Does anyone on the rockets actually read the forum?

Tim,

I have the Cat plan. Are my seats for the playoff games the same as I have for the plan. I hope not, because they are pretty crappy for 46 dollar tickets. My wife bought them for me and she didn't realize how far up they were.

 

The only ones who are guaranteed their same seats for the playoffs are the people with full season packages. That's the only way it really can work -- if you have a 12-game package, for example, somebody else may have those same seats as part of a different package.

We'll do our best to get you comparable seats, and you could move to different seats for the playoffs if you preferred (even different price sections) based on availabilities.

The main issue for us is to make sure our most loyal customers get first shots at seats. Hope that helps.

Tim

 

Thanks for responding, Tim. I apologize for questioning your existence. And I honestly appreciate that someone in the organization listens to us.

I'm not denying that SOME people do buy the mini-plans or that they offer SOME benefit. What I'm saying is that the mini-plans don't generate ENOUGH sales because they don't offer ENOUGH benefits - that's why the team is LAST in attendance.

I'm sure the team could do better by offering discounted tickets, both in terms of attendance and revenue. Isn't it better to sell 50,000 tickets at $25 each than to sell 25,000 tickets at $45 each? Plus, think of all the concession sales those extra 25,000 people would generate. And think how filling the stands would bring out the best in the team at home, thereby leading to more wins, more buzz, and yes, more ticket sales.

The question is, will a price drop more than pay for itself through greater sales? Last year, perhaps not. But this year, with the Yao buzz, I think it would. This year, the team has a real promotional hook in Yao - you've caught people's attention, now it's time to reel them in with fair ticket prices. But as it stands now, you're asking people to buy into a young team at championship prices - all while this city's economy has taken several upper-cuts. In my opinion, you're wasting a big (no pun intended) opportunity to reestablish your fan base, to reconnect with the average Houstonian who doesn't want to spend $200 for his family to sit in the upper deck. (Yes, I know that cheaper seats are available, but anyone on this board will tell you that the view from those seats isn't as good as what you see on the television broadcast, so what's the point in coming?)

Please understand that I'm trying to be positive here. The commercials are great - the best the team has ever had. But the best commercials in the world won't sell something ridiculously overpriced in a bad economy. To me, they seem to be a brilliant, yet wasted effort. That's why I knocked the "zillion commericals". What's the point in constantly selling and selling when people can't afford to buy?

I hate to burst your bubble, but I think that any increase in attendance or in viewership might be more related to Yao than to your mini-plans or your TV deal. It's obvious to me that the team's financial success, both now and in the future, will depend solely on his development, as the organization stands mostly devoid of business acumen.

 

Furious Jam:

i just want to say thank you for voices the collective opinion of many, many houstonians.


thank you.

 

I said it last year, the Rockets should have made this some sort of "turn back the clock" year for the last year in the Summit/Compaq Center by lowering prices, maybe back to those during the championship years or earlier.

I have a feeling they don't like or want to do that because it de-values their product in their minds.


I said the exact same thing about Les' arena team, the Thunderbears. Those tickets should have been sold at a VERY cheap price just to get asses in the seats. The arena league could have worked here had they not priced themselves out of a lot of peoples range.

 

Good point Furious Jam.

I think that is the most reason why the seats are empy in the Compaq Center. And why would we want to go to an arena when its old and bent out of shape. Not the enviorment we would like to spend watching the Rockets and wasting money on even if the Rockets lose. But you asked all my questions...

 

Yes, that is an innovative idea that would probably be highly successful - lower prices, original uniforms, bring in guys like Kenny & Mario, run championship drive highlights during halftime, play music from '93-'95 during timeouts, etc.

And yes, Les would never agree to it, as it would demonstrate the popularity of lower prices and the old uniforms - essentially invalidating his moves to inflated prices and the current clown costumes.

This thread is entitled "Does anyone on the rockets actually read the forum?" and we've found that Tim from marketing does, at least. But the better question is, "Does anyone from the Rockets care? Care not just about this forum, but about the fans in Houston in general?" I feel that the answer to this, at the highest levels of the organization (meaning Les), is "no".

Les sees the team as just another commodity, one that he watches from his palace in Florida just as he watches the markets. Lowering ticket prices? Admitting that the uniforms are horrible failures? This, in his mind, would be like a company admitting overvaluation or poor strategy in an earnings report - a kiss of death for stock price.

But the problem with that is that the Rockets aren't just a commodity that needs to be polished for investors. The Rockets are also a city's sports franchise - the team is at its best when it connects with the city, with the common Houstonian. But that connection can't be made when we're priced out of the seats (3rd highest tickets in the NBA, behind only NY and the champion Lakers). That connection can't be made when the uniforms are made not for us, but for crossover sales to urban youths in other markets (notice how Les erased the word "Houston" from them).

This is why I complained about the endless "Be Part of Something Big" commercials we're being peppered with during games. It's a taunt by the organization, asking Houston to get on-board, but then pricing us out of the arena and wiping our name off the team's chest.

I want to buy tickets.
I want to buy a jersey worth buying.
I even voted to build them a brand new arena, with money out of my own pocket.
But the Rockets don't make me, don't make us, feel wanted.
You see, the commercials are just words which do not speak as loudly as actions.

You are so right, Free. It's hard for the organization to be humble, especially when you look back on its glorious past. But as Hakeem has taught us, humility is a key to future success. Les, admit that prices are too high and that the uniforms are all wrong - admit your mistakes and correct them. Give us the incentive, the opportunity to get involved with your team, with our team again. Take this simple step and you'll see results in your pocket, on the court, and in the community. Remember, you can't have "Clutch City" without the city.

 

FJ,

The uniform issue no longer bothers me knowing that they will change next year anyway. Besides, I've never been one (at my age) to want to wear a jersey with another mans name on the back. (No offense to those who do.)

I, too, voted for the new arena and am anxiously awaiting its opening. I posted an update of sorts in the arena forum mentioning the roof and how excited I was just to see that recently.

I really don't want to rag on the Rockets and the "do they care?" angle. I really don't know how to compare what they do compared to the other teams in the league. The Rockets seem to do a lot for the community but a lot of it is just for show. Players serving turkey for one day a year is not my idea of giving back. It's more of a PR stunt to look good in the paper and on tv. The Rockets aren't the only teams guilty of that in all leagues.

Yes, the Rockets ticket prices are too high in comparison to rest of the league (top 4 highest I think?).

I wonder how well those luxury boxes are selling for the new place? I hope VERY well. Maybe that will help sway Les into lowering the prices in the new crib, even if it's just a little bit.

 

Yes, I'm not usually concerned as to whether a business is responsive to the community or not. It just aggravates me that the Rockets have this marketing campaign that reaches out to us, but have a business philosophy that goes in the other direction - it's disingenuous and insulting to my intellect.

It's okay to have ads like:
"Come see our exciting team!"
"Come eat our great food!"
"Come get a bobblehead!"
"Come watch a guy in a bear suit dance around like a fool!"

But when an ad asks me to "be part of something", it's pitching something beyond your typical offer to buy made by your typical seller.
Burger King doesn't want me to be a part of it.
Harry Potter doesn't want me to be a part of it.
This is a different kind of offer.
The Rockets say they want us to enter into (or perhaps renew) a relationship with them. But in reality, they just want to sell you a ticket - they don't want to engage or involve the city beyond whatever money they can get out of us.
It's kind of like, "Let's get married, but only if I can rip off all of your money and not take your name." Well, what kind of an offer is that? It's exactly like, "We want the city to be part of us, but only at ridiculous prices and only if we don't have to put its name on our uniforms." Wow! Where do I sign up for that? This what I mean when I say the offer is disingenuous and insulting.

Yes, new uniforms and new ticket prices are coming with the new arena, but remember that "new" doesn't necessarily mean "improved". Les has the opportunity to turn things around, but I'm not holding my breath. The way he's run the business side of the Rockets all these years leaves me with little faith.

Also, I'm probably too old to wear a jersey around town too. But with Yao here now, the eyes of the nation and the world are focusing on the team. So it would be nice for the city's image (which has taken a vicious beating recently) if they could wear our name with pride on their uniforms. I think we should get at least that much for building them a new palace.

 

it is the one in SBISD...on St. Mary's near old Westchester High School.

 

come to my law firm!!!! we'd love to have the rockets here!!! i already have rocket memorabilia hanging up in my office..they'd blend right in!! of course, i rarely wear a jersey to work...

i told my wife, "man, it would be fun to go goof around with kids like they did in that ad!" she said, "that's because you want to be one of the kids they goof around with in those ads!"

sadly, she's right.