Your chance to meet Centerplate (formerly Lindleys) to discuss Catering Issues

[SLO@DRFC]

Dean Stones from Centreplate (formerly known as Lindleys) the clubs catering suppliers is keen to meet fans to discuss the most common problems experienced with the concourse catering and to discuss proposed solutions.

The meeting will take place on Thursday 13th February commencing at 6.00pm. 

The club are looking for approximately twelve fans to take part in these discussions and would prefer an even spread from each stand if possible to achieve a full and comprehensive understanding to particular issues in each stand.

If you would like to attend this meeting, please email supporterliaison@doncasterroversfc.co.uk and state in which stand you normally sit.  We look forward to hearing from you.

[wing commander]

   Whilst on the face off it...this looks a good thing sometimes in business I smell lip service and this is one of them...Concerns have been passed to them by a variety of staff for a number of months regarding all of the issues of which none have been addressed in any shape or form...They know what the main problems are already they have been told enough, so like I said before sometimes you can have meeting upon meeting to little avail...The time has come for them to stop there talking and actually do something about it...Sorry to all the boys working hard on this issue but im just not buying that....

[Filo]

These catering companies seem to be changing hands every two minutes, first we had that Australian company, I forget the name of, then Lindleys and now Centreplate, no wonder there's no continuity in anything they do or say!

[mattco]

Since 1969-  I hope their standards of catering are a lot better than your spelling!

[SLO@DRFC]

These catering companies seem to be changing hands every two minutes, first we had that Australian company, I forget the name of, then Lindleys and now Centreplate, no wonder there's no continuity in anything they do or say!

Centerplate is the new name for Lindley's and is not a different supplier.  The management in place at Doncaster Rovers remains the same

[SLO@DRFC]

   Whilst on the face off it...this looks a good thing sometimes in business I smell lip service and this is one of them...Concerns have been passed to them by a variety of staff for a number of months regarding all of the issues of which none have been addressed in any shape or form...They know what the main problems are already they have been told enough, so like I said before sometimes you can have meeting upon meeting to little avail...The time has come for them to stop there talking and actually do something about it...Sorry to all the boys working hard on this issue but im just not buying that....

Wing Commander, please come along to the meeting and discuss with Dean your issues.  We know from talking to Dean and his team they are constantly looking for feedback on the service and looking to implement changes to improve it.

[wing commander]

   Do you know I'm normally the first one to say don't moan if you arnt prepared to do anything about it, but if I actually believed any of your statement was in the remotest accurate I would, but Im sorry I don't I'm afraid they truly do not give a monkeys...I've been told far too much about this companies generally attitude to the situation by more than than one member of staff including managers (the couple they have left) to think that it would do much good other than to be smiled at....Most of the big points I would raise would implement people so I wont do that...If you think they arnt already fully aware of there issues then you have your head in the sand on this occasion I'm afraid and as such wouldn't waste my time.....
....

[Muttley]

They know what the issues are from the posts on here, and they are the supposed experts in this field.

Why don't they use the 7 days before the Barnsley game to address those points, rather than wait until the 13th to have a talking shop then say they haven't got time to put any changes in place before Saturday.

If there's no improvement at the Barnsley game, then they've got 3 weeks to the next home game to pack their bags and make way for someone who knows what they are doing and cares about the service they offer.

[River Don]

Yep,

The main issues are pretty clear already.

The queues are much too long
The staff aren't up to scratch
Items on the menu are unavailable

[wesisback]

Out of interest is it the same caterers who provide the hospitality as the concourse? As someone who's had a box twice this season with a meal etc the service was exemplary.
I'd be sending some of those staff upstairs to watch and learn how it's done.

[graingrover]

 . The club is amongst the first to initiate SLOs . The two guys in that function ( they are not full time paid professionals but fan volunters ) take the trouble to not only listen to fans' complaints but to convene a fans meet catering management session ..then you get responses like this . I imagine  the SLOs will prove more resilient than those refusing to believe their action to be worthwhile .

[wing commander]

   The thing is Wesco that like any other business the best staff are allocated to these areas as they are the face of the company to the corporate side..Much more important than us plebs on the concources...However those staff to have also started leaving in there droves...hence the bring a mate with black trousers text that was sent out to everybody the day before the Middlesbrough match...If that doesn't tell you this companies attitude to staff and training I don't know what does...The only people happy about this is the racecourse who I know have always had problems with staff in this area too...However they are happily taking on these people gleefully...

[wing commander]

   Brian.... I accept your point I really do....I think both the SLO's do a absolute brilliant job and so do a lot of other clubs fans as well...However on this occasion I don't accept the reasoning...This is a large company supposedly experienced in the art of corporate entertainment and NOT Doncaster rovers per say...Im sure as a result of this meeting for a few weeks at least there will be pizzas and hot dogs available and maybe even hot water for a Bovril before half time..However its my opinion based on a variety of reasons that there problems go a lot lot deeper than this and if they need a few fans to rock up and explain that then your getting nothing other than lip service from a manager who knows he's in the crap and has switched to firefighting mode.....so its a pointless exercise..Just my opinion on this isolated occasion

[wesisback]

Im not suggesting leaving them alone with potentially our more affluent supporters.
We do a lot of job pairing as part of training and the best staff should be the ones teaching that. It shouldn't matter whether it's. TB with his net worth or me with my net worth of diddly squat - excellent service is excellent service and can go a long way to appeasing some of the little issue. A basic 'sorry for your wait' would stop me dead before moaning about it to them.

[SLO@DRFC]

Could we please add that this meeting was initiated by Dean Stones from Centerplate as he wanted to meet the fans to discuss the issues, potential obstacles and most importantly ways forward. 

We as SLOs see this as an ideal opportunity for fans to voice their opinions face to face with the management for the enhancement of all our matchday experiences. 

[wing commander]

Of course he has...he's firefighting...However if he can't work it out himself by now,he's in the wrong job....A well meaning but totally pointless exercise guys I'm afraid..

[Muttley]

Why doesn't he just turn up at the Barnsley match and experience it for himself?

[Dagenham Rover]

Why doesn't he just turn up at the Barnsley match and experience it for himself?

as a supporter   "undercover boss" type thing

[BigColSutherland]

I can't decide what's more inconsistent - their standard of service or the spelling of Center in this thread.

[twinkletoes]

Of course he has...he's firefighting...However if he can't work it out himself by now,he's in the wrong job....A well meaning but totally pointless exercise guys I'm afraid..

Your positivity is overwhelming. Enough said !!

[River Don]

. The club is amongst the first to initiate SLOs . The two guys in that function ( they are not full time paid professionals but fan volunters ) take the trouble to not only listen to fans' complaints but to convene a fans meet catering management session ..then you get responses like this . I imagine  the SLOs will prove more resilient than those refusing to believe their action to be worthwhile .

I didn't want to sound ungrateful Grainge but the problems have been highlighted very thoroughly just within this thread.

I suppose the caterers might want to have the opportunity to reassure people that they are taking it seriously and explain why it is that they are having problems.

For me they don't have to do that. All they have to do is manage to get me served at half time without me having to leave my seat 5 minutes before the first half as finished to get ahead of the queue, then I'll be very happy.

[wing commander]

My posivety is overwhelming??  Just how many times do they need it spelling out to them...??? It's simple really...Pay your staff on time,give them training and guidelines to follow to increase productivity and Taylor your staff requirements to supply..the same as any other basic business...When they can be bothered to address those issues then you can add your meetings to refine the service....until then I would direct them to these threads which of course they have already read and ignored..I'm actually hoping nobody goes then they may realise that nobody believes in there words anymore...

[Metalmicky]

My posivety is overwhelming??  Just how many times do they need it spelling out to them...??? It's simple really...Pay your staff on time,give them training and guidelines to follow to increase productivity and Taylor your staff requirements to supply..the same as any other basic business...When they can be bothered to address those issues then you can add your meetings to refine the service....until then I would direct them to these threads which of course they have already read and ignored..I'm actually hoping nobody goes then they may realise that nobody believes in there words anymore...

Couldn't agree more - I'm with the Gp Capt here - farcical service and a offer to meet and talk through the problems that should be blatantly obvious to anyone who has attended and viewed the mayhem in action. Forget the meeting propose - lets hear some resolutions

[silent majority]

Could we please add that this meeting was initiated by Dean Stones from Centerplate as he wanted to meet the fans to discuss the issues, potential obstacles and most importantly ways forward. 

We as SLOs see this as an ideal opportunity for fans to voice their opinions face to face with the management for the enhancement of all our matchday experiences. 

Sorry guys but that's tosh! The meeting was initiated by the amount of complaints they've been getting and this thread in particular. I met Dean prior to the game against Middlesborough and he sounded upbeat and ready for the game, pity really that it didn't last that long.

[twinkletoes]

Could we please add that this meeting was initiated by Dean Stones from Centerplate as he wanted to meet the fans to discuss the issues, potential obstacles and most importantly ways forward. 

We as SLOs see this as an ideal opportunity for fans to voice their opinions face to face with the management for the enhancement of all our matchday experiences. 

Sorry guys but that's tosh! The meeting was initiated by the amount of complaints they've been getting and this thread in particular. I met Dean prior to the game against Middlesborough and he sounded upbeat and ready for the game, pity really that it didn't last that long.

Are you certain it was this thread SM?

[neil grainger]

I find this thread amusing, interesting, frustrating, annoying and promising... in equal measure.

Those of us who patronise the catering facilities at the KMS on a regular basis are probably 90% in agreement that it is not working satisfactorily. Personally, I've gone from finding the service mildly amusing, to rather frustrating, to very annoying and ultimately completely inept.

I'm one of those idiots who thinks that buying ANY product or service from my beloved club is ultimately benefitting that same beloved club.
OK, call me naive, but that's how I am.

But I have absolutely reached the end of my tether with the abjectly incompetent catering service on offer in the West Stand concourse........and believe me, I have a really long tether.

I wish I lived in Donny and could attend this meeting because I am prepared to put aside my total frustration with the inept catering service and offer my positive suggestions, but I can't make it as I live some distance away.

I can only hope that the catering supplier, along with our trusted representatives on the VSC, can have the goodwill and enthusiasm to really try and sort this out, because it is a serious failing in the club's attempts at customer satisfaction.

It really is just not funny anymore.

End of rant....

[Dagenham Rover]

 When the stadium opened I used to take my flask of coffee because I didn't really want to put the money behind the then operators, when the club took over I tried, I bought a hot dog and a coffee on the first match Lindleys took control quite nice actually, tomato source and mustard EXACTLY as it had been given out in one of the fans forums and to be honest it went downhill very quickly.
Buy a coffee before kick off the chances are its warm at best, pint of Becks please, "sorry the pipes froze last night"  and on  another day that totally tasted of cleaning fluid, (numerous posts on here about that one) Half time just a coffee  forget it.

Back to to flask I'm afraid.

This thread needs pointing out to them or printing out and put to them at the meeting.

Chip gate is sorted (thanks Twinkletoes)   but ........................ It strikes me Wing Commander may well know a bit of behind the scenes stuff that the club or us will not be privy too

[wing commander]

No I don't actually just a number of people who used to work there,but I have run my own business long enough to know that in this case putting a few extra pizzas on the shelves will only be papering the cracks....it's a shame as I actually think the food variety is excellent but I'm sorry it's just plain old incompetence...

[Sammy Chung was King]

Get local dinner ladies to work match days,experienced with dealing with queue's and let them train the younger staff members on the job,a simple answer to the question.

[Dagenham Rover]

No I don't actually just a number of people who used to work there,but I have run my own business long enough to know that in this case putting a few extra pizzas on the shelves will only be papering the cracks....it's a shame as I actually think the food variety is excellent but I'm sorry it's just plain old incompetence...

That's more what I meant judging by some of your posts