I’m in the same block as you and your post is both hilarious and spot on. The bar staff are to a man disinterested young slow and out of their depth. I have been close to screaming or crying before. It’s literally torture. Let’s hope it’s sorted this year but I ain’t holding my breath.
I would have thought there is a good profit margin to be made with refreshments, surely if you have sufficient numbers to serve and speed things up this can overcome the incompetence of individuals.
I know the OP was partly tongue in check but it never ceases to amaze me that someone cant go 2 hours without alcohol.
Every time a thread like this arises we see these comments and it creates a ridiculously false narrative.
I doubt there are many of our fans who “need” a pint at half time or genuinely “can’t go 2 hours without alcohol”. By the same token people don’t need to spend their Saturday afternoon watching 22 men chasing an inflatable ball.
But they are grown adults who want to have a drink at the football, I’m surprised that would “amaze” anyone.
If that's the case and they want a pint then they can queue up for one can't they? And if the queue is long and the wait is a lot, then they can question their life choices, but complaining about the long wait on here solves nothing, and a sensible solution is to drink elsewhere and forego the half-time pint.
Anyone that wants a pint at a football match, and sees the ridiculous price, the shite quality and the slow service, and still wants a pint and queues up for 20 mins for one gets what they deserve
What is your solution on the service being quickened up?
Do you not accept that for the prices being charged for both food and drink that the service should be a lot better?
My solution probably won't be implemented as it will cost too much for a company wanting to make as much money as possible for as little effort as possible (what they do now essentially is minimal costs, no training and get by on the fact that they have a monopoly on the paying customer)
I'd open all the kiosks for a start, and designate each one to a different thing. Food and soft drinks separate from alcohol, clearly defined areas for each thing. This minimises cross training needs and means each area can focus on their strengths and not have to think about a wide variety of items. (Think of restaurants nowadays, you have waiters, you have bartenders, you have chefs, you have runners, they specialise in one area, currently at The Valley many of the staff have to know about the food menu, pour pints, grab pies and other food, it's a mess)
I'd also do away with most of the choices when it comes to draught. Have one lager, maybe one IPA, and that's it. Everything else is bottles. Think of the possibility of getting Schooner sizes instead of full pints, so quicker to pour, a bit cheaper for people to buy, easier to carry and they usually keep better (less likely to get flat halfway through the drink) implement a directive where loads of lagers are half poured and topped up at ordering. Sure you might get a bit of wastage and a couple of tossers who always want it "freshly pulled" but the vast majority of punters just want it in their face as soon as possible.
Lastly, instead of the bottom filling stuff Spurs have which is costly, get the vending machines in. They speed up service, cut costs and I'm sure Meantime would love a whole row of them standing there on a concourse covered in their logos.
Does anyone think it’s low alcohol beer they serve there too? It would explain the taste and would make sense to stop people getting lashed.
Low alcohol beers have more flavour than most beers as they over-compensate for the lack of alcohol. Also completely against every rule about alcohol, licensing laws and trade standards so no chance that's happening
I know the OP was partly tongue in check but it never ceases to amaze me that someone cant go 2 hours without alcohol.
Every time a thread like this arises we see these comments and it creates a ridiculously false narrative.
I doubt there are many of our fans who “need” a pint at half time or genuinely “can’t go 2 hours without alcohol”. By the same token people don’t need to spend their Saturday afternoon watching 22 men chasing an inflatable ball.
But they are grown adults who want to have a drink at the football, I’m surprised that would “amaze” anyone.
If that's the case and they want a pint then they can queue up for one can't they? And if the queue is long and the wait is a lot, then they can question their life choices, but complaining about the long wait on here solves nothing, and a sensible solution is to drink elsewhere and forego the half-time pint.
Anyone that wants a pint at a football match, and sees the ridiculous price, the shite quality and the slow service, and still wants a pint and queues up for 20 mins for one gets what they deserve
What is your solution on the service being quickened up?
Do you not accept that for the prices being charged for both food and drink that the service should be a lot better?
My solution probably won't be implemented as it will cost too much for a company wanting to make as much money as possible for as little effort as possible (what they do now essentially is minimal costs, no training and get by on the fact that they have a monopoly on the paying customer)
I'd open all the kiosks for a start, and designate each one to a different thing. Food and soft drinks separate from alcohol, clearly defined areas for each thing. This minimises cross training needs and means each area can focus on their strengths and not have to think about a wide variety of items. (Think of restaurants nowadays, you have waiters, you have bartenders, you have chefs, you have runners, they specialise in one area, currently at The Valley many of the staff have to know about the food menu, pour pints, grab pies and other food, it's a mess)
I'd also do away with most of the choices when it comes to draught. Have one lager, maybe one IPA, and that's it. Everything else is bottles. Think of the possibility of getting Schooner sizes instead of full pints, so quicker to pour, a bit cheaper for people to buy, easier to carry and they usually keep better (less likely to get flat halfway through the drink) implement a directive where loads of lagers are half poured and topped up at ordering. Sure you might get a bit of wastage and a couple of tossers who always want it "freshly pulled" but the vast majority of punters just want it in their face as soon as possible.
Lastly, instead of the bottom filling stuff Spurs have which is costly, get the vending machines in. They speed up service, cut costs and I'm sure Meantime would love a whole row of them standing there on a concourse covered in their logos.
And there we have the winner to the solution of a successful, hopefully, and better service.
What you have said is all very simple but for reasons best known to the club and catering people, they are not doing this.
It makes you wonder though who's ultimately responsible for such a deal. Does it lay at the door of the Commercial Manager? Stadium Manager? Is there a Head of Catering and Beverages? Is there a Project Manager for the third party company that controls it all? Or is that the issue, no-one is officially in charge or takes ownership of it and therefore no-one's officially to blame?
I know the OP was partly tongue in check but it never ceases to amaze me that someone cant go 2 hours without alcohol.
Every time a thread like this arises we see these comments and it creates a ridiculously false narrative.
I doubt there are many of our fans who “need” a pint at half time or genuinely “can’t go 2 hours without alcohol”. By the same token people don’t need to spend their Saturday afternoon watching 22 men chasing an inflatable ball.
But they are grown adults who want to have a drink at the football, I’m surprised that would “amaze” anyone.
If that's the case and they want a pint then they can queue up for one can't they? And if the queue is long and the wait is a lot, then they can question their life choices, but complaining about the long wait on here solves nothing, and a sensible solution is to drink elsewhere and forego the half-time pint.
Anyone that wants a pint at a football match, and sees the ridiculous price, the shite quality and the slow service, and still wants a pint and queues up for 20 mins for one gets what they deserve
So having to wait an excessive amount of time to be availed of a service provided by a retailer is a “life choice”?
Whenever you receive poor service in any environment, or if you have ever injured yourself and had to wait a long time in A&E, do you ever ponder your “life choices”?
As the excitement builds towards a new season at The Valley, the thoughts of most fans turn to new signings, formations, Reebok kits and the two Millwall fixtures.
Not this midlife fan!
Now that we’re back in the Championship, with larger crowds, my thoughts are focussed on what time I need to go down to the North Stand lower concourse to nip to the loo and guarantee being served a half-time pint.
I’ve been following Charlton for 45 years and visited many a concourse on my travels, but the North Stand lower concourse at The Valley is in a (lower) league of its own. If you’re operating a refreshment outlet at a football ground, you would expect to have to serve customers at half-time, or if you don’t know much about football, about 45 minutes after everyone suddenly disappears. This logic doesn’t apply to the North Stand lower concourse!
The look of complete surprise on the faces of the staff every time I approach the till is something to behold. The order is always the same, “four Anytime IPA’s please”, but the delivery is less predictable. Part of the problem is that the beer is poured at the far end of the bar so after taking the order, and then computing it, my designated adventurer has to make their way across to the ‘pouring team’ who appear equally as surprised to receive an order for beer. The four pints are then transported (sometimes one at a time) back across the bar and into my grateful but ageing hands.
Whilst Spurs fans can boast of their “bottoms-up” system delivering a pint in 6 seconds, the Charlton “top-down” system takes closer to 6 minutes from order to delivery, with a tutting queue slowly building up behind you. Bearing that in mind you can’t simply amble down at half-time, order your drinks and go on your merry way whistling ‘The Red Red Robin’.
During the Duchâtelet and Sandgaard eras, life was simple. 38 minutes on the clock was the signal to go down, have a piss and place your order. If it was a big game or a protest match, 36 minutes was a safer option. My bladder was programmed to hold out and life was simple. You could even watch the remainder of the half on the concourse screen.
Even at the start of last season 38 minutes was acceptable. However, as Nathan Jones started working his magic on the pitch, there was twitching off it. Things came to a head during our surge towards the play-offs. I departed my seat at 36 minutes and, to my horror, the queue was already three deep. Abandoning the pleas of my bladder, I went straight to the queue and regretted it immediately. After eventually being served and finding a gap to nurse the pints on the shelf by the wall, I had to wait cross-legged for the half-time cavalry to come.
After that incident I announced that 32 minutes was the new time. This development didn’t just impact me. If it’s someone else’s round, I’m chirping in their ear from 29 minutes to start preparing their descent and checking if there’s anything else to add to the order. I am also the ‘marker’ for Steve and co. who sit several rows behind us. When we go, they go.
I gather (and gather) the club caterers are aware of this issue and the fans frustration, but rather than having senior staff orchestrating events behind the bar they have opted to try other tactics to cut the queues. One short-lived solution involved a self-service machine which looked like it first appeared on Tomorrow’s World in 1978.
The incompetency isn’t just limited to the concourse. The ‘Fans Bar’ has also had its moments. Mum gave up years ago asking for a white wine spritzer, I was once asked if Murphy’s was meant to be black and Stuart was poured a pint of red wine when I ordered him a large measure.
So, if you are at The Valley this season keep an eye on the clock and at 32 minutes glance to the North Stand lower Block B for movement.
Or maybe not!
Who says pre-season optimism has to be restricted to on the pitch activities? Maybe the club have decided to open the abandoned bar at the far end of the concourse or perhaps there is a new formation in the ‘pouring team’ lead by a new catering signing from Spurs.
It’s always the pre-season hope that kills us!
Comedy Gold! Are you Steve Coogan? If so, get back to Naarwich Life.
I see Blackpool thought the same as I did. I looked at the link as it mentioned that Gather and Gather's contract had been extended and I saw that it was from 2022.
Have a skinful before the game and go "cold turkey" for halftime.
I've never felt the desperate need to neck a pint or two in the 15 mins between halves personally, and think that anyone who has to, has to deal with queuing up for ages if that's what it takes
Yeah, but the service issue really is a thing. It is ridiculously, phenomenally, comicaly bad. It's in everyone's interest to get it sorted.
I think the main issue is staffing levels and training, it's pretty much all temp/agency staff and they therefore don't have any training, and don't really care either. They also have unused kiosks in the CEL.
But the thing that holds up all the queues, without fail, is the one guy that goes downstairs 10 mins before his mates to order for a whole group of people, then proceeds to order all his pints 1 or 2 at a time. I have witnessed this on multiple occasions and it drives staff, and other customers, absolutely crazy. Same goes for the dads who go down there to buy food for their snotty nosed kits and then doesn't decide what to order for them all by the time he's at the front and just stands and stares at the menu for a good 2 more minutes, as if everything is in an alien language.
As someone who works in hospitality I can confidently say a lot of our customers really don't help with the queuing times.
Have a skinful before the game and go "cold turkey" for halftime.
I've never felt the desperate need to neck a pint or two in the 15 mins between halves personally, and think that anyone who has to, has to deal with queuing up for ages if that's what it takes
Yeah, but the service issue really is a thing. It is ridiculously, phenomenally, comicaly bad. It's in everyone's interest to get it sorted.
I think the main issue is staffing levels and training, it's pretty much all temp/agency staff and they therefore don't have any training, and don't really care either. They also have unused kiosks in the CEL.
But the thing that holds up all the queues, without fail, is the one guy that goes downstairs 10 mins before his mates to order for a whole group of people, then proceeds to order all his pints 1 or 2 at a time. I have witnessed this on multiple occasions and it drives staff, and other customers, absolutely crazy. Same goes for the dads who go down there to buy food for their snotty nosed kits and then doesn't decide what to order for them all by the time he's at the front and just stands and stares at the menu for a good 2 more minutes, as if everything is in an alien language.
As someone who works in hospitality I can confidently say a lot of our customers really don't help with the queuing times.
Nothing has changed since we went back in 92. We go totally go round in circles, bringing in new caterers, bringing it in house, changing management at the club who say it will be better, fans reps shown pies cooked by people who will never be there on a matchday.
The issues at the Valley is the concourses are too small or exposed to the elements. Also being based in London you will always struggle to get decent staff.
The whole thing needs to be radically changed
Everything sold inside the ground needs to be done for ultra quick service that even the staff we have at the ground can cope with. Bottled beer so nothing needs to be poured, all food sold is literally something they can hand over with minimal fuss, nothing that needs to be dished up (saw this at Peterborough)
Use the car park (and in defence the new management seem to be on this track) to bring independent vendors whose livelihood depend on it, selling quality food and beer before and after the game
Posted the above 12 months ago, apart from the car park nothing has changed
Have a skinful before the game and go "cold turkey" for halftime.
I've never felt the desperate need to neck a pint or two in the 15 mins between halves personally, and think that anyone who has to, has to deal with queuing up for ages if that's what it takes
Yeah, but the service issue really is a thing. It is ridiculously, phenomenally, comicaly bad. It's in everyone's interest to get it sorted.
I think the main issue is staffing levels and training, it's pretty much all temp/agency staff and they therefore don't have any training, and don't really care either. They also have unused kiosks in the CEL.
But the thing that holds up all the queues, without fail, is the one guy that goes downstairs 10 mins before his mates to order for a whole group of people, then proceeds to order all his pints 1 or 2 at a time. I have witnessed this on multiple occasions and it drives staff, and other customers, absolutely crazy. Same goes for the dads who go down there to buy food for their snotty nosed kits and then doesn't decide what to order for them all by the time he's at the front and just stands and stares at the menu for a good 2 more minutes, as if everything is in an alien language.
As someone who works in hospitality I can confidently say a lot of our customers really don't help with the queuing times.
And as I said, I work in hospitality, so the people that are served are called "customers", that's a fact. You're a customer of the kiosk if you go and queue up to buy food and drinks from it. I couldn't give a toss if you don't like that terminology because of the way Meire used it, that's what they are called
And as I said, I work in hospitality, so the people that are served are called "customers", that's a fact. You're a customer of the kiosk if you go and queue up to buy food and drinks from it. I couldn't give a toss if you don't like that terminology because of the way Meire used it, that's what they are called
Must be quite the experience having to endure your hospitality. If someone has the temerity to want a beer? Make them wait for ages so they “can think about their life choices”!
And as I said, I work in hospitality, so the people that are served are called "customers", that's a fact. You're a customer of the kiosk if you go and queue up to buy food and drinks from it. I couldn't give a toss if you don't like that terminology because of the way Meire used it, that's what they are called
Must be quite the experience having to endure your hospitality. If someone has the temerity to want a beer? Make them wait for ages so they “can think about their life choices”!
Well thankfully I don't work in a kiosk at The Valley, so don't have to serve people who can't go more than an hour without necking some shite flat beer
As the excitement builds towards a new season at The Valley, the thoughts of most fans turn to new signings, formations, Reebok kits and the two Millwall fixtures.
Not this midlife fan!
Now that we’re back in the Championship, with larger crowds, my thoughts are focussed on what time I need to go down to the North Stand lower concourse to nip to the loo and guarantee being served a half-time pint.
I’ve been following Charlton for 45 years and visited many a concourse on my travels, but the North Stand lower concourse at The Valley is in a (lower) league of its own. If you’re operating a refreshment outlet at a football ground, you would expect to have to serve customers at half-time, or if you don’t know much about football, about 45 minutes after everyone suddenly disappears. This logic doesn’t apply to the North Stand lower concourse!
The look of complete surprise on the faces of the staff every time I approach the till is something to behold. The order is always the same, “four Anytime IPA’s please”, but the delivery is less predictable. Part of the problem is that the beer is poured at the far end of the bar so after taking the order, and then computing it, my designated adventurer has to make their way across to the ‘pouring team’ who appear equally as surprised to receive an order for beer. The four pints are then transported (sometimes one at a time) back across the bar and into my grateful but ageing hands.
Whilst Spurs fans can boast of their “bottoms-up” system delivering a pint in 6 seconds, the Charlton “top-down” system takes closer to 6 minutes from order to delivery, with a tutting queue slowly building up behind you. Bearing that in mind you can’t simply amble down at half-time, order your drinks and go on your merry way whistling ‘The Red Red Robin’.
During the Duchâtelet and Sandgaard eras, life was simple. 38 minutes on the clock was the signal to go down, have a piss and place your order. If it was a big game or a protest match, 36 minutes was a safer option. My bladder was programmed to hold out and life was simple. You could even watch the remainder of the half on the concourse screen.
Even at the start of last season 38 minutes was acceptable. However, as Nathan Jones started working his magic on the pitch, there was twitching off it. Things came to a head during our surge towards the play-offs. I departed my seat at 36 minutes and, to my horror, the queue was already three deep. Abandoning the pleas of my bladder, I went straight to the queue and regretted it immediately. After eventually being served and finding a gap to nurse the pints on the shelf by the wall, I had to wait cross-legged for the half-time cavalry to come.
After that incident I announced that 32 minutes was the new time. This development didn’t just impact me. If it’s someone else’s round, I’m chirping in their ear from 29 minutes to start preparing their descent and checking if there’s anything else to add to the order. I am also the ‘marker’ for Steve and co. who sit several rows behind us. When we go, they go.
I gather (and gather) the club caterers are aware of this issue and the fans frustration, but rather than having senior staff orchestrating events behind the bar they have opted to try other tactics to cut the queues. One short-lived solution involved a self-service machine which looked like it first appeared on Tomorrow’s World in 1978.
The incompetency isn’t just limited to the concourse. The ‘Fans Bar’ has also had its moments. Mum gave up years ago asking for a white wine spritzer, I was once asked if Murphy’s was meant to be black and Stuart was poured a pint of red wine when I ordered him a large measure.
So, if you are at The Valley this season keep an eye on the clock and at 32 minutes glance to the North Stand lower Block B for movement.
Or maybe not!
Who says pre-season optimism has to be restricted to on the pitch activities? Maybe the club have decided to open the abandoned bar at the far end of the concourse or perhaps there is a new formation in the ‘pouring team’ lead by a new catering signing from Spurs.
It’s always the pre-season hope that kills us!
This is incredible, kudos i can prowse with the best of them but this is top tier
And as I said, I work in hospitality, so the people that are served are called "customers", that's a fact. You're a customer of the kiosk if you go and queue up to buy food and drinks from it. I couldn't give a toss if you don't like that terminology because of the way Meire used it, that's what they are called
Must be quite the experience having to endure your hospitality. If someone has the temerity to want a beer? Make them wait for ages so they “can think about their life choices”!
Well thankfully I don't work in a kiosk at The Valley, so don't have to serve people who can't go more than an hour without necking some shite flat beer
Have you ever considered going into the printed t-shirt business?
Comments
I'd open all the kiosks for a start, and designate each one to a different thing. Food and soft drinks separate from alcohol, clearly defined areas for each thing. This minimises cross training needs and means each area can focus on their strengths and not have to think about a wide variety of items. (Think of restaurants nowadays, you have waiters, you have bartenders, you have chefs, you have runners, they specialise in one area, currently at The Valley many of the staff have to know about the food menu, pour pints, grab pies and other food, it's a mess)
I'd also do away with most of the choices when it comes to draught. Have one lager, maybe one IPA, and that's it. Everything else is bottles. Think of the possibility of getting Schooner sizes instead of full pints, so quicker to pour, a bit cheaper for people to buy, easier to carry and they usually keep better (less likely to get flat halfway through the drink) implement a directive where loads of lagers are half poured and topped up at ordering. Sure you might get a bit of wastage and a couple of tossers who always want it "freshly pulled" but the vast majority of punters just want it in their face as soon as possible.
Lastly, instead of the bottom filling stuff Spurs have which is costly, get the vending machines in. They speed up service, cut costs and I'm sure Meantime would love a whole row of them standing there on a concourse covered in their logos.
Whenever you receive poor service in any environment, or if you have ever injured yourself and had to wait a long time in A&E, do you ever ponder your “life choices”?
It even quotes Sandgaard
The issues at the Valley is the concourses are too small or exposed to the elements. Also being based in London you will always struggle to get decent staff.
The whole thing needs to be radically changed
Everything sold inside the ground needs to be done for ultra quick service that even the staff we have at the ground can cope with. Bottled beer so nothing needs to be poured, all food sold is literally something they can hand over with minimal fuss, nothing that needs to be dished up (saw this at Peterborough)
Use the car park (and in defence the new management seem to be on this track) to bring independent vendors whose livelihood depend on it, selling quality food and beer before and after the game
Posted the above 12 months ago, apart from the car park nothing has changed