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Hospitality - am I expecting too much?

I thought that I would ask other Lifers whether I am expecting too much of the hospitality at Charlton.

Dad and I have used the hospitality at Charlton for many years. For several years we used Crossbars and when it became too difficult for Dad to walk from the North to the West stand, we started to use the International Suite which then became the Celebration Suite and for the last two years the Keith Peacock Suite.

When it was called the Celebration Suite it was good value for money at less than £30 per head. Last year it was renamed the Keith Peacock Suite and the Celebration Suite was upstairs.

As Dad couldn’t get up the stairs, we still had the CS package which was a 3 course meal consisting of soup, two choices of meat and veg and a dessert, coffee/tea and mints. At half time we would have biscuits or a pastry and tea/coffee. At full time a plate of sandwiches for KP Suite customers or a pastry for CS customers. For this we paid about £45 per head, as we already had season tickets.

This year the club decided that the CS package was making a loss and that they would only offer the KP package. This works out about £60 a head for silver matches and £72 for gold, if you have a season ticket. A seasonal pass gives a marginal saving, but not a lot.

Today’s menu was as follows:
Homemade French onion soup with cheese croutons. Roll & Butter
Lemon & garlic roasted chicken breast with a herb stuffing, roasted root vegetables & roast potatoes.
Apple tart with Chantilly cream or cheese & biscuits
Tea/coffee (no mints)

Half time we now only get tea/coffee – no biscuits or pastries.

At full time today we only got tea/coffee and they forgot to give us the advertised ‘cake’ until I complained, then some miniature pastries appeared at about 5.30.

We do get the Man of the Match presentation every match now and a programme too, but I think for £60 we should be getting more, certainly not less than we have had in previous years.

Am I expecting too much or are were being ripped off? My husband and I would be happy having fish and chips or burgers in the car park, but Dad enjoys the match day experience though not the hassles we've been having this year.

I’d value some other Lifer’s opinions on this please.

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Comments

  • Only you can guage if you think you're getting VFM. Simple answer is: If you feel you're questioning it, you're probably thinking the answer is no. Maybe a flask and home-made butties is the solution?............
  • I know the answer is no, but despite emails to the club they don't seem to be listening
  • so, no mints with your cup of tea before the game & no pastries afterwards.

    big deal.

    Have you stopped to think that the money saved has perhaps gone into buying some half decent players & giving us a grass pitch so that we pass the ball properly this season.

    but then again, if you really need to have a mint with your cup of tea & watch dull football on mud then I'm sure there are hundreds of non league teams that will take your money for that pleasure.
  • edited September 2014
    If you think you aren't getting value for money stop paying for it.

    No one is forcing you to hand over the cash.

    Have never seen the point in matchday hospitality myself. If you want a drink go to the pub, if you want some food go somewhere you genuinely like before or after. Either option will be a damn site cheaper.

    If your dad is struggling with the walking, spend the money on a West Stand car park space instead.
  • GA it is a question of having to pay a lot more for less which is what annoys me.

    It's great that we have a better team which is doing well, but I don't think that cutting corners on hospitality is going to help the club if fewer people use the hospitality services.

    I walk through the Centre Circle Suite to get to my seat and every match so far there have been fewer people than last year. If the hospitality customer feels that they are not getting value for money, in the long run the club will lose out.
  • £60!!????

    Does that include the ticket for the game?
  • £60!!????

    Does that include the ticket for the game?

    No, this is on top
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  • If you think you aren't getting value for money stop paying for it.

    No one is forcing you to hand over the cash.

    Have never seen the point in matchday hospitality myself. If you want a drink go to the pub, if you want some food go somewhere you genuinely like before or after. Either option will be a damn site cheaper.

    If your dad is struggling with the walking, spend the money on a West Stand car park space instead.

    We have a West Stand car park space and it isn't me that is paying as I certainly can't afford it. Dad is 87 and has enjoyed the hospitality for many years and we have made lots of friends during our visits but it is the fact that he is paying out a lot more for a lot less which is the problem.

    When you are paying in excess of £50 for a meal I think that you are at least entitled to a choice of main course. If I went to a restaurant I would certainly expect more choice.
  • £60!!????

    Does that include the ticket for the game?

    No Gary, it doesn't include the ticket and that is why I'm asking fellow lifers for their opinions, because I think it is daylight robbery and before I complain to the Club again, I 'd like to see whether other people think you should get more choice for that sort of money.
  • You pays your money, you takes your choice. If you can afford it, then crack on.
  • £60!!????

    Does that include the ticket for the game?

    No Gary, it doesn't include the ticket and that is why I'm asking fellow lifers for their opinions, because I think it is daylight robbery and before I complain to the Club again, I 'd like to see whether other people think you should get more choice for that sort of money.
    You are being ripped off I'm afraid. For £60 I'd expect a lot better food. I understand the club sell it as an 'experience' but I'd say £30 per head is a fairer price.
  • shirty5 said:

    You pays your money, you takes your choice. If you can afford it, then crack on.

    I think it's fair to ME14 to ask the club to provide a better quality of food for £60. She has been enjoying the hospitality for years but if the quality has dropped then she's within right to complain first rather than just giving
    it up.
  • If you think you aren't getting value for money stop paying for it.

    No one is forcing you to hand over the cash.

    Have never seen the point in matchday hospitality myself. If you want a drink go to the pub, if you want some food go somewhere you genuinely like before or after. Either option will be a damn site cheaper.

    If your dad is struggling with the walking, spend the money on a West Stand car park space instead.

    We have a West Stand car park space and it isn't me that is paying as I certainly can't afford it. Dad is 87 and has enjoyed the hospitality for many years and we have made lots of friends during our visits but it is the fact that he is paying out a lot more for a lot less which is the problem.

    When you are paying in excess of £50 for a meal I think that you are at least entitled to a choice of main course. If I went to a restaurant I would certainly expect more choice.
    Very simple solution. If you think its a rip off and the club aren't listening to you, stop paying for it. For that money you could go to Gaucho at the Dome pre-match and have a decent meal.

  • If you think you aren't getting value for money stop paying for it.

    No one is forcing you to hand over the cash.

    Have never seen the point in matchday hospitality myself. If you want a drink go to the pub, if you want some food go somewhere you genuinely like before or after. Either option will be a damn site cheaper.

    If your dad is struggling with the walking, spend the money on a West Stand car park space instead.

    We have a West Stand car park space and it isn't me that is paying as I certainly can't afford it. Dad is 87 and has enjoyed the hospitality for many years and we have made lots of friends during our visits but it is the fact that he is paying out a lot more for a lot less which is the problem.

    When you are paying in excess of £50 for a meal I think that you are at least entitled to a choice of main course. If I went to a restaurant I would certainly expect more choice.
    I'm afraid it's just a second tier football club, not a top restaurant. Having said that, it definitely doesn't sound like value for money and it's not something I personally (nor do I expect most people) would pay an extra £60 per match for...
  • For £60 I would expect a lot better than that, you could eat at some pretty decent places - even in London - for £180 for three people.
  • shirty5 said:

    You pays your money, you takes your choice. If you can afford it, then crack on.

    I think it's fair to ME14 to ask the club to provide a better quality of food for £60. She has been enjoying the hospitality for years but if the quality has dropped then she's within right to complain first rather than just giving
    it up.
    I tried that argument with South Eastern railways but it never worked ;)
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  • We are committed at least for part of the season, so can't do anything about it just yet, though I think we may re-think what we do the rest of the season if things don't improve.

  • Dad didn't like the one choice of main course today and it took half an hour for the vegetarian option to be brought up from another lounge. By that time my husband and I had finished our main course.
  • I did email the club after the last match and was told that they were having a meeting with the catering company and my complaints would be discussed with them and improvements would be put in place for today's game.

    To be fair, the food quality was okay today, but there was still no choice of main course other than the vegetarian option and I think for that sort of money there should be.
  • Dad didn't like the one choice of main course today and it took half an hour for the vegetarian option to be brought up from another lounge. By that time my husband and I had finished our main course.

    So you made the man who is paying for the overpriced food sit and watch while you ate it? No wonder he isn't enjoying it. ;-)

  • £60!!????

    Does that include the ticket for the game?

    No, this is on top
    Then it's an absolute knock. That menu is worth about £15.
    Exactly. I don't think it's worth it all. They should have changed the package rather than simply remove bits from it.
  • Thanks Fanny.

    Before the season started I knew that the Celebration Suite package was to be replaced by the KP Suite package. I was aware that the KP Suite did only have one main course option last year, but I thought that the KP package was under review and was told that with Delaware taking over it would be a much better package.
  • Thanks Fanny.

    Before the season started I knew that the Celebration Suite package was to be replaced by the KP Suite package. I was aware that the KP Suite did only have one main course option last year, but I thought that the KP package was under review and was told that with Delaware taking over it would be a much better package.

    No probs, ME14.

    Hopefully this is the kind of thing that has already been discussed and which will become clearer sooner rather than later.

    But it certainly won't hurt to put your concerns directly to the relevant member of staff.

  • The problem is that a lot of the KP Suite patrons are people who have had the KP Suite package for some time and they have been used to only one main course option, so seem quite happy this year.

    We however, have been used to the Celebration Suite package which had more choice. I know of quite a few people who used to enjoy regular meals in the Celebration Suite who will not now use the club as it is too expensive.

    Perhaps the club is happy to serve fewer people at a higher price.
  • The problem is that a lot of the KP Suite patrons are people who have had the KP Suite package for some time and they have been used to only one main course option, so seem quite happy this year.

    We however, have been used to the Celebration Suite package which had more choice. I know of quite a few people who used to enjoy regular meals in the Celebration Suite who will not now use the club as it is too expensive.

    Perhaps the club is happy to serve fewer people at a higher price.

    A question well worth posing.

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