Rule #1 in business: Ask the customer what he or she wants. Rule #2: Listen.
Apparently, this rudimentary logic escapes the grasp of those involved in the management of the Laredo Entertainment Center.
Since its grand opening in 2002, the Laredo Entertainment Center has suffered what can be described as no less than a downward spiral, both in the quality level of the “entertainment” being presented and in the affordability of attending some of these events, given the recently implemented parking fees.
By its own data, based on the poll information readily available at the LEC Web site, LEC management should be able to formulate a clear idea as to what local patrons are interested in and what events they might be most likely willing to attend – rock , country, hip-hop and Top 40.
However, instead of booking artists in these genres, what we find instead is that an inexplicable attempt is often made to try to force feed “regional Mexican” and/or Latin performers, in general, down our throats.
Since quantitative data, the cornerstone of professional management, doesn’t seem sufficient enough to enlighten the LEC management team, perhaps some subjective cultural information will.
Note to management: Just because a great majority of us are border residents doesn’t mean that all we like to watch or listen to has to be in Spanish or that because we’re locals we’re all going to be dumb enough to buy whatever it is you’re selling. Thank you for bringing in RBD twice in less than 12 months and for resurrecting KISS, Styx and Earth, Wind, and Fire from the dead, but if at all possible, we the people would greatly appreciate events more worthy of our $35 million dollar investment.
Secondly, please try to keep in mind that we’re Texans, and in Texas we like our football played on 100 yards, not 50, and our team will always be the silver and blue.
Thirdly, in the world of professional business management, the managers shouldn’t blame the customers for their shortfalls, as certain members of your management team so often have in the press.
They have mentioned, for example, how we the people are infamous for our late ticket-buying habits and how this is wholly responsible for the amateur hour entertainment that you bring to our house. In the real world, managers adapt. In the real world, we need results not excuses – you either perform or you get out of town – period.
Fourthly, thank you for the Gestapo-like tactics your otherwise friendly staff employs in keeping us evil and out-of-control concert goers in check. Were it not for the fact that such practices are highly uncommon at many other concert venues throughout the country, we the people would most likely not have ever noticed.
Fifthly, thank you for your ticket-buying lottery system and for the long lines it creates. We the people always enjoy a good sweat and a good gamble, not unlike that $35 million dollar bet we placed 7 years ago.
And lastly, thank you for the predatory parking fees and for the general feeling of being siphoned to death at the concessionaires. With 79,535 miles of highway around us, rest assured that we the good people of Texas know a thing or two about highway robbery.