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Post by trackrat on Feb 20, 2011 18:10:07 GMT -5
I've tried betting Buffalo more than a few times and I hate it almost as much as I hate Lebanon. The video quality is about the same too!! One good thing about Northfield (among the other good things they do) is the videography. It is top notch at Northfield.
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Post by trackrat on Feb 20, 2011 18:14:36 GMT -5
Giss, I have no problem with Northfield stretching out their post times so that they do not compete directly with another track's product. I understand why it's done and have no problem with it. Yonkers NEVER goes off at post time either. To the contrary, you better have your wager in when the BigM says it's post time or you will get shut out because they race on time.
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Post by hundredtowin on Feb 20, 2011 23:14:36 GMT -5
Keith -
Does NFLD make much profit when it is all said and done from the food and beverage? Did they make more or less when it was contracted out vs. handling it in house? (assuming we are talking about equal sales dollars since there are obviously fewer people at the track vs. 10 years ago). Thanks.
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Post by darkside07 on Feb 22, 2011 10:32:50 GMT -5
Keith, who is imitating Northfield? I don't see any track with a first race actual post time 10-15 minutes late every weekend. I don't see any track that has the horse come out of the paddock 2-3 minutes after that races post time. I don't see any track that starts 15 minutes late, then has a 7 minute post time, then a 15 minute post time, or change the post time after it has already been posted. Meadows, Meadowlands, Pompano....clockwork. Same time between every race and race goes off within 1-2 minutes of original post time. Northfield races go off no sooner than 5 minutes of the original post time. It seems that all Northfield cares about is the incoming simulcast money since their current policies empty the clubhouse/grandstand well before the final race of the evening.
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Post by jay44224 on Feb 22, 2011 16:13:31 GMT -5
I have no comment on Northfield racing as it is what management wanted it to be several years ago,just as many of the fans predicted.
I live 20 minutes from Northfield and have been to Buffalo, Batavia, The Meadows, yonkers, and The Meadowlands more times in the past year than I have been to Northfield. 2 reasons quality of racing, and most of all customer service.
You can not speak to visionaries who are deaf.
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Post by hundredtowin on Feb 22, 2011 17:28:39 GMT -5
I have never had bad customer service at NFLD but I am usually downstairs. Is the poor customer service in the clubhouse?
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Post by trackrat on Feb 22, 2011 18:54:50 GMT -5
Unless you are sitting at a restaurant table, the service in the tv carrel area to the left of the restaurant (next to the glass partition separating the grandstand), if you are there, the service is NON-EXISTENT. The same lonely waitress that serves the ENTIRE downstairs area serves the upstairs area.
I'm just a dumbass, but why can't the waitresses that serve the restaurant patrons also serve the other clubhouse patrons? It's not like there are a lot of restaurant patrons and there is no minefield separating the two areas. When there is little or no activity in the restaurant and Northfield has 2-3-4 waitresses standing around yapping with each other, why can't they work the seating area?
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Post by hundredtowin on Feb 22, 2011 21:17:17 GMT -5
From what you describe, that sounds like a great idea. I sit in the carrels downstairs primarily and always tip my server generously. Have never had bad service!
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Post by jay44224 on Feb 23, 2011 9:33:06 GMT -5
"Customer Service is a function of how well an organization is able to constantly and consistently exceed the needs of the customer." This includes quality of the food, fair pricing of such, etc. etc. In a nutshell it is the overall experience, what draws a person to the establishement.
Other than the races itself what draws you to Northfield? And lately the races have not been much of a draw either.
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Post by darkside07 on Feb 23, 2011 12:30:18 GMT -5
I'm not really complaining about the waitresses in the betting carrels, they can only do so much. I either get what I want before the races, or make sure I order the first time I see them as it may also be the last, due to having to work the whole plant. My complaint is more with management. I think Northfield needs to add a new wager, kind of like the Daily Double. Have to pick when the first race actually goes off and when the last race goes off. My standard bet would be 7:18 and 11:54.
Another great example of the Mgmt team at Northfield. I mentioned this when they raised the prices of soft drinks, and tried to blame the state as they now had to charge tax on soft drinks. That law was in effect in the late 70's when I was working fast food, not something new. But that was the reason for price increase as posted at the concession stands.
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Post by gtapp on Feb 23, 2011 14:14:02 GMT -5
Remember when it was "Every 15 minutes the place goes crazy" Now it's every 19 minutes, or 7 minutes or 4 minutes or whenever they decide. I also find myself leaving right after the 10th race whereas' I would not have thought of leaving before the card was complete before.
I wonder if anyone in management (other then our ex management friend who is ONE OF US) actually reads any of these posts.
These are good constructive items made by the people that go and have gone to the track for years. And it would be easy (and would cost much) to make a few changes and make things better.
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Post by hundredtowin on Feb 23, 2011 21:52:22 GMT -5
I see things a little different.
I can certainly see everyone's point of view and respect where they are coming from...long post times, increased prices, poor customer service. I am sure that at some point in my 30 years of going to NFLD, I felt the same way about a lot of these and while I don't get there nearly as much as I used to, I am always impressed with the effort that NFLD seems to take to improve the facility.
I have eaten in the clubhouse and wouldn't recommend it, I get frustrated with increased post times and have a few more gripes... but, in my opinion, it is a great place to kick back, drink a few beers and bet the horses! Having been to at least 15 racetracks throughout the years, NFLD is one of the best at keeping up with the times and making major improvements. I appreciate the fact that they are constantly spending a lot of money to make it a state of the art facility.
As far as customer service goes, MGT may think they are doing all the right things and one, minimum wage employee can totally ruin it by being rude or not exceeding the customers expectations. I try to look past this.
As far as the quality of racing over the past few years, all I can say is I hope they gets slots and get them soon!
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Post by darkside07 on Feb 28, 2011 9:13:36 GMT -5
Since I've been complaining a little too much, I thought I'd give some recognition as well. Firstly, the waitresses that work the betting carrels are outstanding, especially with what they have to work with (Usually only one for the whole facility). The people who work the program stand are always kind and courteous and I think do a great job. The mutual clerks, for the most part, are great. There are a few that I can't figure out why they work at Northfield with all the complaining they do, but for the most part the only complaint I have is that the clerks upstairs shut down within 3 minutes of the last race being made official, so you may have to cash you winners downstairs if you don't hurry.
I'm not enamored with Ayers. I love the "you make the call" finish to a tight race. Dude, that's your job, not mine!!! And he has too many cliche' calls as well ("if this was a fight, they'd have stopped it" comes to mind).
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