Last month my wife and I went to see Elton John at the new Allianz Stadium in Sydney. I was pumped about seeing Elton John perform live and looking forward to checking out the new stadium while I was there.
We entered the stadium via Gate 1 and walked straight over to the back of the seating to check out the stage and the stadium from the inside. A female staff member was nearby and immediately said “Are you looking forward to seeing Elton?” We said we were and mentioned it was our first time to Allianz Stadium. She responded with “It’s amazing. In a lot of ways it’s like the old stadium but it’s so much better. You must come and see a sporting event here – every seat is like you’re right on the sideline, it’s awesome.”
She then asked us if we’d like a photo together, took our photo and when handing back our phone said, “Have a great night.” We then headed over to the food section to pick up a couple of Diet Cokes (the post-Christmas fun had taken its toll, so it was a non-alcoholic and calorie free night for us).
We seamlessly grabbed two cans and went to the point of sale, where we were greeted by a young male staff member who said, “Hello – just the two cans is it?” We said yes and he said “Are you excited about tonight?” We told him we were and mentioned it was a great night to be working. He replied, “Oh, it’s the best night to be working. Look at my view! I’m getting paid to watch and listen to Elton John. Life is good!” When we were done he said, “Have the best night!”
My wife and I looked at each other and said, “Wow! How good is the service at Allianz Stadium!”
We were expecting to be impressed by the new stadium but in fact we were more impressed with how friendly the staff were.
Now I’m not sure if these staff members were employed directly by the stadium or companies who had been contracted to do the work for Allianz, but honestly, it doesn’t matter. In less than five minutes we felt welcome, seen, excited and taken care of – all by two individuals who cared enough to be friendly.
Well done Allianz Stadium and to any contracted companies involved in delivering an exceptional service experience – yes your stadium is super cool but outside of Elton’s performance, we’ll be remembering most of all how awesome your staff were!
Nic McClanachan, February 2023
