Looks like Douche-baggery runs in the Fam. Miami Heat fires 30 employees after

[EL PRESIDENTE]

selling out their season tickets.

Because the Miami Heat has no season tickets left so sell, the team decided to let their sales staff go.
BY DOUGLAS HANKS crline dhanks@MiamiHerald.com

With the arrival of Lebron James, the Miami Heat rapidly sold out all their season tickets. That turned out to be bad news for the ticket-sales staff, which was fired Friday.

In a statement, the Heat confirmed the dismissals Friday afternoon, saying that with an ``exhausted'' inventory of season-tickets ``we no longer require a season ticket sales team to sell tickets.''

Stephen Weber, vice president of sales, delivered the news to about 30 ticket sales people Friday morning, according to one of the staffers who asked not to be named because he is seeking another job in sports.

Even when James was merely rumored to be heading for the Heat, the team saw an explosion in season ticket sales. The staffer said he and his colleagues were making cold calls to prospective customers and taking deposits for a waiting list that now has more than 6,000 names on it. The dismissals reflect the new Heat position in basketball: it can sell tickets without really trying.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/30/1754155/with-heat-season-tickets-sold.html#ixzz0vCqitWSe

 

[THE HCP]

Wow, but what are they suppose to do? If you work at a gas station pumping gas and they run out of gas, you're gonna get fired!

 

[RR7]

So who manages the accounts then, if they fire everyone? My season ticket rep contacts me occasionally. Do Heat fans not get that courtesy?

 

[THE HCP]

They could just have the unpaid interns make some calls.

 

[Further]

They were hired to sell the tickets, the tickets were sold. I just hope that since the team made the money they were after, they at least pay a decent severance to those employees that lost their jobs.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Wow, but what are they suppose to do? If you work at a gas station pumping gas and they run out of gas, you're gonna get fired!

It kind of shows that the franchise is not "all about family" like they claimed. The franchise increased in worth HUNDREDs of millions of dollars. They can't keep loyal employees as part of the family?

Maybe they can fire comissioned sales staff, but organizations always need these kinds of people. It makes it unattractive to work there.

 

[The Sebastian Express]

The bad karma just keeps building up.

 

[XXPrimusXX]

The bad karma just keeps building up.

Bad karma doesn't mean shit in the game of basketball, from what I've learned... Hence the L*kers.

 

[alex42083]

Sounds pretty harsh. And I bet combined they make about what LeBron or DWade will make a month. Oh well. You never like to see people lose their jobs, but at least the article said they were going to help those people find other jobs.

 

[MickZagger]

They were just looking to cut some fat.

 

[Idog1976]

I wonder if Miami will go all Titanic on that ass. Lord knows they are showing that kind of hubris.

Oh and fuck Miami, may the only win 50 games and get punked in the 2nd round. Amen.

 

[Foulzilla]

I'd be curious if this is common or not for teams that sell out their season tickets. I assume most those positions are temporary anyways, this is just a lot earlier than they'd normally be let go.

From a business perspective, it makes perfect sense.

So who manages the accounts then, if they fire everyone?

I doubt they actually fired the whole staff. Just most the call center type people. I'm sure there's still a skeleton crew managing the season ticket stuff.

 

[Idog1976]

Bad karma doesn't mean shit in the game of basketball, from what I've learned... Hence the L*kers.

Yes, the problem is Karma works out over many lifetimes. Some of it is instant or within one life though so there is still hope.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

so when the blazers were sold out all the time did they not have ticket sales staff? seems like it would be better for the sales staff for the franchise to underperform i guess.

 

[Idog1976]

I'd be curious if this is common or not for teams that sell out their season tickets. I assume most those positions are temporary anyways, this is just a lot earlier than they'd normally be let go.

From a business perspective, it makes perfect sense.


I doubt they actually fired the whole staff. Just most the call center type people. I'm sure there's still a skeleton crew managing the season ticket stuff.

If the only thing you care about is maximum profit with minimum humanity sure. Maybe they can offshore the call center to a Chinese prison its the American (Corporation) way!

If they were temps its no big deal. I'm just spouting off with zero facts S2 style Boyeeee!!!!

 

[Idog1976]

Having bothered to read the article now, sparse details and all, I found this nugget:

``While the decision to release part of our sales force was a difficult one, we greatly appreciate their contributions to the company,'' the statement continued. ``We have also hired a placement service to assist those individuals find new employment.

Maybe they aren't total tools after all. This thread proved one thing. The Heat have already pulled off the unimaginable...

they seem to be as hated if not more then the Lakers by Blazers fans. Wow!

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

nope. Fuck the L*kers.

 

[ironcrotch]

Having bothered to read the article now, sparse details and all, I found this nugget:



Maybe they aren't total tools after all. This thread proved one thing. The Heat have already pulled off the unimaginable...

they seem to be as hated if not more then the Lakers by Blazers fans. Wow!

it sounds good but I was also placed with a 'placement service' when I was laid off. Doesn't mean squat, especially in this economy.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

Not a douche move IMO.

If the Miami staff were paid like I was when working for the Blazers sales team, they would have been making minimum wage plus commisions. Last month the would have made major bank, then working a minimum wage job. Everyone I worked with either had a college degree or was working towards one. Getting fired would be ideal since the commisions is where you make the bulk of your income. Now, they can collect unemployment or find other work.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

The way I see it:

the Heat organization firing their sales staff is a good business decision

Lebron James choosing Miami makes him an asshole

 

[KingSpeed]

I see nothing wrong with it for the reasons already mentioned. It's a business.

 

[hasoos]

Yay the Miami Heat sold all their tickets!

Now the question is, how is the rest of the league doing since that BS went down? Will the NBA be happy if the rest of the arena's have 10% attendance due to the fans figuring they don't even have a chance?

 

[Idog1976]

Not a douche move IMO.

If the Miami staff were paid like I was when working for the Blazers sales team, they would have been making minimum wage plus commisions. Last month the would have made major bank, then working a minimum wage job. Everyone I worked with either had a college degree or was working towards one. Getting fired would be ideal since the commisions is where you make the bulk of your income. Now, they can collect unemployment or find other work.

Depends on how long they worked there. Also, finding work isn't a snap in this economy and if that was the kind of job they had, it's not exactly awesome resume fodder. No offense to you as I too have worked similar jobs.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

Depends on how long they worked there. Also, finding work isn't a snap in this economy and if that was the kind of job they had, it's not exactly awesome resume fodder. No offense to you as I too have worked similar jobs.

If they did not work long enough to get unemployment, do the Heat really owe them anything?

Besides, guy on the RealGM Miami board is saying those guys made 30-40k last month. I think they will be doing fine.

 

[Idog1976]

If they did not work long enough to get unemployment, do the Heat really owe them anything?

Besides, guy on the RealGM Miami board is saying those guys made 30-40k last month. I think they will be doing fine.

30 to 40k!!! They shouldn't have been fired they should have been shot! J/K, but daaamn that is some sweet dough. Again I don't know enough about the situation to make informed comment. I'm only able to spout off, you know like usual.

 

[jlprk]

Some anti-Union poster made up the 30-40 number. (That would be $400K per year.)

Why don't they apply to help the Cavs sell tickets? Keep surfing the LeBron cause and effect wave.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I wish them luck; unemployment sucks, and I wouldn't want to wish that on an enemy... except LeBron and Kobe (jackasses!)

 

[Idog1976]

Some anti-Union poster made up the 30-40 number. (That would be $400K per year.)

Why don't they apply to help the Cavs sell tickets? Keep surfing the LeBron cause and effect wave.

How do you know they are anti-union? I know that's very in vogue for many right now cause it's the unions and not the Central Banks/Wall Street that caused this mess

 

[jlprk]

Besides, guy on the RealGM Miami board is saying those guys made 30-40k last month. I think they will be doing fine.

Idog, I don't believe the RealGM poster. Multiply over 30 sales people times over $30K per month divided by 10-15K season ticket holders and it increases the price over $100, maybe $300.

As for your contention that unions are more poweful than the national banks that run our credit cards, you must be one of the few who work in a unionized environment, e.g. the government.

 

[illmatic99]

A Cleveland paper referred to the trio as the "Three My-Egos." I like that one.