Way back in April I got a rain check for the Carlos Gomez bobble head at Miller Park, and since then it’s been something of a winding saga of uncertainty as to when I’d receive the item. Apparently the Brewers experienced shortages during the giveaway of bobble heads featuring Kyle Lohse, Scooter Gennett and the “Vintage” kewpie-doll one too.
The Brewers are generous. They give away a lot of stuff and ensure that “all fans” receive these items, going so far as to provide vouchers for later redemption should they run out of something. Milwaukee outshines most cities regarding ballpark freebies. That said, the team has probably learned a few things in 2014 on how to improve the process in the future.
Since April I heard about nothing but delays when I inquired on my Gomez bobble head, and I heard nothing on the subject through media channels, even though the voucher indicated an announcement would be forthcoming. I wasn’t too worried about it until I was at Miller Park earlier this month and asked at Guest Relations about the status of the redemption process. At that time I was told I had only until the end of September to cash in my rain check. It seemed really hasty and a bit harsh to impose a deadline like that when very little had been clearly communicated to fans.
Happily, since then I’ve learned that fans have until the end of the year to pick up their bobble heads. So, if anyone had been wondering about the rain checks, here are the details on how and when to pick up the bobble heads at Miller Park. If fans are unable to get to Miller Park, contact the Brewers about potential other arrangements.
I’ve had a little bit of a bumpy road with my rain check, which is the first rain check I can recall receiving from the Brewers. The shortage for my bobble head occurred early in the season and I hadn’t heard anything for months until recently. Incidentally I was also at the “Vintage” bobble game and had no problems receiving that one, although I can believe there were some issues because the lines outside of every gate that day at Miller Park were something to behold. You would have thought the original Led Zeppelin had travelled to the future and was playing the ballpark that day. Wowzers.
Going forward, I think the Brewers should adopt a more formal policy on redemption in the future and keep a section on the subject updated on their website. It looks like they’re already getting the hang of it, however. Also, I’ve informed my ticket rep about some of the confusion regarding rain check redemption that’s bubbled to the surface. It sounds like the issue of giveaway shortages will be better addressed in the future to either avoid the shortfall altogether or better articulate a plan of resolution for fans. This is the first year I can recall rain checks being so prevalent, but it sounds like the Brewers, perhaps a tad belatedly, have worked out the kinks with suppliers to provide fans these pleasant keepsake freebies.
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