Define Natitude

[rbw5t]

Just because I'm beyond pissed off about this, here's a copy of the rant I just fired off to my rep.  He won't even read it, but maybe some people here will....

"[Rep],

I got an email from the team tonight saying that single game and RCR tix from the rain out can only be used for Thursday's game and can't be exchanged for other future games.  Between all the other problems, like the amateur SPH website and RCR issues, the refund policies, even the intentionally long lines for the cheap hot dogs, and now this, it's like the team is doing everything it can to drive away customers.  I hope that maybe this was just a wording mistake of some sort, but I'm afraid that's probably not the case.

Obviously, there is no way that most people can just drop everything and make an afternoon game that they had not previously made arrangements to be able to attend.  This policy, if it's real, is absolutely ridiculous.

My family made it to about 30 games last season, and it will be over 50 this year, and we drop thousands of dollars at the park between tickets and concessions. We are a young family of 4, the ringleaders of two season ticket holder groups, and are exactly the kind of long term customers that the team should be concerned about not alienating.  And, I am fed up and so pissed off about the big "F* You" the team seems intent on giving to its fans and customers, that I am seriously considering canceling my 3 year contract if the policy is not reversed.  The team gave no notice of this policy change, and if it isn't changed back, I would consider it a breach of my season ticket contract that would allow me to terminate our commitment.

Aren't the Lerners smart enough to not run the fan experience into the ground like Dan Snider did?  Are the few bucks that the team saves by screwing people out of their rain check tickets really worth alienating the fan base?  Yeah, in the first couple of years of winning 95-100 games, when excitement is at its peak, people will probably come regardless, but when you're winning 80-85 and things aren't quite perfect, you'd better not have driven people away.

I know that the Yankees offer rain check exchanges, and the Giants actually offer refunds, so any claim that this policy is just a result of demand is BS - it's a result of greed and arrogance and disdain for fans.

Unless the team has come to its senses by morning, please forward my rant to your bosses.  I'm sure they can all have a good laugh about their idiot fans.  It will be funny until they can't fill their stadium with people to buy their $6 hot dogs and $10 beer."

[mmzznnxx]

I hope you get the closure you seek, rbw5t. That's really low of the Nats to do.

I doubt the rep has any real power in this, so I feel bad for him in regards to helping you, in this. But yeah, it's so unreasonable for the Nats to expect people to make any game on their (and the weather's) whim.

I've gone to at least 3x as many Nats games as Redskins games in my short life, and an undefined amount more than Caps and Wizards games, seeing as I haven't gone to any yet. And if this keeps up I will definitely keep in mind next time I try to buy tickets to a game. Just really disappointing, especially with the offense they've put on the field lately.

[Lintyfresh85]

Just because I'm beyond pissed off about this, here's a copy of the rant I just fired off to my rep.  He won't even read it, but maybe some people here will....

"[Rep],

I got an email from the team tonight saying that single game and RCR tix from the rain out can only be used for Thursday's game and can't be exchanged for other future games.  Between all the other problems, like the amateur SPH website and RCR issues, the refund policies, even the intentionally long lines for the cheap hot dogs, and now this, it's like the team is doing everything it can to drive away customers.  I hope that maybe this was just a wording mistake of some sort, but I'm afraid that's probably not the case.

Obviously, there is no way that most people can just drop everything and make an afternoon game that they had not previously made arrangements to be able to attend.  This policy, if it's real, is absolutely ridiculous.

My family made it to about 30 games last season, and it will be over 50 this year, and we drop thousands of dollars at the park between tickets and concessions. We are a young family of 4, the ringleaders of two season ticket holder groups, and are exactly the kind of long term customers that the team should be concerned about not alienating.  And, I am fed up and so pissed off about the big "F* You" the team seems intent on giving to its fans and customers, that I am seriously considering canceling my 3 year contract if the policy is not reversed.  The team gave no notice of this policy change, and if it isn't changed back, I would consider it a breach of my season ticket contract that would allow me to terminate our commitment.

Aren't the Lerners smart enough to not run the fan experience into the ground like Dan Snider did?  Are the few bucks that the team saves by screwing people out of their rain check tickets really worth alienating the fan base?  Yeah, in the first couple of years of winning 95-100 games, when excitement is at its peak, people will probably come regardless, but when you're winning 80-85 and things aren't quite perfect, you'd better not have driven people away.

I know that the Yankees offer rain check exchanges, and the Giants actually offer refunds, so any claim that this policy is just a result of demand is BS - it's a result of greed and arrogance and disdain for fans.

Unless the team has come to its senses by morning, please forward my rant to your bosses.  I'm sure they can all have a good laugh about their idiot fans.  It will be funny until they can't fill their stadium with people to buy their $6 hot dogs and $10 beer."

Sorry to hear that. Truly hope they resolve your problem.

Unfortunately, you're about to be hit by a lot of people on WNFF that will defend the organization no matter how low they sink when it comes to customer service.

[Smithian]

Just because I'm beyond pissed off about this, here's a copy of the rant I just fired off to my rep.  He won't even read it, but maybe some people here will....

"[Rep],

I got an email from the team tonight saying that single game and RCR tix from the rain out can only be used for Thursday's game and can't be exchanged for other future games.  Between all the other problems, like the amateur SPH website and RCR issues, the refund policies, even the intentionally long lines for the cheap hot dogs, and now this, it's like the team is doing everything it can to drive away customers.  I hope that maybe this was just a wording mistake of some sort, but I'm afraid that's probably not the case.

Obviously, there is no way that most people can just drop everything and make an afternoon game that they had not previously made arrangements to be able to attend.  This policy, if it's real, is absolutely ridiculous.

My family made it to about 30 games last season, and it will be over 50 this year, and we drop thousands of dollars at the park between tickets and concessions. We are a young family of 4, the ringleaders of two season ticket holder groups, and are exactly the kind of long term customers that the team should be concerned about not alienating.  And, I am fed up and so pissed off about the big "F* You" the team seems intent on giving to its fans and customers, that I am seriously considering canceling my 3 year contract if the policy is not reversed.  The team gave no notice of this policy change, and if it isn't changed back, I would consider it a breach of my season ticket contract that would allow me to terminate our commitment.

Aren't the Lerners smart enough to not run the fan experience into the ground like Dan Snider did?  Are the few bucks that the team saves by screwing people out of their rain check tickets really worth alienating the fan base?  Yeah, in the first couple of years of winning 95-100 games, when excitement is at its peak, people will probably come regardless, but when you're winning 80-85 and things aren't quite perfect, you'd better not have driven people away.

I know that the Yankees offer rain check exchanges, and the Giants actually offer refunds, so any claim that this policy is just a result of demand is BS - it's a result of greed and arrogance and disdain for fans.

Unless the team has come to its senses by morning, please forward my rant to your bosses.  I'm sure they can all have a good laugh about their idiot fans.  It will be funny until they can't fill their stadium with people to buy their $6 hot dogs and $10 beer."

I would call your rep tomorrow and ask for the emails of Tom Jackson, Dave McElwee, Chris Gargani, Andrew Feffer, and others. (http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=was). Worse they can say is "No". If they provide you those emails (extremely doubtful), I would clean up your email a bit and forward it to them as well, especially the part listing other team policies.

This was a very low moment for the organization. Just a very nasty message to send to the fans.

[rbw5t]

Sorry to hear that. Truly hope they resolve your problem.

Unfortunately, you're about to be hit by a lot of people on WNFF that will defend the organization no matter how low they sink when it comes to customer service.

Ha, thanks for the warning!  I can take it (I hope).  I'm really an enormous fan and pretty much always defend the organization too on the baseball side of things (Stras shutdown, etc.).  I have total faith in Rizzo and the baseball people -- it's the fan experience, customer service side of things that pisses me off so much.  I love the team and going to the ballpark, and just want to be able to enjoy being a fan(atic?) without always feeling annoyed/disappointed/screwed by the way things are run.

[CALSGR8]

Usually the email addresses are firstname.lastname@nationals.com.  look at your reps email and the others are similar.

I also ranted how if you want to exchange a game in your plan for another, nearly every Friday and Saturday game is blacked.out.  At the same time, every bobblehead game is blacked.out also.  You now have to spend more RCR points on weekends and for premium games.

[PowerBoater69]

I would call your rep tomorrow and ask for the emails of Tom Jackson, Dave McElwee, Chris Gargani, Andrew Feffer, and others. (http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=was). Worse they can say is "No". If they provide you those emails (extremely doubtful), I would clean up your email a bit and forward it to them as well, especially the part listing other team policies.

This was a very low moment for the organization. Just a very nasty message to send to the fans.

The head of my ticket group complained about a different issue and got Feffer on the phone, I can't remember all the details but the gist was that they could easily find someone else to take her seats.

[PowerBoater69]

I'm guessing they mean overall demand, not individual game demand.

Overall ticket sales are up significantly based on ticket plan sales. Actual demand for tickets might be lower this year, there are plenty of cheap seats on the resale market and the team is having to run more discount ticket promotions.

Certainly there have been plenty of empty seats.

[HalfSmokes]

The head of my ticket group complained a different issue and got Feffer on the phone, I can't remember all the details but the gist was that they could easily find someone else to take her seats.

this is the most hyped they've ever been and they aren't selling out.  Someone needs to tell Fender this isn't fenway

[Gleason2]

So no recourse for season ticket holders,  at least single game purchasers can try their luck disputing the charges

Season ticket holders should simply be able to trade the unused tickets in for RCR points, just like they could for any other missed game.

[PowerBoater69]

Season ticket holders should simply be able to trade the unused tickets in for RCR points, just like they could for any other missed game.

This is only marginally better than for those that have no exchange options. The RCR points are worth a fraction of the value of the exchanged tickets.

[Baseball is Life]

Sorry to hear that. Truly hope they resolve your problem.

Unfortunately, you're about to be hit by a lot of people on WNFF that will defend the organization no matter how low they sink when it comes to customer service.

no defense of this stupid decision here. i've already complained to my rep.

[tomterp]

Unfortunately, you're about to be hit by a lot of people on WNFF that will defend the organization no matter how low they sink when it comes to customer service.

 

[Lintyfresh85]

Based off the past history of comments with most Nats fan blunders.

Seem to be wrong about this issue.

[1995hoo]

It's also worth noting that this is a departure from both general custom and Nationals past practice, and it came with no warning of the change in procedure.  People who bought tickets for tonight's game knowing it might be rained out would definitely have had the reasonable expectation that they could exchange their tickets for any future game with availability.

....

I think it's the lack of warning that's odious. If they had said prior to the date when tickets went on sale to the general public that they were changing the rainout policy (and explained the new one), then fans wouldn't have any standing to complain. Oh, they'd complain anyway, but it wouldn't be credible because they'd have known, or reasonably should have known, what the policy was before buying the ticket. 
 
But that's not what happened. Instead, the Nationals sold tickets to people without saying anything about a new policy, such that people quite reasonably assumed the existing policy from last year remained in place. Only now, AFTER THE FACT, are they announcing a change. They're altering the terms of a deal after the deal was made. (Makes me picture Darth Vader saying, "I'm altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further.") You don't impose new rules after the fact when people already spent their money in reliance on the old policy that hadn't been changed. 
 
In other words, changing the policy only after the fact is wrong.

[Tim Cullen]

I'm more pissed that they called the game before 5pm and it didn't really rain again until after 10pm. 

The Nats can never make the right call on these things.  Either they call the game and it doesn't end up raining or they trudge forward and a monsoon comes.

[PowerBoater69]

Love the charade of claiming that the change was due to increased demand, if Nats tickets were actually in high demand there would be no need for this policy change because there wouldn't be many available exchange options.

The real reason is of course money, the team doesn't like the idea of $1-5 tickets sold at a discount in spring being used for games in the summer when demand picks up.

[Displaced Bucco]

I'm not even sure it's a complete policy change...I'm thinking they wanted to make sure that holding a game on two-days notice would generate some revenue. 

[blue911]

I'm not even sure it's a complete policy change...I'm thinking they wanted to make sure that holding a game on two-days notice would generate some revenue.

They can't change the terms and conditions after the sale.

[cowpunk]

Just because I'm beyond pissed off about this, here's a copy of the rant I just fired off to my rep.  He won't even read it, but maybe some people here will....

"[Rep],

I got an email from the team tonight saying that single game and RCR tix from the rain out can only be used for Thursday's game and can't be exchanged for other future games.  Between all the other problems, like the amateur SPH website and RCR issues, the refund policies, even the intentionally long lines for the cheap hot dogs, and now this, it's like the team is doing everything it can to drive away customers.  I hope that maybe this was just a wording mistake of some sort, but I'm afraid that's probably not the case.

Obviously, there is no way that most people can just drop everything and make an afternoon game that they had not previously made arrangements to be able to attend.  This policy, if it's real, is absolutely ridiculous.

My family made it to about 30 games last season, and it will be over 50 this year, and we drop thousands of dollars at the park between tickets and concessions. We are a young family of 4, the ringleaders of two season ticket holder groups, and are exactly the kind of long term customers that the team should be concerned about not alienating.  And, I am fed up and so pissed off about the big "F* You" the team seems intent on giving to its fans and customers, that I am seriously considering canceling my 3 year contract if the policy is not reversed.  The team gave no notice of this policy change, and if it isn't changed back, I would consider it a breach of my season ticket contract that would allow me to terminate our commitment.

Aren't the Lerners smart enough to not run the fan experience into the ground like Dan Snider did?  Are the few bucks that the team saves by screwing people out of their rain check tickets really worth alienating the fan base?  Yeah, in the first couple of years of winning 95-100 games, when excitement is at its peak, people will probably come regardless, but when you're winning 80-85 and things aren't quite perfect, you'd better not have driven people away.

I know that the Yankees offer rain check exchanges, and the Giants actually offer refunds, so any claim that this policy is just a result of demand is BS - it's a result of greed and arrogance and disdain for fans.

Unless the team has come to its senses by morning, please forward my rant to your bosses.  I'm sure they can all have a good laugh about their idiot fans.  It will be funny until they can't fill their stadium with people to buy their $6 hot dogs and $10 beer."

Hope you get a reply.  We are #1 in cost of beer, up $1.75 from last year.  And now we have to win by seven runs to get 50% off our pizza too.

[Lintyfresh85]

Post picked it up.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/wp/2013/05/07/on-the-nationals-new-rainout-ticket-policy/

[PowerBoater69]

I'm not even sure it's a complete policy change...I'm thinking they wanted to make sure that holding a game on two-days notice would generate some revenue. 

It's a policy change, taking their PR cues from the Vogons, the Nats quietly updated the small print over the off season, nobody from the fan base thought to check the policy until an actual rain out occurred.

[1995hoo]

What's a shame about the move from a PR standpoint is that the Nationals seemed finally to have turned around the perception of the franchise as being sort of the Al Bundy of baseball (for example, notice how the stupid "Natinals" jokes have largely stopped), but now they're going to go right back to that status.

[GburgNatsFan]

Well, I'm writing to the Nats about it. Everyone should.

[Ray D]

Unfortunately, you're about to be hit by a lot of people on WNFF that will defend the organization no matter how low they sink when it comes to customer service.

I cannot believe that ANYONE could possibly defend this.