This week in Artvoice we examine some of the changes that have happened at Toronto’s Rogers Center Centre, and the Toronto Blue Jays’ emphasis on fan friendliness and the game day experience.

One of the more interesting side discussions that took place while we talked with Jays management representative Will Hill over breakfast last week: How does the team deal with the fan who tries to take on a tried and true ballpark tradition… sneaking down into more expensive seats?

At Rogers Centre such a venture can be a tantalizing prospect. The team averages around 25,000 patrons at a game, meaning empty seats are there to be had. Check out the Blue Jays seating and pricing chart. Skydeck seats are a bargain at $9, but jump quickly once you venture downstairs and they top out at $70. (No we’re not going to even mention those VIP behind home plate seats, those are for British royalty anyway.)

Hill was somewhat bemused at the question, but insisted that it has not been a problem since he took over the Guest Services department. “Really, the only complaints we get are from the people who actually paid the big money for those tickets, and then ask who is letting people into their sections who really don’t belong there.”

Last season Hill fielded a complaint from a fan who had tickets six rows off the field, but then moved down to empty seats in the first row. The usher in that section made the fan move back to his seats. “It’s really an issue of security.” Hill explains. “There are no partitions or security walls between that first row and the field, and we have to make sure we know who is in those seats in case an incident erupts. Looks what happened in Chicago a couple of years back. Today they don’t even allow fans with upper deck seats into the lower concourse, much less close to the field.”

In true proactive guest services fashion, Hill contacted the aggrieved fan to explain the policy and present the team’s viewpoint. “By the time I was through, the gentleman fully understood where we were coming from and was thankful for the call. We turned a negative into a positive.” said Hill.

Andrew brought up a story from 2003, when ESPN writer Jim Caple and two colleagues executed a tour of all 30 MLB parks and graded the venues. One of the criteria was called “the trading up factor”.

Caple on the Rogers Centre…

Trading-up factor: My friend, Scooter, and I bought tickets to the upper-deck in left-center and easily sneaked into much better seats down the right field. But when we tried to move behind home plate, an usher stopped us and demanded to see our tickets. We tried the same move a couple sections over and made it past that usher, only to have the previous usher leave her post and chase us out. She must be a Mountie in her day job.

But Caple does a rebound on grading the friendliness of the staff…

Friendliness and helpfulness of ushers: Other than when they were shooing us away from the boxseats, they were pleasant and unobtrusive.

“I know Jim.” Hill replies. “Yeah I’m not sure if he gave us high marks overall, now that I think of it.”

No he didn’t, Will. He ranked you 24th out of 30 overall. Even the USRT showed you more love than that!

We’ve been harsh at times in our stories when it comes to what we call the sphincter police. But talking to Hill gave us both a fresh outlook from the team’s side of the table. And by taking the time to explain all this to us rationally and in an accommodating manner, Hill demonstrated once again what true “guest services” is all about.

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