Mobile ticketing & the game day experience

[Dcat]

I enter through the main gate at the 50 yard line.  I've been coming here since the day the dump opened.  I have NEVER stood in line as long as I had to today and all because of mobile ticketing.

It's not the ticket holders' fault.  Everyone around me was ready with their shiny, twinkling mobile tickets ready to go. 

The problem was twothreefold, all being the fault of the NFL, NY Jets, MetLife Stadium, et. al. :

1. Far too few people scanning.  We were promised a huge increase in the number of people with scanners out there.  We didn't get it. It was obvious.  Each lane had only one scanner, AND THAT IS ABSURD!  They need to have at least three or four people scanning for each lane or more.  At least TRIPLE or more over the pathetic attempt they made today. 

2. Defective scanners.  I watched as person after person wouldn't scan from different people with the scanners.  They simply didn't work on first or second attempts on well over half from what I could see.  It's a nice idea, but only if the tech works.  And it doesn't.  I can't wait to see how much worse it is in inclement weather trying to scan these mobile tickets in the rain with their cheap, ineffective scanners.

*3. Lack of sufficient training of employees on how to use the scanner (NCF vs barcode, touching phone screen with scanner, etc)

The problem here is clearly NOT the fans.  We are the victims. People were ready and the NFL, Jets, MEtLife  didn't follow through on their end.  They suck. 

[Maxman]

My thoughts:

 

[batman10023]

No problem getting into the club seats today.  But we walked in around 1215 or so.  No lines and no scanner issues. 

[Dcat]

2 minutes ago, Maxman said:

My thoughts:

 

the line at the main gate from 12:15 took over 45 minutes. It was unbelievable.  Not sure where everyone else entered, but it was a nightmare. And all the Jets/NFL fault.

[batman10023]

Just now, Dcat said:

the line at the main gate from 12:15 took over 45 minutes. It was unbelievable.  Not sure where everyone else entered, but it was a nightmare. And all the Jets/NFL fault.

Wow.  I was wondering why it was empty near the start. 

[Maxman]

2 minutes ago, Dcat said:

the line at the main gate from 12:15 took over 45 minutes. It was unbelievable.  Not sure where everyone else entered, but it was a nightmare. And all the Jets/NFL fault.

Totally agree. All so they can drive more app installs, get more email addresses and track where people are when they enter the stadium. Sad really.

[batman10023]

3 minutes ago, Maxman said:

Totally agree. All so they can drive more app installs, get more email addresses and track where people are when they enter the stadium. Sad really.

The last football thing that I was involved with that asked for email addresses blew up in spectacular fashion. 

[Maxman]

56 minutes ago, batman10023 said:

The last football thing that I was involved with that asked for email addresses blew up in spectacular fashion. 

Worked out well for me lol.

[Lot K Tailgaters]

There should be lines for season ticket holders or they should get CLEAR like Yankee Stadium does and if you sign up you skip the line.   I’d gladly give up all my rewards points and Jets cash to skip the line (that stuff or ridiculous anyway).  

[Scoop24]

Line was crazy yesterday . But I didn’t have any problems getting my tickets scanned at all .

[Gastineau Lives]

8 hours ago, Maxman said:

My thoughts:

 

I only had to let three people go ahead of me because my ticket wasnt loading. Only had to close it twice.

[More Cowbell]

I entered the Pepsi gate at about 12:30. I took a bit longer than normal but I didn't  get the sense that it was horribly bad. 

[nooloo]

I really don't get this mobile only push. Got to the entrance of the parking lots and no bar code for my parking pass (and apparently many others) so they were manually taking down information. Entered through the Pepsi gate around ~12:30ish and the line took 15+ and so many people in front of me having issues getting scanned. As a ST holder what the hell was wrong with the cards? So much easier.

[Bugg]

Every venue spare Yankee and MSG thinks that scanners equals fewer staff at entry. Those 2 venues seem to get those people waiting on a long line are your customers. Sadly MetLife and Citifield think this is fine, and treating paying customers like garbage is okay in the name of cost savings. Which is another reason I avoid going to games and concerts at those venues. Again, tell me why going to the game to be treated like a criminal is better than your couch. 

[Dcat]

1 hour ago, More Cowbell said:

I entered the Pepsi gate at about 12:30. I took a bit longer than normal but I didn't  get the sense that it was horribly bad. 

I guess the corner entrances were better.  But the main entrance moved slower than I have ever seen it since this stadium opened. The scanners weren't working well.  I witnessed person after person have to be rescanned again and again.  Lame

[section314]

Don't worry, another performance like this next Monday and this will be a moot point.?

[CTJetsFan]

Didn't have any issues going in thru the Verizon gate at around 12:30

[Maxman]

8 minutes ago, CTJetsFan said:

Didn't have any issues going in thru the Verizon gate at around 12:30

You were at the gate getting scanned at 12:30? @courtnj18 said she got online at 12:30 (Verizon Gate) and didn't get to her seats until after kickoff.

[Maxman]

1 hour ago, nooloo said:

I really don't get this mobile only push. Got to the entrance of the parking lots and no bar code for my parking pass (and apparently many others) so they were manually taking down information. Entered through the Pepsi gate around ~12:30ish and the line took 15+ and so many people in front of me having issues getting scanned. As a ST holder what the hell was wrong with the cards? So much easier.

This.

[Maxman]

2 hours ago, Gastineau Lives said:

I only had to let three people go ahead of me because my ticket wasnt loading. Only had to close it twice.

Crazy.

[CTJetsFan]

10 minutes ago, Maxman said:

You were at the gate getting scanned at 12:30? @courtnj18 said she got online at 12:30 (Verizon Gate) and didn't get to her seats until after kickoff.

Maybe between 12:15 & 12:30 (didn't check my watch), but yes....Verizon gate and had no issue

[SAR I]

Not a popular view, I know, but those of us who eschew tailgating and instead let the stadium cook the food glide through the gates and security at 11:30 with no lines whatsoever.

Our routine is to arrive at Lot E at 11:15, walk through the Verizon gates by 11:30, get the good food from the good food area in the plaza, then walk up the steps around Section 135 and watch warmups from the front row.  Kids can eat while sitting, they are a few feet from their heroes, it's all good.  Finish our meal, take some closeup photos of the players, and we're in our seats in the Mezz by 12:30, get the kids to the restrooms by 12:45, and we're ready for kickoff.

I know most of you love your tailgating, but you may want to try it this way every once in awhile as it has its perks.  I'm surprised by how many don't realize that no matter what seats you're sitting in the stadium team will let you go as low to the field as you like until 12:30.

SAR I

[Dcat]

10 minutes ago, SAR I said:

Not a popular view, I know, but those of us who eschew tailgating and instead let the stadium cook the food glide through the gates and security at 11:30 with no lines whatsoever.

Our routine is to arrive at Lot E at 11:15, walk through the Verizon gates by 11:30, get the good food from the good food area in the plaza, then walk up the steps around Section 135 and watch warmups from the front row.  Kids can eat while sitting, they are a few feet from their heroes, it's all good.  Finish our meal, take some closeup photos of the players, and we're in our seats in the Mezz by 12:30, get the kids to the restrooms by 12:45, and we're ready for kickoff.

I know most of you love your tailgating, but you may want to try it this way every once in awhile as it has its perks.  I'm surprised by how many don't realize that no matter what seats you're sitting in the stadium team will let you go as low to the field as you like until 12:30.

SAR I

No excuses for their defective scanners at the main gate.  No excuses for having only one person scanning for each metal detector entry.  Need at least three per metal scanner to help with issues.  Jets promised they would provide ample staffing.  They didn't  It was as plain as day at the front gate.

Everyone was ready with their mobile tickets twinkling away.  The problem was on the other side.  ENTIRELY.  It was not the fans' fault.  MetLife/NFL/Jets blew it big time and the whole system sucks.  Can't wait till it's raining and everyone has to deal with wet phones.  

It's f-ing stupid and everyone knows it.

[SAR I]

1 minute ago, Dcat said:

No excuses for their defective scanners at the main gate.  No excuses for having only one person scanning for each metal detector entry.  Need at least three per metal scanner to help with issues.  Jets promised they would provide ample staffing.  They didn't  It was as plain as day at the front gate.

Everyone was ready with their mobile tickets twinkling away.  The problem was on the other side.  ENTIRELY.  It was not the fans' fault.  MetLife/NFL/Jets blew it big time and the whole system sucks.  Can't wait till it's raining and everyone has to deal with wet phones.  

It's f-ing stupid and everyone knows it.

I agree.

The woman scanning my phone at Verizon didn't even know how to do it properly, she was looking for a barcode when Apple Wallet uses NFC, she was trying to rub my screen with her handheld and was annoyed when I told her to stop because she might scratch my screen and I had to show her how to use her own device properly.

SAR I

[Dcat]

2 minutes ago, SAR I said:

I agree.

The woman scanning my phone at Verizon didn't even know how to do it properly, she was looking for a barcode when Apple Wallet uses NFC, she was trying to rub my screen with her handheld and was annoyed when I told her to stop because she might scratch my screen and I had to show her how to use her own device properly.

SAR I

wow.

So let's add: "Failure to provide adequate employee training" to the list of specific failures for this fiasco. 

NFL/MetLife/Jets failed miserably with this for opening day.  Shame on them. 

[FlagmanL11]

Add the mobile ticketing to the list of things the Jets screw up for the overall game experience.  

[SAR I]

6 minutes ago, Dcat said:

wow.

So let's add: "Failure to provide adequate employee training" to the list of specific failures for this fiasco. 

NFL/MetLife/Jets failed miserably with this for opening day.  Shame on them. 

Another problem which I discovered Saturday night when I went into the Jets app to a) move 3 of my tickets to Apple Wallet and b) transfer 1 of my tickets to my son away at college:

Once the app was launched it required me to update to the latest version, wouldn't let me use the app at all.  So I suspect that a very large amount of fans queuing at the gates yesterday didn't open the app until they were on the line, said "why won't it work" and waited until they were talking to a scanner person to find out what the problem was.  Then stepped aside to download the update-  which depending on the age/speed of the phone and the dicey cell tower service at MetLife caused many transactions to clog the system.

MetLife didn't have enough scanner people and they didn't train them properly.  Jets chose a very bad time to require an app update and forced a portion of fans to find themselves locked out of their tickets.

SAR I

 

[nj meadowlands]

The mobile ticketing sh*t is a nightmare, agreed.  It almost feels like they're TRYING to make the gameday experience suck more.

[courtnj18]

2 hours ago, Maxman said:

You were at the gate getting scanned at 12:30? @courtnj18 said she got online at 12:30 (Verizon Gate) and didn't get to her seats until after kickoff.

The lines were terrible. I understand they are long if you wait until the last minute, but at least they move. This year, they didn't move very fast at all. 

[batman10023]

2 hours ago, SAR I said:

Not a popular view, I know, but those of us who eschew tailgating and instead let the stadium cook the food glide through the gates and security at 11:30 with no lines whatsoever.

Our routine is to arrive at Lot E at 11:15, walk through the Verizon gates by 11:30, get the good food from the good food area in the plaza, then walk up the steps around Section 135 and watch warmups from the front row.  Kids can eat while sitting, they are a few feet from their heroes, it's all good.  Finish our meal, take some closeup photos of the players, and we're in our seats in the Mezz by 12:30, get the kids to the restrooms by 12:45, and we're ready for kickoff.

I know most of you love your tailgating, but you may want to try it this way every once in awhile as it has its perks.  I'm surprised by how many don't realize that no matter what seats you're sitting in the stadium team will let you go as low to the field as you like until 12:30.

SAR I

i did not know that SAR.  this is helpful.  think my son would love it.  as you know being a fellow Row 1 mezz seat holder the view is nice but not close up like the lower levels.  

[batman10023]

2 hours ago, Dcat said:

No excuses for their defective scanners at the main gate.  No excuses for having only one person scanning for each metal detector entry.  Need at least three per metal scanner to help with issues.  Jets promised they would provide ample staffing.  They didn't  It was as plain as day at the front gate.

Everyone was ready with their mobile tickets twinkling away.  The problem was on the other side.  ENTIRELY.  It was not the fans' fault.  MetLife/NFL/Jets blew it big time and the whole system sucks.  Can't wait till it's raining and everyone has to deal with wet phones.  

It's f-ing stupid and everyone knows it.

when did they promise ample staffing?

[batman10023]

2 hours ago, SAR I said:

Another problem which I discovered Saturday night when I went into the Jets app to a) move 3 of my tickets to Apple Wallet and b) transfer 1 of my tickets to my son away at college:

Once the app was launched it required me to update to the latest version, wouldn't let me use the app at all.  So I suspect that a very large amount of fans queuing at the gates yesterday didn't open the app until they were on the line, said "why won't it work" and waited until they were talking to a scanner person to find out what the problem was.  Then stepped aside to download the update-  which depending on the age/speed of the phone and the dicey cell tower service at MetLife caused many transactions to clog the system.

MetLife didn't have enough scanner people and they didn't train them properly.  Jets chose a very bad time to require an app update and forced a portion of fans to find themselves locked out of their tickets.

SAR I

 

this definitely could have been the issue.  requiring the download was a bad idea but they did request several times to download prior to getting to the stadium.  

[kmnj]

I requested printed tickets and that I all I told them I would accept-when I bought psls I did not agree to the current bad system.

those of you that tolerate the incompetence of the mobile set up are part of the problem-if fans demand  something better they will offer something better-if you put up with nonsense you get more nonsense

[Dcat]

27 minutes ago, batman10023 said:

when did they promise ample staffing?

when this was first announced. 

[jetstream23]

There will be a learning curve here, both with the MetLife employees and with fans.  I think it will get better but there was always going to be a challenge the first time doing this with high volume for a regular season game.

SAR mentioned the app update.  There are also some people who just aren't as adept at quickly and accurately displaying an electronic ticket on a smartphone, be it older fans, tech averse folks or whatever.  And then you have some undertrained and probably new employees.  Hiccups.

I think it will get better.