I just want a hotdog at Yankee Stadium

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 12:46:42 -0700

As a lifelong fan of America's pastime (baseball, for those who flip by sports channels on the tube), I believe I am a highly profitable customer for MLB.com (the Major League's website) and shop.mlb.com (where you buy the good stuff). Let's look at the basics of my profile:

- I play baseball in my spare time and therefore, purchase baseball equipment and attire. This includes MLB branded attire. In fact, my trip to Yankee stadium this year will include a Bernie Williams jersey!

- I am female. Female apparel sales have skyrocketed over the past few years. Pink is in, pick your team.

- I work full time and do not have kids yet. No brainer - I still have a disposable income! Also means I can travel easily (in fact, I have tickets in hand for games in Baltimore and New York later this year - bought online).

- I love the game. I attend upwards of 6 or 7 Mariners games a season (and I live in Vancouver, 3 hours away). I watch a couple games a week on TV, catch the sports highlights EVERY night, and subscribe to various web reader feeds for my favorite teams to stay up to date on transactions (Mariners and Yankees... who doesn't love Bernie Williams?!?!).

So why, based on the above, does MLB treat me like a stranger? As a loyal subscriber to their news, specials and other offers, I am tired of receiving emails that contain offers that make me giddy (I mean, a chance to go to the All Star game for placing my vote on who should play? I'm in!), only to find out that since I don't live in the United States, I am not eligible to win. My time, my vote, and my interest means nothing. Last time I checked, the Toronto Blue Jays were in Canada. Why can someone in Wyoming participate in the League's offers and contests but I'm excluded? And to top it off, why do I keep receiving these emails? Open up your database, do a quick filter on the "State" or "Country" field of my profile, and stop spamming me with irrelevant information. Take a closer look and realize you'd make my day by simply sending me a coupon for a free hotdog for my first visit to Yankee Stadium.

Fans walk out in protest

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 10:55:59 -0700

Peter Angelos, owner of the Baltimore Orioles major league baseball club, sure knows how to make it harder for his staff to sell tickets next season: publicly insult passionate fans at the close of their 9th consecutive disappointing season.

The owner of a ball club is no different than the CEO of any company. Delight your customers and reap the financial rewards in return. It's a simple exchange. I am at a loss to try and understand the logic of his response to a group of fans that paid for tickets to a game in order to stage a walkout with a message.

The disgruntled fans are asking for the same level of quality product they enjoyed growing up so that they may pass on the enjoyable family tradition to their kids. In otherwords, they are offering to groom future fans (ticket-purchasers for Angelos) for free!! I applaud them for giving him this long (9 years!) to make some needed changes.

Why not take this opportunity to hear what they want instead of alienating them (and their children, your future customers) further?

I may have to consider the Washington Nationals game next time I'm in town instead of my repeated loyalty at the beautiful Camden Yards.

Sutori - Stories Tagged With 'baseball'

I just want a hotdog at Yankee Stadium

Fans walk out in protest