Intersting article

www.sportschicago.net/chisoxfans.html

CATERING TO THE FANS OF A VERY SPECIAL TEAM



Jerry Reinsdorf had a problem. One would think that after winning the World
Series

the cash registers at US Cellular field would be ringing nonstop, but this
wasn't the case. Ticket sales were increasing, but concession and souvenir
sales were among the lowest in Major League Baseball. Something didn't add
up. Reinsdorf enlisted the firm of Mark Four Sports Marketing Group to
analyze the problem. The results of the study were very interesting: Chicago
White Sox fans were found to have the highest rate of illiteracy in all of
professional sports. Nearly 45% of the fans at US Cellular field are unable
to read a concession menu or program.

"We've gone to using pictures of concession items instead of
written descriptions, this way a fan can simply point at a picture of a
cheeseburger, for example." says Brian Hoffman, director of guest services
at US Cellular. "We have also trained our workers to act as guest
assistants. When a fan empties his pockets of change on the counter and
asks, 'How much beer can I buy with this?' guest assistants will patiently
count out the money for them. We're also giving the fans a gentle reminder
to use the restrooms after they've visited the concession stand.



SEEING FIREWORKS

The White Sox tradition of exploding fireworks after a home run serves 2
purposes: besides the obvious celebration, the fireworks act as a signal to
the fans that something important has just happened. Hoffman tells the
story,

"Last year Joe Crede homered and we had a technical malfunction - the
fireworks didn't go off. The fans just sat there. It was the strangest
thing, Crede's jogging around the bases and the stadium is perfectly quiet.
Finally the PA announcer had the presence of mind to make some exploding
noises over the mike and the fans finally realized what happened and started
going crazy."



A TICKET DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN PLAY

White Sox fans are probably the most enthusiastic fans in baseball. But
sometimes that can be a problem. Fans running onto the field to help their
favorite team have been a common occurrence at US Cellular. "We really
appreciate the enthusiasm, but unfortunately it can be a very dangerous
situation. We've started a public awareness campaign with Superfan, who
reminds Sox fans that their ticket doesn't entitle them to run around on the
field. Superfan works the seats near the wall and gives out candy and high
fives the fans that stay in their seats. Hoffman, former director of Guest
Services in Minnesota insists that all the extra attention required by White
Sox fans isn't an inconvenience. "It's very challenging but I can't imagine
a more rewarding job."