Topic: FAO John Henry - sort out the service in the stands please

[It's Jimmy Corkhill]

Some people eat the whole 90 minutes and dont even watch the match seriously pisses me off 

It's a joke that. People moan about the price of tickets yet spend about £20 on shite food during the game.

[Shanks1965]

Some people eat the whole 90 minutes and dont even watch the match seriously pisses me off 

As would someone only rarely goes to the game complaining about there being no chips at half time while everyone else is waiting to get served.

[Degs]

I went to an NBA basketball game in the states with about a 20,000 capacity crowd a few years ago and it took me about 5 mins to buy food.

there's a shock

I've never eaten anything at the match, barring a hotdog when we beat Fulham 5-1 but that's a story in itself.

Here's a tip, don't be a greedy bastard, I wouldn't expect to go down the Chinese and have a 50 feet plasma telly showing the match so why can't some people go 90 minutes without stuffing their faces full of shite.

If you've got a kid fair enough but it's the fat bastards who are up and down every 5 minutes to go the bog, stuff their face, record every single fucking thing on their camera phone (nobody is EVER going to watch it), and leave to avoid the traffic that piss me off.

It's only 90 fucking minutes, stand still!

[fizzyp]

Whats the point in this thread it wont change anything. Couldnt be arsed takin the wife the match cause she would come out with things like how come they dont sell chips 

[Kite]

What a bunch of miserable buggers.  A fella wants to go and get a hot dog with his kid at half time and all you can do is moan.  The fella is dead right, if the club is going to do something then do it bloody right.  Its always a right pain in the arse to get something at half time, and it could be easily made much easier.

[smicer07]

What a bunch of miserable buggers.  A fella wants to go and get a hot dog with his kid at half time and all you can do is moan.  The fella is dead right, if the club is going to do something then do it bloody right.  Its always a right pain in the arse to get something at half time, and it could be easily made much easier.

You can make it easier by 1) taking your own food/drink or 2) eating and drinking before/after the game. Simple.

[Passmaster Molby]

You can make it easier by 1) taking your own food/drink or 2) eating and drinking before/after the game. Simple.

Or alternatively the club could pull its finger out of its arse and ensure fans are given good service which will hopefully encourage others to buy more products from the snack bars etc and bring more money into the club.

[Azi]

we need these guys at anfield

[lea7kewell]

Go the match to watch the footie and not scoff your face, there is nothing more annoying than people coming back to their seats late stuffing their face and eating throughout the game.

Agree mate - but the end of the day, we are never going to NOT sell food at Anfield - so why not make the best out of it by way of keeper the hungry happy and make a bit of coin in the process.

Simple, no?

[SpartanTree. No deccies or lights.]

Take a sandwich? Or do as I do, and don't eat or drink for an hour and a half. It's doable you know

Took my 7 year old for his first game at Anfield and this is exactly what we did. I've been going the match since the early 90's and can't remember ever buying (or wanting to buy) food within the ground.  Think I bought a coffee once just to keep me hands warm...

Anyway, just following up on this point with our club shop.  If I buy any club merchandise I buy it online (never bother going into the shop) but thought i'd treat my lad to something from the shop.  Had to queue for while and once we got in it was packed.  Really crammed in there and difficult to move around.  We wanted to have a good look round the shop but decided to get out after about 5 mins.   Most of my mates never bother and its not difficult to see why. 

Just hope any ground redevelopment / new ground caters for a much larger club shop and improved catering facilities (for those that want to stuff their faces) so that we make the most of any potential revenue from these streams.  Can't help thinking the club is missing out massively at the moment...

[stewy17]

its 90 minutes and you're watching a football match. Just don't eat? Simples.

[stewy17]

why don't they sell duck a l'orange? Anfield is shite. Sort it out JW lad.

[CraigDS]

Fucking  at the ones saying just don't bother eating.

Fact is the club offers the sale of food, so in doing so they should do it as efficiently as possible to sell as much as they can and increase profits that then goes into the coffers.

Min wage is just about to go to just over £6. And the current kiosks can easily fit 2 or 3 more servers in without issue. It's seems an easy fix to be honest.

[Bondred]

Fucking  at the ones saying just don't bother eating.

Fact is the club offers the sale of food, so in doing so they should do it as efficiently as possible to sell as much as they can and increase profits that then goes into the coffers.

Min wage is just about to go to just over £6. And the current kiosks can easily fit 2 or 3 more servers in without issue. It's seems an easy fix to be honest.

It's hardly going to make much of a difference in profit, the more food being sold = more food being bought.

[Nessy76]

It's hardly going to make much of a difference in profit, the more food being sold = more food being bought.

If 20,000 people want to buy food at half time and only 5,000 are able to, then yes, that is very definitely going to affect profit, and may well help to explain the £60m a year we lose to Man Utd on match-day revenues.

People here saying minimum wage is £7 per hour... Jesus, what planet are you on?

You can make it easier by 1) taking your own food/drink or 2) eating and drinking before/after the game. Simple.

This is true, but moronic. The club loses out on money to our rivals because of things like this. Unless you want to take your butties to watch us play in a lower division, you have to realise this is an issue.

[Azi]

one of the incentives in building a new stadium is the extra revenue we will get from matches you think there only talking about ticket sales ?

[Danyaals Kop]

I never eat during a football match but I always buy the match programme before the game or during half-time and I encounter no problems there.

The only thing I'm mostly concerned about are the match waiting ques. I've gone to Anfield 3 times and will be going to the Sunderland game and once I happened to miss YNWA, which really pissed me off but we won 4-0, so oh well !

[GorstStreetBoy]

People look back and laugh/cringe at the days when the club shop operated out of that little bungalow thingy behind the Shankly gates, how is this any differrent?

It's hardly going to make much of a difference in profit, the more food being sold = more food being bought.

Wow.

[RamblasPro]

As a season ticket holder for 20+ years this post is utterly amazing.

Not a single person is saying "The service in the stands is ok, no problems at all, whats all the fuss about". 

The problem used to be far worse until they decided to sell beer via mobile sellers (why can't they do this also for soft drinks).

Space is the major issue here and maybe some health and safety issues also exist on the number of staff allowed in food outlet.  Quite where they actually get the staff from is also very questionable.

Unitil we move grounds I can't see this improving.

To say 'don't eat' isn't really an answer you can give to a guy who want's to buy food/drink for his kids but not sure what the answer is....

[Bondred]

Wow.

What exactly is wow about it? it's quite simple, if we sell more food we then have to buy more food, so the profit margin doesn't increase by much, it will yield a small profit, but certainly not one that is going to finance new players or stadiums. and it certainly isn't going to help us catch up with the mancs like some other poster suggested.

[ollick]

What exactly is wow about it? it's quite simple, if we sell more food we then have to buy more food, so the profit margin doesn't increase by much, it will yield a small profit, but certainly not one that is going to finance new players or stadiums. and it certainly isn't going to help us catch up with the mancs like some other poster suggested.

To be fair your last post was poorly worded. I think you mean something like 'the more food being sold means the club would have to buy more food'.

[GorstStreetBoy]

What exactly is wow about it? it's quite simple, if we sell more food we then have to buy more food, so the profit margin doesn't increase by much, it will yield a small profit, but certainly not one that is going to finance new players or stadiums. and it certainly isn't going to help us catch up with the mancs like some other poster suggested.

Nobody is suggesting that improving the catering operation in the ground will pay for new players or a new stadium. This issue here is about providing an appropriate level of service to customers who are paying a lot of money to be there.

To say 'well why bother selling more as we would have to buy more' is absurd. Ever heard of speculate to accumulate? If I by 10 ipods for £60 each and sell them all for £90 and you buy 20 for £58 each and sell them for £90 you are going to make more than double the profit I make arent you.

The OP raises a very simple and valid point that demand is outwieghing supply here and it needs to be sorted. The days of LFC being run like a corner shop are supposed to be over, although in this case being run like a corner shop would represent an improvement.

[It's Jimmy Corkhill]

Sneak booze in/don't be a fatty and wait an hour and a half for some scran.

Sorted.

[Bondred]

Nobody is suggesting that improving the catering operation in the ground will pay for new players or a new stadium. This issue here is about providing an appropriate level of service to customers who are paying a lot of money to be there.

To say 'well why bother selling more as we would have to buy more' is absurd. Ever heard of speculate to accumulate? If I by 10 ipods for £60 each and sell them all for £90 and you buy 20 for £58 each and sell them for £90 you are going to make more than double the profit I make arent you.

The OP raises a very simple and valid point that demand is outwieghing supply here and it needs to be sorted. The days of LFC being run like a corner shop are supposed to be over, although in this case being run like a corner shop would represent an improvement.

I never said don't bother selling more.

Don't put words in my mouth.

[Azi]

What exactly is wow about it? it's quite simple, if we sell more food we then have to buy more food, so the profit margin doesn't increase by much, it will yield a small profit, but certainly not one that is going to finance new players or stadiums. and it certainly isn't going to help us catch up with the mancs like some other poster suggested.

put it this way the coke they sell at 2.20 costs them in the region of 20p per cup hot dog they sell at 3.50 costs them maybe 50p now say an extra 5000 supporters take it up per game =  thats an extra £25k a game and thats just on those two items alone add in crisps which cost 30p and are sold £1.10 etc the moneys there now obv costs go up for extra staff but if your buying more food it actually tends to get cheaper and certain companies will supply you with free stock to get it out on the market so its win win

[Bondred]

put it this way the coke they sell at 2.20 costs them in the region of 20p per cup hot dog they sell at 3.50 costs them maybe 50p now say an extra 5000 supporters take it up per game =  thats an extra £25k a game and thats just on those two items alone add in crisps which cost 30p and are sold £1.10 etc the moneys there now obv costs go up for extra staff but if your buying more food it actually tends to get cheaper and certain companies will supply you with free stock to get it out on the market so its win win

I know how profit works thank you.

Be honest, not many people get turned away from a booth without buying anything.

[Azi]

I know how profit works thank you.

Be honest, not many people get turned away from a booth without buying anything.

and you know this because ?  its impossible to guess this without facts  whether the demand is there or not ive went to games and seen the queues and thought fuck it get something at full time you'll be surprised how many folk get peckish during a game but cant be arsed standing in a queue for 15 mins to be told sorry no hot pies left or only diet coke left my point is they have nothing to lose by employing an extra 10 staff to meet demand

if i was in charge id have the smell of fresh bread or something wafting through the stands so it gets everyone hungry as they walk to their seats at the start of the match

[Bondred]

and you know this because ?  its impossible to guess this without facts  whether the demand is there or not ive went to games and seen the queues and thought fuck it get something at full time you'll be surprised how many folk get peckish during a game but cant be arsed standing in a queue for 15 mins to be told sorry no hot pies left or only diet coke left my point is they have nothing to lose by employing an extra 10 staff to meet demand

if i was in charge id have the smell of fresh bread or something wafting through the stands so it gets everyone hungry as they walk to their seats at the start of the match

I don't know it for a fact, and I didn't say I did. But I have been to many many games and have never had a problem getting served if I fancy a beer. Yes I may have to wait a little while, but so what?

The trouble with today is no one has any god damn patience for anything.

This thread proves it, people crying on a forum because they have to wait 2 mins for a bloody pie.

You can try and dress it up all you want, you wont get my support, if people can't go 90mins without some food then they should go and see a bloody doctor, or just put up with the 2 minute wait in the queue.

[CraigDS]

I don't know it for a fact, and I didn't say I did. But I have been to many many games and have never had a problem getting served if I fancy a beer. Yes I may have to wait a little while, but so what?

The trouble with today is no one has any god damn patience for anything.

This thread proves it, people crying on a forum because they have to wait 2 mins for a bloody pie.

You can try and dress it up all you want, you wont get my support, if people can't go 90mins without some food then they should go and see a bloody doctor, or just put up with the 2 minute wait in the queue.

Yeah you waited and bought a beer - but how many people if they could get served quick would go back at half time and buy a second beer? Or nip and get a pie after having that first beer?

Fact is people are always getting turned away, we are always running out of food way too soon, people arent bothering to even try queuing up.

You may think its not worth it for the little extra that may be made, but even if its only £25k a game, thats roughly half a million over a season, or to put it into perspective would probably pay a fair amount of the staffing costs in the stadium over a season.

[Azi]

I don't know it for a fact, and I didn't say I did. But I have been to many many games and have never had a problem getting served if I fancy a beer. Yes I may have to wait a little while, but so what?

The trouble with today is no one has any god damn patience for anything.

This thread proves it, people crying on a forum because they have to wait 2 mins for a bloody pie.

You can try and dress it up all you want, you wont get my support, if people can't go 90mins without some food then they should go and see a bloody doctor, or just put up with the 2 minute wait in the queue.

let me try and dress it differently

i drive up from scotland for games and sometimes and if its a 3pm ko a leave around 10am sometimes due to traffic or what not am not reaching anfield until 2.50 so i might be  scratch that i will be starving and i will head to the vendors to get a munch now i dont have a problem waiting 2 or even 5 mins but i dont want to miss any action so want to be served and and back in my seat before the second half kicks off

maybe all those that go to the pictures and buy popcorn etc should see doctors aswell

[CraigDS]

maybe all those that go to the pictures and buy popcorn etc should see doctors aswell

Or anyone who eats anywhere but at home.

[Azi]

Or anyone who eats anywhere but at home.

do you think we should ban the half time oranges aswell 

[1021]

we need these guys at anfield

Azi, mate, it is only a matter of time.
Last time I bought anything at Anfield was water at home to Inter Milan, had been sick for a week, barely managed to get out of bed to go, stood at the back of the Kop, and nearly fainted.
But other than to prevent myself collapsing I wouldn't bother, the prices are ridiculous, in all likelihood it won't be all too appetising, and I go to watch the match not eat and drink.

Totally understand the point of view of looking after your kids, and sure the service should be better if you are looking at it from a financial point of view, but in all honesty in terms of atmosphere and enjoying the match I wouldn't want to encourage those hwo sit around me to be getting up all the time and eating/drinking. It is football not baseball/basketball.

[1021]

Azi, I'm sure I have seen people eating popcorn at Anfield.

[Peter McGurk]

What is so wrong or so hard in providing enough space and enough staff for everyone to eat and drink before, after or during the game (HT) if they want to?  Everybody does it anyway, whether it's in a pub or a chippy, no-one goes home for their tea - everyone makes a day of it.  The club may as well have the money and the support as well as anyone else.  We are supporting the team after all.

[Degs]

and you know this because ?  its impossible to guess this without facts  whether the demand is there or not ive went to games and seen the queues and thought fuck it get something at full time you'll be surprised how many folk get peckish during a game but cant be arsed standing in a queue for 15 mins to be told sorry no hot pies left or only diet coke left my point is they have nothing to lose by employing an extra 10 staff to meet demand

if i was in charge id have the smell of fresh bread or something wafting through the stands so it gets everyone hungry as they walk to their seats at the start of the match

I think somebody beat you to it...that's not a bread smell though

[Shanks1965]

I've recounted this story on a number of occassions.

I once bought a can of lager before the game. It must have been 5 or 6 years ago. It was the first game of the season and it was a hot August day and people were 3 deep at one of the kiosks under the Centenary Stand. I waited my turn and eventually got served and then stood there and watched the lad open the can and then proceed to pour it VERY SLOWLY into a platic glass, meanwhile everyone else stood and waited to get served. He then handed it to me and took £3 for a very warm can of beer.

Some things never change.

[Degs]

I've recounted this story on a number of occassions.

I once bought a can of lager before the game. It must have been 5 or 6 years ago. It was the first game of the season and it was a hot August day and people were 3 deep at one of the kiosks under the Centenary Stand. I waited my turn and eventually got served and then stood there and watched the lad open the can and then proceed to pour it VERY SLOWLY into a platic glass, meanwhile everyone else stood and waited to get served. He then handed it to me and took £3 for a very warm can of beer.

Some things never change.

That did, it was all plastic bottles last time I bought ale at the match (before and after for me)

[bigbonedrawky]

What exactly is wow about it? it's quite simple, if we sell more food we then have to buy more food, so the profit margin doesn't increase by much, it will yield a small profit, but certainly not one that is going to finance new players or stadiums. and it certainly isn't going to help us catch up with the mancs like some other poster suggested.

Profits in the fast food industry are massive and for the kind of bulk buying power a club of our size,
we are potentially talking about more than 600% ( food ) to 1000% ( soft drinks ) return on investment.
Most retail buisnesses are lucky to get a 100% mark up and pay rent and rates out of that.   
Carlsberg have probably pushed for the improvements in the beer sales because all the tax means we will make very little,
so i feel they could do the same kind of things for soft drinks,sweets etc
maybe a option of vending machine's would reduce waiting time.
If a new stadium is built or Anfield is renovated  i'm sure all these things will be taken into account and matchday revenues wil be maximised.
However in the here and now, i know we are missing opportunities and subtle changes are worth making for those kind of profits.
Especially if it makes some people happy.
I noticed there is a "official" stall next to the Juventus Plaque selling shirts scarves etc
Thats a step in the right direction and a lot quicker than waiting outside the store.
20 years late is better than never.

BTW This isn't me moaning, this is me giving supporter feedback in the hope it gets read and helps LFC be more successful.