The Great Baseball Road Trip does not have the best reputation when it comes to finding helpful workers at the various ballparks we visit. There was the infamous time in 2000 -- the very first official GBRT with a full cast and crew of characters -- when we arrived at Yankee Stadium (after some subway confusion, of course) and were looking for the proper gate to enter. Our friend Taco showed a stadium worker his ticket and said, "I'm just trying to make sure we are in the right place." The guy looked at the ticket, then back at Taco and said, with a classic NY snarl, "Yankee Stadium!" There was also the time in 2003 when an usher wouldn't let us into better seats at Wrigley after 80 percent of the crowd had left because of a three-hour rain delay. Seriously, we're still mad about that almost a decade later. The first two days of this trip, however, have been filled with three exemplary acts that demonstrate how positive service can enhance the fan experience.

1) Upon arriving early at the White Sox game Monday night, we were primed to watch some BP. But our tickets -- behind home plate, but in one of the upper levels -- weren't supposed to give us access to the main concourse. We approached the man working the concourse entrance and tried to casually stroll past. He asked to see our tickets, and instead of telling him some sort of story we told him the truth: We just wanted to get in that part for BP, then we would go on our merry way. At first, he said he couldn't help us. We tried again. A second denial. But then he said, "At least you can't do it while I'm watching." Nobody else was around, but he then looked completely away, took a few steps and said, "Hey, what's that going on over there?" And we walked right in. Classic move. Kudos to that fine gentleman. All we wanted to do was watch a little BP, and he got it.

2) Upon arriving at the Kane County Cougars game Tuesday at 11 a.m., we learned -- not surprisingly -- that there were a ton of school kids there for class trips. Like, hundreds of them. The seats we had bought were right in front of an army of them, but as soon as we got three steps into the park, a guest services worker spotted us and said, "Hope you guys like kids!" in a jovial manner. He then sidled up to us and said, "Seriously, go sit anywhere you want." He cracked a few jokes and directed us down the left field line -- away from the throngs of children.

3) Also at the Kane County game, we realized that a contest lasting from approximately 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. under direct sunlight and 80-plus degree heat was not the best time to be without sun screen. But we had none. So we asked the usher down the left field line if he knew if they sold any sunscreen at any of the shops in the ballpark. He said he wasn't sure, but that he would check on it and see what he could do. About five minutes later, he came back with sample packets of sunscreen for the GBRT crew, which pretty much saved the day.

In a world where people mostly just complain about bad customer service, let us recognize the good stuff for a change. Also: The $1 hot dogs, pizza slices and popcorn along with the $1.50 Summer Shandy and Honey Weiss at the Beloit game last night -- yes, part two of our multi-city day-night Midwest League doubleheader -- isn't classified as customer service, but it was a nice break after the time between the Cougars and Snappers game allowed just enough of a window for us to stop at a casino in Elgin and lose our blouse playing 1-2 no-limit hold 'em. It is a terrifying game, and we can only hope we never see it again.