Yesterday’s announcement that ticket prices for season ticket holders will be lower was a good start for the Mets, however it won’t be enough to stave off decreased attendance in 2010. Since this blog is here to help the Mets be as successful as possible in all matters, on-field and off, we offer David Howard the following suggestions, in order of difficulty.
1. Make “Saturday Plan” games occur on Saturday only.
This season, David, you got greedy. I bought a Saturday package because I wanted to go to games with my son….on Saturday. You stuffed it with several weeknight games. The price you will pay is that I will go from buying 30 games to probably none. However, I think offering “Saturday plans” (or Sunday plans) that only include games on that day of the week is an easy honorable move. If you can’t do this, then don’t insult us by calling it “Saturday”, just call it “Plan C” or something.
2. Cut the game packs down from 15 to 10.
Part of the Saturday plan shuffle was that you got me to buy more games than I actually wanted. So I ate a bunch of weeknight games. I’m not buying 30 or 15 games from you in 2010. Others will be like me.
3. Offer some 7-packs like the old days.
I know you thought you would sell out the park. You didn’t. You won’t next year either. Sell some smaller packages.
4. Don’t be a jerk with the good games.
In the last few years of Shea you got all cute and bundled the Yankees series with games nobody wanted. Don’t do that. It’s jerky. Sell the tickets to the Yankees series as an individual event. Same with opening day and every other day.
5. Stop with the Gold/Silver/Bronze nonsense.
Pick a price and charge that price. I don’t look at it as “wow it’s only $11 to see the Nationals”, I look at it like “wow they are really screwing us today” on the other days.
6. Don’t insult me with ticket fees.
It really frosted me when I wrote you a check for $1200 and you banged me with a $25 delivery charge. I can almost understand you passing the FedEx charge along to me (by the way, shop around you can do better). I can’t understand the $40 “processing fee.” Was that to pay the human to put my tickets in the envelope? Do they do that at a rate of one every two hours or does the ticket office pay really really well? Can I have a job?
Now some suggestions that might be harder for you but I’d like you to think long and hard about these. You have a fanbase ready to depose the king…it’s time for bread and circuses.
7. Make the 10 game packages really attractive.
You know the games people want to go to. You call them “gold” maybe even platiumn (I can’t keep track). You want to keep the season ticket holder base…then offer a package that includes Opening Day, one Yankee game and choice of 7 weekend games. You’re not going to sellout in 2010, don’t sweat filling the place on the big days. I forget, how many sellouts were there in 2009 again?
8. Move us down for 2010.
You and I both know that you’re going to lose people. I paid $600 or whatever it was to sit in left field 500’s. Let me sit closer to home plate at that rate for 2010. Let the guys who were there move down to the 400’s, and so-on. My friend Mr. Sunshine the Yankees Fan complained about his Yankee seats twice and twice got moved. The Yankees don’t and won’t have the attendance problems you do. Do right by those who were with you in 2009.
9. Give all the season ticket holders a custom Majestic replica jersey.
I’m serious. This season I was able to buy a majestic jersey from mlb.com for $75. With my very own name on it. One of the biggest complaints about Citi is that it does not feel like the home of the Mets. Outfit everyone in Mets jerseys and encourage them to wear them. Make this part of our Mets culture. Pack the park with fans in Mets jerseys. Think long term. I don’t know how many plan holders you had in 2009, but multiply that number by $75 (you probably can get jerseys wholesale, right?). It may be a six digit number, but think of the $25 per game we’re going to spend on tacos. Oh and the $18 parking. That $43 per game will get you your $75 back rather quickly.
Thanks for listening David. I’ll be here all winter to help, I’m not going anywhere. You know how to reach me.
Main Mets Police page
Follow us on twitter @metspolice
Facebook page
send ideas/guest columns to shannon at metspolice.com
