Last Sunday’s FIFA World Cup Final between Spain and defending champion Argentina, won by Spain 1-0 in extra time, was a beyond-comprehension medley of strategy, footwork, ball control, physical stamina, and patience. It was a showcase of what the great Pelé once called “the beautiful game” though some might argue England’s wild, 6-4 thriller over France a day earlier in the consolation match was the highlight of this World Cup. I say there was an even bigger highlight … and it didn’t even occur on the fútbol pitch itself.
When it comes to major sporting events in the U.S., you’re never quite sure what you’ll experience. An overcrowded, rowdy gathering of beer-emboldened fans at a rivalry football or baseball game? Or a serene and respectful gallery talking in hushed tones at Augusta National Golf Club? Don’t even debate a UFC event.
I was fortunate enough to attend a couple of World Cup matches during the six-week tournament which played out in 16 venues across North America for the first time in 32 years. Long a fan of the English Premier League, I loved the atmosphere, the excitement and the action on the field. Though tickets were very pricey, attending a World Cup match is on many bucket lists around the globe and I came away with many wonderful memories.
Tops on the list was the friendly, welcoming level of service I experienced in and around World Cup activities. Traffic cops, ushers [one usher wished me a happy Father’s Day], waitresses and bartenders, concession stand workers, street vendors, and fans themselves. I saw Gail Solomon, legendary Atlanta DMC queen turned retiree, volunteering in the same spot daily, waving, smiling and welcoming people. I hugged her every time! Human decency and polite respect were in the air everywhere and it made a powerful impact on me … probably because it wasn’t what I expected. It wasn’t what I’d grown accustomed to years ago.
And why is that?
I won’t bore you with survey results and statistics that call out the drop-off in service in America in recent years, I think that’s one of the few things these days that garners ‘cross-the-board agreement. The trend began many years ago and fingers can be pointed at many factors — declining parental influence, non-stop geo-political tensions [ugh …], Covid, social media nastiness, and on and on and on.
And that’s why I came away from my World Cup experience hopeful and encouraged that maybe, just maybe, we can return to simpler times of “yes, ma’am” and “no, sir”, holding doors for others, maybe even “Let me help you with that …”. I witnessed people from dozens of countries and cultures coming together and interacting in a spirit of friendliness and service, punctuated with smiles, politeness and enthusiasm. It was uplifting and, for the first time in forever it seems, the U.S. was being embraced on the world stage.
America, take a bow!
A Two-Way Street
And the kindness and respect flowed two ways. In mid-June, following a 2-2 draw between Japan and the Netherlands at Dallas Stadium, most fans headed for the exits. But Japanese fans immediately reached for trash bags and began cleaning their section of the stadium, reaching under seats to pick up cups, straws, food wrappers, and anything else that would otherwise be left behind for someone else to deal with. Meanwhile beneath the stadium, the Japanese men’s team showered, changed and began cleaning their locker room, bagging up trash then folding and stacking soiled uniforms in a neat pile in the middle of the room before boarding team busses.
In Boston, thousands of Scottish fans gathered in a public park to, shall we say, “have a wee bevvy or two”, and in doing so endeared themselves to Beantown barkeeps and local residents. They came together daily in pubs, restaurants, parks and common areas in groups as large as 2,000 people. The Tartan Army not only impressed locals with their capacity to consume … but also their willingness to clean up after themselves. A Boston City Parks Custodian said he was the lone person assigned to clean up after one such gathering and had barely anything to do when he arrived for his shift. “Man, can those people drink but they sure do pick up their trash when the fun is over. I couldn’t believe it,” he told a local news outlet.
Elevate Your Expectations …
I was truly and pleasantly surprised by the exceptional level of service that permeated the world’s most popular sporting event [an estimated 1.6 billion TV viewers worldwide watched the final match]. A whopping 37,000 applications were received for 3,000 volunteer slots in Atlanta alone and those selected were quite obviously well-trained or, by nature, happy and warm-spirited people. There were similar reports of this at many of the other World Cup cities and venues.
No doubt, the demand for hospitality services was the highest since Atlanta hosted the 1996 Olympic Summer Games and boy did those businesses step up. There seemed to be a common mission to showcase the stadium, our community, individual businesses, and Southern Hospitality. I came away heartened that it really can happen.
Reality is, we’ve become complacent when it comes to service. In years past, top-class service was expected and businesses delivered [remember “filling” stations where gas was pumped for you and, yes, there was an oil check and a window wash that came along with it]. As consumers of services – retail, dining, vacation, travel, home services, etc. — we’ve not only come to expect mediocrity, we’ve settled for it. When we don’t receive high-quality service and don’t speak up, it’s on us. And failing to say something means we can expect more of the same.
Having said that, calling out a lack of service or poor service needs to be handled delicately. It’s perfectly acceptable to politely ask for a manager and share your experience. It’s not acceptable to berate a server or bartender at a restaurant in front of others. When you share your candid feedback in a spirit of constructiveness, you enhance the chances of that business acting on your input and, no doubt, your next experience with them will be much better. When handled delicately, everyone wins.
If it can happen for six wonderful weeks in Atlanta and beyond, with high-priced ticket packages that drive high expectations of quality, incredible demand for hospitality-related services, and an army of unpaid volunteers, it can happen on a daily basis. I truly believe that.
The Goodness That Is …
So, I ask: What can we – you, me, everyone – do each day, all day to keep this wonderful dimension of the 2026 World Cup alive? This suddenly reawakened commitment to friendly service. We are a kind and welcoming society, despite the nasty overlay the media likes to promote globally and locally. In truth, you don’t have to dig deep to discover the goodness that is America … land of the free, home of the brave, and one fine place to live. We can do this, everyone!
Cheers,
Kenneth Jones
