Marlins: The Punchline

Continuing from Thursday... So I had a nice time at the game on Saturday, though they lost. But I had fun with my brother and my friends and their beautiful daughters.

More problems getting straight with my tickets, but I'm not going to drone on with the details.

Well, maybe a little.

I wound up downgrading my tickets because the seats were more expensive that night since it was a "Super Saturday" with entertainment after the game; Lou Gramm of Foreigner, who also sang the anthem.

The very nice lady in the ticket office tried to take care of me, but her butthead supervisor refused to let her do an upgrade exchange, so I wouldn't have to pay extra. No. Can't. Won't. Whatever.

When I said I didn't want to pay additional and I was willing to be downgraded to less expensive seats, he wanted ME to pay the difference.

The nice lady had to explain it to him a couple of times. So I took the tix, lost a few bucks and thanked her profusely — and said that I understood how it was to work with stupid people. Her smile was one of the brightest I'd seen in a long time.

Oh, and the punchline? They announced during the game that it was... Fan Appreciation Day!

Go Marlins!

Marketing Marlins

The Florida Marlins are having a pretty good season on the field. In the stands, not so much. One recent game had an estimated 600 people in attendance. And estimates usually run high.

Oy!

(Looks like they're going to get a new stadium soon, in a geographically remote area, so we'll see how that goes.)

Their final home-stand ends this week. I bought eight "flex vouchers" so I'd have the "right" to purchase tickets to see the Marlins play the NY Yankees during spring training. (Love the Marlins, but have followed the Yanks forever.)

Several time during the season, I'd get calls from guys in the Marlins ticket department to see if everything was "all right" and if I "needed anything."

Well, finally I did, so I called to see if I could exchange my eight vouchers for two or three "better" seats.

Nope. One voucher for one ticket, plus I'd have to pay additional to upgrade.

Fine. But they can barely fill the place. Wouldn't it make sense to make me, an actual customer, happy? What would they lose with an even exchange, so there's no money lost on either end?

Instead of, y'know, pissing me off. And having me blog about it.