On Customer Service at ARCO

by Ziller on Nov 30, 2007 9:25 AM PST in Commentary Comment 3 comments

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No doubt, as a season ticket holder I am charged a premium price for my ticket and a silly price for my right to park ($10 a no valet? No Blue Coral finish?). Oddly, the food prices are not nearly as ridiculous as I have found at some other arenas, and the quality and selection has gotten better over the years in spite of the challenges that the building presents. In fact, the problem now is that with all of the food kiosks on the mezzanine it is now very difficult to walk through the arena.

Bit I digress. The one thing that Maloof Sports and Entertainment has always provided to me is exceptional customer service. Years ago I had an issue with my season tickets and Joe Maloof called me personally to help resolve it. I have been invited to and attended group special dinners with Joe, Gavin, and Geoff Petrie. I have received comp tickets. I have autographed posters on my wall and a plaque with a piece of the old floor mounted on it, personalized with my name. I am given a media guide every year. And I'm just a "second deck" guy, not one of the Kings Row elite.

It's important to note that I received this treatment all through the sellout streak, during the time that there was a 7-10 year waiting list for tickets. Yes, I was charged a premium price, but I received a premium product and premium service.

Currently, the product is certainly not premium. But I am getting hard play and entertaining and excitng games for my dollar. And more than anyone else that I do business with, I know that Maloof Sports and Entertainment values my business. That is not to say that I blindly agree with every move that is made. It simply means that I am still a long ways away from considering not keeping my season tickets, and the treatment that I have received from The Kings is a big reason why.

We all complain about the parking fee and the now overpriced tickets. But I've never heard someone say they were treated poorly by staff at ARCO. The Maloofs run an impeccable ship in that regard.

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Re: On Customer Service at ARCO

Mildly off topic, but not entirely, I saw Original Ballboy make reference to the Theus interview on TNT last night, and while he had a variety of intriguing observations I found two particularly salient: (and I'm paraphrasing here, he wasn't nearly as florid)

That Kings fans are not fair weathered. That if attendance dwindles this year it is not the fault of the fans but the fault of the team for not providing Sacramento with the type of basketball they have come to expect. They're intelligent fans and a lack of fans means a lack of intelligent basketball.
Stemming from that statement he said that as a Kings team there is an expectation that you will be a good passing franchise. Something we take for granted given Petrie is our G.M. and years of being weaned on the Coachie/Adelman system, but passing is to the Kings culture what defense is to Detroit's. I don't know if it speaks to something subconscious about our city or it's just what we're used to, but Theus' understanding of that, and his desire not to pull a Callahan and uproot the team and fan base unwillingly from that, speaks well of him.

by rbiegler on Nov 30, 2007 9:51 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: On Customer Service at ARCO

Interesting observations. I'd be curious to see how he puts his understanding of those ideas into practice. I don't dislike the guy, but I still have serious doubts about his ability to coach an NBA team.

A lonely Kings fan in a sea of gold and purple...

by Jaycee on Nov 30, 2007 3:14 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs