is the one bit of free time they get, the one bit of entertainment they have in their life. Getting a drink is a nice thing. Getting some food is a nice thing. Barnsley FC advertise that you can do that. You can buy a beer and some pop for your kids, you can get some food. And you'll be supporting the club you love by buying it at Oakwell. But then you can't, they fail to provide what they said they would. And they fail again and again. This isn't a one off. Other clubs get it right, but we don't. The one day in the last month that you actually get to do something other than work or pay the bills or do the washing or clean the house or look after your ill mam is once again spoiled. And you want to have a go at people for wanting to have one day they enjoy?

Shocking post.

 

Would agree with you except when our new owners joined they told us many things like this would be improved. It’s actually got worse. Not better.

 

It`s probably like shutting the turnstiles at corner of Ponty and West Stand, it`ll be cost cutting Khaled. the man of a thousand cuts.

 

Some fair points I guess although I would counter that anyone who intends to enjoy football catering doesn't go very often. And most weeks the queues are fine apart from the half time rush. I would also suggest that most clubs who get it right and get praised for the food are much smaller and have much less footfall to engage with. Any away ground I've been to recently you havent stood a hope in hell of getting served at half time so absolutely not just us. Every time I've been to watch England ladies play catering is chaos. As with the posts about Mcr Airport those sectors are in a complete mess at the moment.

 

A few things about this. The biggest issue at oakwell, at least in the east stand, is the infrastructure. For some reason we insist on having a refreshment stand and a bar side by side and joined together, operated by the same people, selling a bf overlap of products (ie both sell pies and bottles of pop) yet we put a wall between them meaning we need 3 people in each side. Remove the wall and have it as one bar doing both things and you don't need 6 anymore to give the same throughput. If someone wants a pint and a flatbread they have to queue twice at the moment. Completely pointless.

Then you have the really stupid queuing system that was installed by the club. If you want a pint you go through a metal barrier that has an actual queue. If you want a pie there's no system. How and why did someone make that decision? I think there's an argument to say that the current system, especially at the one that sells flatbread is actually unsafe as the queue completely blocks the concourse.

Knock the walls out and have one longer bar that does everything and install a queue system that's double the size it is now. Ok it might cost the supposed billionaires a few thousand but so what? The initial cost would be offset from selling more food and drink as they'd be serving quicker, the barrier queue would fit more people in so people would be more likely to join so again more would be sold. Money wouldn't be turned away when they have to close bars because they haven't got enough staff and they could even operate with one less staff in each area to create the same throughput.

But even ignoring that there simply HAS to be a back up plan for ensuring everything can open. The first thing is that if staff let you down you simply don't close the one selling alcohol, pies and soft drinks. You use your brain and close the one selling pies and soft drinks next to it. But why close anything at all? There are LOADS of club employees sat on their arses in the west stand every week. We have about a billion directors. I'm sorry but when the **** hits the fan at work out directors and owners get their hands dirty. The catering was desperate yesterday. Why weren't other club staff asked to fill in? Why couldn't the many academy players wandering around serve customers? Why couldn't James et all do it? I know why they don't WANT to but that isn't why they can't.

There simply isn't a willingness to improve. Lee has done a great job bringing in the flatbread but where's the rest of his big ideas? Where's this new item every few matches? Nope flatbread was popular so we got lazy and that's all we do now.

It really isn't good enough.


And you're right people could go a few hours without eating or drinking but then they could go a few hours without watching football either so why do we expect them to open the turnstiles at all?

 

Any event (theatre, gigs, cricket) where you have hundreds of people wanting serving in a very short space of time it will be carnage. Went to the hundred at Headingley last summer - 35 min queue for a drink. Went to a gig at Leeds arena- same. Going to the darts there this Thursday and will be no better. More basic example - any motorway service station on a summer Saturday. Clearly its crap but using it as a stick to beat the club with when it is the same at virtually every large public gathering where food and drink are served seems a bit OTT.

 

I didn't. I gave legitimate reasons and grievances along with practical improvements that could be made.

 

Wasn't specifically aimed at you more the general mood on here about this issue

 

You're right, but there are steps that can be taken to mitigate it.

We must know on average how many pints we get through at a typical match. Do like they do at festivals, start pouring pints 5 minutes before half time, have 20 or so waiting and the queue will fly down.

I honestly think the lasses with the burger van outside can do a better job - bring them inside for half time.

It isn't like this is a new problem, it's been an issue for as long as I can remember and the club consistently get it wrong.

 

Let’s be honest here, the catering has been dog **** for years ! Awful food, ridiculous prices and the service is non existent .