How close do you live to a buzztime site?

Cloudy · **Joined:** Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:30 am **Posts:** 5277

There's a Buffalo Wild Wings about 3 miles away in Louisville.

When I'm in Rome, NY, it's close to a 20 mile drive to Carmella's outside of Utica.

HoopScoop · **Joined:** Mon Jul 02, 2012 4:36 am **Posts:** 113

Sounds like there are fewer places to play Buzztime Trivia these days.

Cloudy · **Joined:** Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:30 am **Posts:** 5277

HoopScoop wrote:

Sounds like there are fewer places to play Buzztime Trivia these days.

First there are fewer bars that have Buzztime, then there are more, next thing you know, there are fewer again. This goes on and on. I have a feeling that NTN's sales reps, paint a pretty picture to smaller bars, but don't tell them what they need to do to make Buzztime trivia take root in their bars, so that it becomes a money maker for the place, instead of an expense that the owner decides to get rid of as soon as his contract runs out. Bars that put Buzztime trivia in, and expect it to take off on its own, will be new NTN sites today, but gone tomorrow. I think the problem resides with the reps that NTN sends out, who just want to make a sale, and don't give a damn if the bars they sell it to cancel their contracts as soon as they expire.

I have more to say about this, but will wait to see if anyone is interested in hearing more, or telling me that I am full of %#*@.

Gogetem · **Joined:** Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:31 am **Posts:** 785

Cloudy wrote:

HoopScoop wrote:

Sounds like there are fewer places to play Buzztime Trivia these days.

First there are fewer bars that have Buzztime, then there are more, next thing you know, there are fewer again. This goes on and on. I have a feeling that NTN's sales reps, paint a pretty picture to smaller bars, but don't tell them what they need to do to make Buzztime trivia take root in their bars, so that it becomes a money maker for the place, instead of an expense that the owner decides to get rid of as soon as his contract runs out. Bars that put Buzztime trivia in, and expect it to take off on its own, will be new NTN sites today, but gone tomorrow. I think the problem resides with the reps that NTN sends out, who just want to make a sale, and don't give a damn if the bars they sell it to cancel their contracts as soon as they expire.
I have more to say about this, but will wait to see if anyone is interested in hearing more, or telling me that I am full of %#*@.

I do agree with what you're saying for once. :lol:

I know of a few new sites, now current and some gone. The problem is that the system is sold, installed and then they're gone. Some of the sites has no one that actually knows how to turn it on as it was explained briefly by the technician to someone at the site. Sometimes it's a mystery who that someone is. :roll:

You can bet that site won't be around after the contract expires.

Cloudy · **Joined:** Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:30 am **Posts:** 5277

Gogetem wrote:

I do agree with what you're saying for once. :lol:

I know of a few new sites, now current and some gone. The problem is that the system is sold, installed and then they're gone. Some of the sites has no one that actually knows how to turn it on as it was explained briefly by the technician to someone at the site. Sometimes it's a mystery who that someone is. :roll:

You can bet that site won't be around after the contract expires.

The NTN reps need to explain to the bars, that they sell Buzztime to, that it will take some work to get it off the ground, it won't take off by itself, and teach them how to do it. Of course that would reduce the number of sales that the reps make, but I have a solution for that. Give the reps a substantial bonus for every bar that renews its contract after the first one expires.

Chip the bartender had it right. I was amazed when two new people sat down at the bar next to me, and after getting them their drinks, Chip came back with two Playmakers, put them down on the bar in front of them, and asked them if they wanted to play trivia. Both customers looked confused, and asked what it was. Chip then explained to them how the game went, and helped them sign on.

For something new that people don't know about or understand, it needs to be aggressively promoted, and explained. If not, it will fail...

Gogetem · **Joined:** Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:31 am **Posts:** 785

Cloudy wrote:

Gogetem wrote:

I do agree with what you're saying for once. :lol:

I know of a few new sites, now current and some gone. The problem is that the system is sold, installed and then they're gone. Some of the sites has no one that actually knows how to turn it on as it was explained briefly by the technician to someone at the site. Sometimes it's a mystery who that someone is. :roll:

You can bet that site won't be around after the contract expires.

The NTN reps need to explain to the bars, that they sell Buzztime to, that it will take some work to get it off the ground, it won't take off by itself, and teach them how to do it. Of course that would reduce the number of sales that the reps make, but I have a solution for that. Give the reps a substantial bonus for every bar that renews its contract after the first one expires.

Chip the bartender had it right. I was amazed when two new people sat down at the bar next to me, and after getting them their drinks, Chip came back with two Playmakers, put them down on the bar in front of them, and asked them if they wanted to play trivia. Both customers looked confused, and asked what it was. Chip then explained to them how the game went, and helped them sign on.

For something new that people don't know about or understand, it needs to be aggressively promoted, and explained. If not, it will fail...

I can agree with that. With a good business plan that includes explaining the system to the customer and how to promote it would help tremendously.

mudee · **Posted:** Fri Jul 05, 2013 4:57 pm

I stopped into a place the other day and said You need trivia here. The bartender said, We had it for a week or two and they dropped it. I agree with the above posts, you have to explain what it takes for NTN to take hold and become a part of the place. I have seen this happen with Team Trivia locations throughout the area too, they start it and within a month or two they drop it.

What NTN should do is a promotion for new locations that starts off with a lower price to the location and goes up according to the amount of players that show up there on a weekly basis until they reach the goal of the normal fees and the rate flattens out at that time unless they add more boxes or services. This would allow the new place to take hold and become a permanent location. This would also be better for NTN in the long run. They would be better off giving a discount to get a location started and make their profits in the long run versus having a rep and installation tech running all over putting in systems and then pulling them out in a few weeks.

Jim · **Joined:** Sun May 08, 2011 9:39 am **Posts:** 294

Cloudy wrote:

The NTN reps need to explain to the bars, that they sell Buzztime to, that it will take some work to get it off the ground, it won't take off by itself, and teach them how to do it. Of course that would reduce the number of sales that the reps make, but I have a solution for that. Give the reps a substantial bonus for every bar that renews its contract after the first one expires.

Chip the bartender had it right. I was amazed when two new people sat down at the bar next to me, and after getting them their drinks, Chip came back with two Playmakers, put them down on the bar in front of them, and asked them if they wanted to play trivia. Both customers looked confused, and asked what it was. Chip then explained to them how the game went, and helped them sign on.

For something new that people don't know about or understand, it needs to be aggressively promoted, and explained. If not, it will fail...

The sad thing is most BWW lose money on NTN, just look at the numbers. NTN-Buzzime is a buggy whip and a few sad individuals keep trying to pretend its still 1880.

Cloudy · **Joined:** Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:30 am **Posts:** 5277

mudee wrote:

I stopped into a place the other day and said You need trivia here. The bartender said, We had it for a week or two and they dropped it. I agree with the above posts, you have to explain what it takes for NTN to take hold and become a part of the place. I have seen this happen with Team Trivia locations throughout the area too, they start it and within a month or two they drop it.

What NTN should do is a promotion for new locations that starts off with a lower price to the location and goes up according to the amount of players that show up there on a weekly basis until they reach the goal of the normal fees and the rate flattens out at that time unless they add more boxes or services. This would allow the new place to take hold and become a permanent location. This would also be better for NTN in the long run. They would be better off giving a discount to get a location started and make their profits in the long run versus having a rep and installation tech running all over putting in systems and then pulling them out in a few weeks.

Mudee, I think you have some good ideas, that might work. My only question is about "...a lower price to the location and goes up according to the amount of players that show up there on a weekly basis..." I think this could be difficult to keep track of, and could be a concern to the bar's owner trying to figure out if more people playing Buzztime is creating enough new revenue to make the rising expense of it worthwhile. I'd give new trivia bars a year at the lower introductory price, before the regular price kicks in.

Cloudy · **Joined:** Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:30 am **Posts:** 5277

Jim wrote:

The sad thing is most BWW lose money on NTN, just look at the numbers. NTN-Buzzime is a buggy whip and a few sad individuals keep trying to pretend its still 1880.

Jim, please explain more about this. I have no idea as to what numbers I should look at. If you are correct, I have to worry if Buzztime trivia is long for this world. Every Buffalo Wild Wings has NTN in it, and if they are losing money having it in their bars/restaurants, I would have to be concerned that they might drop it. If they do, NTN is DEAD...! (Back in 2009 there were 652 Buffalo Wild Wings.)

p.s. I might disagree with you on Buffalo Wind Wings losing money by having NTN trivia. Over the years I have visited many Buffalo Wild Wings bars/restaurants, and I have never been in one where there wasn't a lot of people on their Playmakers playing Trivia, QB1, or Texas Hold'em. However, I haven't done any research on this, and the only numbers I understand are the great numbers of players there with a Playmaker in front of them at Buffalo Wind Wings.

Jim · **Joined:** Sun May 08, 2011 9:39 am **Posts:** 294

Cloudy wrote:

Jim wrote:

The sad thing is most BWW lose money on NTN, just look at the numbers. NTN-Buzzime is a buggy whip and a few sad individuals keep trying to pretend its still 1880.

Jim, please explain more about this. I have no idea as to what numbers I should look at. If you are correct, I have to worry if Buzztime trivia is long for this world. Every Buffalo Wild Wings has NTN in it, and if they are losing money having it in their bars/restaurants, I would have to be concerned that they might drop it. If they do, NTN is DEAD...! (Back in 2009 there were 652 Buffalo Wild Wings.)

p.s. I might disagree with you on Buffalo Wind Wings losing money by having NTN trivia. Over the years I have visited many Buffalo Wild Wings bars/restaurants, and I have never been in one where there wasn't a lot of people on their Playmakers playing Trivia, QB1, or Texas Hold'em. However, I haven't done any research on this, and the only numbers I understand are the great numbers of players there with a Playmaker in front of them at Buffalo Wind Wings.

Cloudy, you can check numbers on the NTN website. Checking under premium games maybe half the sites participate. You can also look under games at each individual site and see how often each game is played and by how many players.

There are about 14 BWWs in the local area and only half have a decent playership. A few years ago you might have to wait for a box on Friday or Saturday night, but no more and you may be the only one playing. Creve Couer BWW is the only one with a strong team (Six), while Fairview Heights and South County BWWs have good players that get together, but gone are the days when all the BWWs had a lot of decent players every night. I seldom see people playing Texas Hold'em. A few locals switch over to Sport Trivia and those individuals can rank top 10 nationally with one correct answer for partial points. Every BWW use to fill-up with QB1ers on Sunday and Monday, but only two program the game now for a few players. If you are a serious Speed Freaks player there are several BWWs you can go to with relative confidence of being the only player. Lots of people seem to prefer the games on their phones or tablets to Buzztime.

I agree with you that the game is oversold by the reps and there doesn't seem to be a support system to teach the bar to be successful with the game. The result is a churning of accounts and contracts cancelled. If Buzztime wasn't a BWW corporate mandate, I am sure half the BWWs would drop the game with no loss.

AARDVK · **Joined:** Thu Jan 14, 2010 5:30 pm **Posts:** 554

Jim wrote:

Cloudy wrote:

Jim wrote:

I agree with you that the game is oversold by the reps and there doesn't seem to be a support system to teach the bar to be successful with the game. The result is a churning of accounts and contracts cancelled.

I developed a plan to use players to provide the support system needed by new and under-performing locations to establish the type of player base needed so that the location recognizes that the system is covering its costs and maybe eventually even turning a profit. It would require a little record maintenance by NTN/BT and communicating with designated locations, but basically would be using the exact same incentives that get us as players to keep going out and playing (recognition, T-shirts and other low-cost swag, etc., a new way to compete against other players/locations) so we're not talking about any significant cost) to incentivize players to do what I call "player outreach" at those designated locations. NTN/BT expressed some interest in the concept, and I shared my plan, but that was about seven months ago. I don't know why we can't at least try a pilot program; I'm willing to do it at a new or under-performing Houston location where I don't currently play, and I'm sure I could find a few more folks to do so at such locations in other cities.

Brooke/AARDVK

timmy879 · **Joined:** Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:19 am **Posts:** 18

A 20 min walk or a 5 min 1.5 mile drive to West Park Station my home bar. Or a 10 min drive to a BW3 in Fairview Park.

liljol · **Joined:** Sun Jan 10, 2010 8:41 pm **Posts:** 2497

liljol wrote:

poman wrote:

(alternate title) "Let's Make LILJOL jealous, part II" :lol:

I guess BO will win this thread.

But will LILJOL win for longest distance?

I live 1 mile away from my nearest buzztime site

Unfortunately, said site rarely has buzztime on, let alone anyone playing :cry:

Well, to start, thanks a whole bunch again, FPOMAN. :lol:

There are two sites within 1.5 miles of my humble lil abode. Most Friday's for at least the past couple of years or so, I've banged away at one of them, Gilly's Bar, on El Cajon Blvd. (the former US 80, now replaced by I-8). I've been to the other once.

Well, hell. It has been way more than a lil while since Gilly's discontinued.

That other site within 1.5 miles of my humble lil abode doesn't open until 2:00 P.M. :roll:

Hopefully in December, Buffalo Wild Wings Mission Valley will open, which is a lil more than a mile away. Something tells me, though, that it will not open until 2014. :cry:

MitchWolf · **Posted:** Sun Sep 08, 2013 6:56 pm

Jim wrote:

Cloudy wrote:

Jim, please explain more about this. I have no idea as to what numbers I should look at. If you are correct, I have to worry if Buzztime trivia is long for this world. Every Buffalo Wild Wings has NTN in it, and if they are losing money having it in their bars/restaurants, I would have to be concerned that they might drop it. If they do, NTN is DEAD...! (Back in 2009 there were 652 Buffalo Wild Wings.)

p.s. I might disagree with you on Buffalo Wind Wings losing money by having NTN trivia. Over the years I have visited many Buffalo Wild Wings bars/restaurants, and I have never been in one where there wasn't a lot of people on their Playmakers playing Trivia, QB1, or Texas Hold'em. However, I haven't done any research on this, and the only numbers I understand are the great numbers of players there with a Playmaker in front of them at Buffalo Wind Wings.

Cloudy, you can check numbers on the NTN website. Checking under premium games maybe half the sites participate. You can also look under games at each individual site and see how often each game is played and by how many players.

There are about 14 BWWs in the local area and only half have a decent playership. A few years ago you might have to wait for a box on Friday or Saturday night, but no more and you may be the only one playing. Creve Couer BWW is the only one with a strong team (Six), while O'Fallon IL and South County BWWs have good players that get together, but gone are the days when all the BWWs had a lot of decent players every night. I seldom see people playing Texas Hold'em. A few locals switch over to Sport Trivia and those individuals can rank top 10 nationally with one correct answer for partial points. Every BWW use to fill-up with QB1ers on Sunday and Monday, but only two program the game now for a few players. If you are a serious Speed Freaks player there are several BWWs you can go to with relative confidence of being the only player. Lots of people seem to prefer the games on their phones or tablets to Buzztime.

I agree with you that the game is oversold by the reps and there doesn't seem to be a support system to teach the bar to be successful with the game. The result is a churning of accounts and contracts cancelled. If Buzztime wasn't a BWW corporate mandate, I am sure half the BWWs would drop the game with no loss.

So True Jim......Buzztime needs to speed up putting the BEOND system in ALL BWW's for a chance to boost playersship...

lewser · **Joined:** Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:25 pm **Posts:** 1028

Somebody that used to post on this board you could see exactly how far he lived from trivia sites and schools.

liljol · **Joined:** Sun Jan 10, 2010 8:41 pm **Posts:** 2497

MitchWolf wrote:

Buzztime needs to speed up putting the BEOND system in ALL BWW's for a chance to boost playersship...

Nuts. IMO the tablets are not yet ready for full rollout. :roll:

Besides, from what I've seen at the two BWWs in The Site-Poor Backyard, the amount of effort from both servers and captains to get customers to sign up for accounts makes more than a lil difference. :idea:

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