How the Milwaukee Brewers fumbled Timeless Tickets
The Milwaukee Brewers may have made it into the World Series, but a number of their biggest fans are feeling left out.
More than 10 years ago, the franchise began a special promotion known as the Timeless Ticket.
For $1,000, the Brewers said they could get into any game in the future. As in, any game ever, including the moment they compete in the most important games of the season.
See you in the nosebleeds
It was no doubt a great promotional gambit, but those who invested in the Timeless Ticket recently found themselves relegated to the 400-level seats. In some cases Timeless Ticketholders were offered standing-room-only options.
The Associated Press published a story based on an interview with one of the ticketholders, who suggested that the Brewers had enticed them with the prospect of a much different fan experience:
“They really touted, ‘Hey, this is going to be the best available seats. You’re getting the priority just behind season ticket holders. Anything the season ticket holders don’t have, you’ll have dibs at it for the World Series.’ That’s kind of the story they sold.”
That may be what those on the sales side said, but the fine print was that Timeless Ticket spots would be “the best available seat locations, subject to ticket availability at the time of redemption.”
If you were caught up in baseball fever, you might have ignored that second part, or assumed the franchise would reserve some seats for Timeless Ticketholders at every game.
Where the spirit lives
The backlash has prompted an apology from the Brewers which hinted at the disconnect between those who sold Timeless Tickets and those who would help fans redeem them: President of business operations Rick Schlesinger admitted the team “erred in our internal communications on the logistics of fulfilling the requests.”
He also said that, while the Brewers technically delivered on Timeless Tickets redemptions, “We did not live up to the spirit of the program.”
A great customer experience (CX), including a great fan experience, is infused by that spirit. It’s the excitement and anticipation customers feel when they imagine what they believe a brand has promised them.
Before launching any kind of special promotion, it’s worth taking a moment to invoke that spirit to understand what customers and fans truly expect, and flag the terms and conditions they might not completely take in.
By opting for a Timeless Ticket, Brewers fans were making a long-term commitment to their favorite team. They deserved some kind of premium accommodation, particularly given the premium price tag involved.
If those who bought in would have gotten great seats (or even pretty good seats), their memory of the experience would have solidified their loyalty. As it stands, this was a swing and a miss.
