Sometimes, the way an organization handles customer issues can reveal how much it values its clients. For example, if you’re dissatisfied with a purchase from Costco, most items can be returned at any time, with or without a receipt, even years after the purchase. This is likely why the company is frequently cited as one of the most-trusted by its customers.
In business, demonstrating genuine concern for customers’ issues and offering a meaningful compensation can greatly enhance their sense of being valued. In light of this, let’s examine how Major League Baseball is responding to subscribers affected by the MLB.tv Opening Day outages.
So @MLB is saying sorry for the inconvenience. To help, here’s an invitation to give us more money. 😂 pic.twitter.com/WVO6ndbOZz
— JT (@Jaberuski) March 29, 2025
In a letter to MLB.tv subscribers impacted by the service crashing on Opening Day, the league issued a passive-aggressive reminder of the benefits of MLB.TV. They downplayed the significant issue by labeling it a “temporary inability to access our live streams” and only extended their apology midway through the second paragraph, ultimately offering a meager make-good of $10 off any purchase of $25 or more at the MLB Shop. This equates to less than 10% off, which isn’t very appealing for someone who paid $149.99 for the service that failed them on Day One.
Wow what generosity from @MLB. $10 off $25! Will cherish this gesture for the rest of my life. If I’m lucky the gear I order won’t have any printing errors too. pic.twitter.com/nSz2Wmmfdk
— Ryan Glasspiegel (@sportsrapport) March 29, 2025
Lmao. “We’re sorry we screwed up the most visible day of the season. Please forgive us by spending at least $15 more.”
— Brett Taylor (@brett-taylor.bsky.social) March 29, 2025 at 1:18 PM
So @MLB have sent and apology for subscribers to @MLBTV because we couldn’t watch games on opening day
Didn’t offer even 162th of our money back
They tried to fleece us even further with $10 off if we spend a further $25Fuck that
Fuck them
Thieving bastards— SimonBrundish (@SimonBrundish) March 29, 2025
https://t.co/hX2TppuOl5 offering $10 off a $25 purchase because of their issues on opening day is such an embarrassment and testament to how they really don’t have a clue what’s going on.
— Matt Cerilli (@MattCerilli) March 29, 2025
For comparison, the Cleveland Guardians are offering free tickets to fans as an apology for “the inconvenience to your first game viewing experience,” showcasing a far more considerate approach. As noted by Awful Announcing’s Sam Neumann, “This wasn’t a minor glitch or a one-off mistake. Opening Day was one of the most anticipated days on the sports calendar, and fans who had been waiting months to watch their teams were left searching for unreliable streams or facing error screens. MLB.tv was meant to be the solution for out-of-market fans, yet on its most critical day, it failed to deliver.”
