The Haskell; the opera; the local pub – what do these things have in common? Experiences that were anticipated with vim and vigor. Well, the first two in particular, but all were overwhelmingly lacking in three areas – preparation, provisions, and peers.
Let’s begin with the actual events, (I will number them with a brief synopsis and then let you know why they were so disillusioning).
- What is the Haskell? It is a day of horse racing held every summer, in Oceanport, New Jersey. The inaugural running was on August 3, 1968, as the Monmouth Invitational Handicap with a field of eleven horses. It was won by 33-1 longshot Balustrade. The stats for this year – it was a record day, the total handle of $21,748,294 was nearly two percent larger than the previous record. The crowd of 38,976 was the largest at the racetrack since 60,983 attended in 2015, to see Triple Crown winner American Pharoah’s victory.
- What is the opera? The opera, (the Italian word for ‘work’), is an art form that tells a story through music and singing. Unlike a musical, opera singers do not use microphones to amplify their voices, and the music, played by an orchestra, is completely live. The first ever public opera house opened in 1637.
- What is a local pub? It is a place that serves food and often acts as a community gathering setting. People visit to eat, to drink cocktails, or to play (perhaps) pool with their friends. Pub is a shortened form of public house that dates from 1859.
These all sound like excursions of enjoyment. And, in fairness, much of the time they have been. This was my first opera, but I will not hold this experience against the art form as a whole. Instead, I will assume the masterminds who planned and executed it are to blame. This is the common denominator all three share – ineptitude from the humans responsible for performing their duties. There was nothing the hoofed herbivorous mammals of the family Equidae did to disappoint; the penned libretto paid us no harm; the incorrectly poured libations mocked not our presence. The company I kept during these pastimes presented a plethora of pleasure. It was the promoters, producers, and peeps who plundered profusely.
There seems to be limited training and no proper investment in basic customer service skills, and yet owners expect soaring sales and employees with maniacal zeal. Attendees appear to be clueless when it concerns conduct and kindness. Most dumbfounding is the extreme dearth of actual supplies – and we are talking merely the basics – like beverages, a competent staff, and pride in staging a successful performance, regardless of the undertaking.
However, all hope is not lost! To end the week, of less than stellar acts, we tried pizza at a modest eatery. Much to our amazement it was crafted with care, served with love, and consumed with a voracious appetite for satisfaction.
Did You Know? 74% of Americans say they have had product or service problems in the past year, according to the National
Customer Survey, which tracks approval and incivility.