Re: Dollar Tree on Maple Avenue in Vienna is now open!
Posted by:
Scholar
()
Date: September 04, 2019 09:46AM
JP Morgenthau Wrote:
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> Scholar Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I am going to attempt something that likely
> will
> > get me put onto the "Insane List" for doing the
> > same thing more than once and being surprised
> when
> > the results are the same, but, it is, for now,
> at
> > least, convenient, so, I am going to try this.
> I
> > am going to try actually to have a discussion
> with
> > you in an adult, civilised and gentlemanly
> manner.
>
> **********
> In several years now, I have not seen an adult,
> civilized, nor gentlemanly post from anyone using
> your handle. Nevertheless...
> **********
>
> Yes, we were at Nats Park on both Memorial Day and
> the 4th of July. Though the Nats fairly routinely
> fail to cover one or more bases, I did not have
> the same impressions on either of those days.
>
> The first indicator on Monday came when the gates
> opened at 11:00. There are typically three or
> four wheelchairs waiting in front of Guest
> Services to assist mobility-challenged fans. On
> Monday, there was a stir over there being just a
> single chair.
>
> At the Red Porch, many of the service staff we
> know were not present. In chatting with him,
> show-runner Mike blamed this on the holiday.
>
> Up in the Club Level, most door staff, section
> ushers, and suite attendants had been rotated out
> to other than their usual assignments. Food
> stands were minimally staffed, and there were no
> beer/water vendors working the actual seats. It
> was necessary to hike up to the bar area in order
> to obtain drinks of any sort.
>
> When riding down with three gray-shirted stadium
> employees after the game, they were grousing over
> the day's workload and that they'd been told
> they'd need to work both Tuesday and Wednesday in
> order to receive holiday pay for Monday.
>
> So, make of all that what you will. We are there
> for half the games played at Nats Park each year,
> and conditions on Monday were outside the norms of
> our experience.
I am going to ignore the first statement, as you did answer my questions. If this discussion is to continue on this level, kindly do avoid statements with even the smallest hint of disparagement.
We did the half-season plan for a couple of years. It simply was not working for girlfriend, so we went to twenty games this year. That has worked well. You still get many of the benefits of the half season. If she wants another specific game, we just buy the tickets. If I want one, I buy them. Further, I know two people who know somebody...........you get the idea. I state this to illustrate that I am not unfamiliar with the what you mention.
Thank you for your answers.
Either girlfriend or I have made the same observation as did you about the wheelchairs at-the-ready. Usually, I drop her at the park then go park the car, so she is usually at the park as the gates open. We only enter the park together if it is a One P.M. game as my free parking spots are a bit more difficult at that time. On the occasions that she and I have entered the park together, I have noticed, as you state, at least three wheelchairs present. At times, they simply are at-the-ready. At others, some are waiting while one is taking on a user. We have no need of them Y-E-T, however, as you correctly observe, it, especially combined with other things, could be a sign of short staffing.
Did management tell these Red Porch employees to take Labour Day off, or did they ask for it? .........or do you know? ...........or do you care?
In my experience as a supervisor, there were times when we were short staffed because too many employees had requested the day off on a legal holiday. In positions where I was junior management, there were, however, times when senior management informed me that I could schedule only so many employees on a holiday and that I had to tell the rest to take the day off. You are suggesting that it was the latter, in the case of the Red Porch. I am not doubting you, mind you, I am simply wondering what actually was the case.
It is worthy of note that you mention the lack of vendors' working the seats. I noticed this at the Florida game on 31 August. Usually, we sit in 133. We have had 114, 115, 116 as assigned seats. We simply prefer the stands. I prefer the upper, but, the 100s are a compromise that I make with GF. She prefers the lower level. When there are no vendors' working the stands, I really notice it, perhaps more than you might,
I also noticed on the 27th and 31st more than a few unfamiliar faces on the ushers. Our regular usher was out on the 27th due to her being involved in a motor vehicle collision. She was back on the 31st, but, there were still more than two new faces in our section and the adjoining.
As have you, I have noticed less staffing at the concession stands. I, however, have seen this one get worse as the season has progressed. In particular, the e-Cash lines are left unstaffed. You still get to use e-Cash with the twenty game plan, so we have noticed this and have not been happy about it. Levy operates the concessions, so I wonder if the short staffing there is due more to Levy than Nationals management. It could result from the Nationals indirectly, though, as their management tries to extort more money from Levy to operate the concessions. Whatever the source, it is, at the very least, cause for concern.
When you short-staff, the employees that work are going to grumble about picking up the slack. I heard it as a supervisor and did it as an employee.
While the policy that you mention is not unheard of, the usual, any more, is that in order to receive your holiday pay, you must report for your last scheduled shift before the holiday and your first scheduled one subsequent to it. If you are out sick or just call "off" on either of those days, you forfeit your holiday pay.
We will not be there to-day, as we exchanged to-day's game for the 14th. Either one or both of us will be there on the 13th, we just do not know where (this is one of those know somebody who knows somebody ticket deals). You raise some points worthy of note, here, so I will be sure to watch out for this and other indicators of downgrades in service. I would be interested to know if you observe the same things that I do or if you observe anything new, or, even, if you observe conditions restored to what they should be.
Thank you for your responses and time. I look forward to your future observations.