Tea/coffee and late 1901 ticket - Paul Barber reply and then another Paul Barber reply

[El Presidente]

Not 1901 so no loss to me.
Seven Stars...1901...all penny pinching.
I pay for my season and spend nothing else due to the cost.

If Tony was not happy with the current levels of debt he would have done something about it (PB off).
Just not buying the line that every penny pinching decision is because Tony is losing blah blah.
As usual we will sell an asset (Dale) to cut the loss to £10m.

You make it sound as if losing £10m a year is a trivial amount.

In 2014/5 ticket sales brought in £9.8m, Tony Bloom covered losses of £10.4m.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

i'm surprised he hasn't cashed in and offered a 1901 thermos flask at good value for £19.99 plus engraving.

Two birds one stone?

they were in place years ago ,trust me
regards
DR

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

You make it sound as if losing £10m a year is a trivial amount.

In 2014/5 ticket sales brought in £9.8m, Tony Bloom covered losses of £10.4m.

yep, but he runs the club," the customers are always right"
regards
DR

 

[jamie the seagull]

Surely he is, these cost cutting measures are designed to do reduce debt.



So what other reason might there be for these "penny pinching" measures?

Which part of losing £18 million pounds a year being an unsustainable business model are you struggling to understand?

Penny pinching cut backs will have very little impact on an £18m loss.
Therefore they are not related to that.
That loss is covered by the annual sale of an asset (Buckley,Bridcutt,Ulloa, Stephens).
Mean while our season tickets increase each year with fringe benefits taken away ..
That is how I see it and I continue to pay my season ticket until I decide the value is not there.

 

[Giraffe]

I am grateful that Bloom is willing to stomach the losses that he is and understand that Barber has to mitigate these as much as possible.

HOWEVER the continuing reduction of service for some of the clubs most long serving fans is very short term thinking. I doubt getting rid of the teas has even saved £10k, so less than one weeks wages of Elvis Manu.

Or more importantly two people not renewing their membership next time would cost approximately £10k.

Was it really worth it?

And sending tickets out late for the reason he has stated is non-sensical. Two weeks before the start of the season would achieve the same thing without any of this hassle.

 

[Mr Putdown]

Penny pinching cut backs will have very little impact on an £18m loss.
Therefore they are not related to that.

So why do you think they have been introduced if it's not to reduce the clubs losses?

 

[Return of the Rev]

So why do you think they have been introduced if it's not to reduce the clubs losses?

He's gonna try and get the cup final cash out in the tea urns?

 

[Easy 10]

I'm not interested in the tea / coffee issue frankly (I have never consumed either at a football match in my lifetime, free or otherwise, nor am I likely to). But THIS

From time to time, such issues do occur. It’s very frustrating for supporters and for the club - but it is not the club’s fault. As we have explained on many occasions, and in common with most clubs of our size and bigger, we distribute new tickets and passes as close to our first home game of the season as possible.

This is because a lot of experience - both from here and from other clubs – shows us that early distribution of new season’s tickets and passes leads to many tickets and passes being mis–laid ahead of the first home game – and this, in turn, causes a considerable amount of additional work for our supporter services team and delays for supporters.

...is quite laughable. The very notion that they have to send new tickets out quite this late, just in case any of us blithering ninnycotton PLEBS somehow go and LOSE them before the first game...I mean REALLY ?? So in order to cater for the odd few dunderheads who struggle with life to the extent that they can't keep hold of a season ticket card for more than an afternoon without accidentally tossing it into the sea, the club decides that EVERYONE has to have their new tickets posted 20 minutes before the season starts. And then (shock horror), start blaming all and sundry when, well, whaddya know - LOADS of people haven't got them in time.

Unbelievable.

 

[DanRedman]

Don't know what the fuss over tea and coffee is all about really. 1901 receive far greater benefits than non-members. Frankly, if you can afford 1901 membership, you can afford a bleeding cup of tea at half time!

 

[clapham_gull]

This does highlight the oddity of football clubs below the top league.

Trying to run "as a business" but not being able to run like a normal business at all. At least you have to admire the honesty.

Imagine going into a hotel you have visited for years, but found they'd removed the hair dryer not that I do (or can) use one.

- The hair dryer has gone.
- You can now rent one
- But the room always had one - in fact Mr Perry took delight in demonstrating it when I signed up.
- It isn't in the contract and the hotel isn't making money. The manager wants to keep the pool warm, so the hair dryer must go.
- I'll move to another hotel.
- You won't...

 

[Beach Hut]

I can only imagine Paul Barber must have around 30 odd "draft" emails that are just cut and pasted to cover every type of rapid response.

And if I was a 1901 member I would be pissed off over this

 

[Seagull by the Sea]

This is clearly not about the tea and coffee.

The way the press release reads is that basically we are doing this and it was not part of the deal anyway so tough! Never mind the fact that people signed up and paid their money so it is sneaky. Why not tell people that it was being removed like they did when they said friendlies were no longer included?

If this happened in any other business after contracts were signed you would be pissed off but because it's your football club you are expected to just take it on the chin.

What benefits are actually left for 1901 members? Nice seat position, a lounge and a free programme. Hardly amazing for something that costs over £1200 per year is it?

It's more about the message it gives 1901 members when they can't see the only home friendly we play and the little touches are removed as they cost 'tens of thousands' if that was the case then people obviously had it yet we are supposed to believe that members said they didn't really care if they had it!

I know many 1901 members and every single one of them say they want the friendly match and appreciated the free cuppa, especially in the winter, oh, and not one of them have received their 1901 cards either.

 

[chaileyjem]

At some point continual penny pinching will result in less renewals and no new memberships. .

Weren't 1901 memberships renewed at virtually a sell out rate and aren't season ticket sales up massively with a close to all time high figure of 23K + ?

 

[DavePage]

So how many cups of tea = 1 Dunk?

They'll be charging separately for sugar next. Although if you can afford a swanky private members club, you can probably afford to bring your own teabag and thermos of hot water.

Depends on the biscuit

 

[Icy Gull]

Weren't 1901 memberships renewed at virtually a sell out rate and aren't season ticket sales up massively with a close to all time high figure of 23K + ?

Yes yes and yes, but why so late in advising about the tea and coffee? If so many tens of thousands ( laughable) had been lost, why not advise it with the taking away of friendlies? All a bit spivy and not all professional IMO, much the same with the ridiculously late season ticket mailing.

 

[DavePage]

I'm not interested in the tea / coffee issue frankly (I have never consumed either at a football match in my lifetime, free or otherwise, nor am I likely to). But THIS



...is quite laughable. The very notion that they have to send new tickets out quite this late, just in case any of us blithering ninnycotton PLEBS somehow go and LOSE them before the first game...I mean REALLY ?? So in order to cater for the odd few dunderheads who struggle with life to the extent that they can't keep hold of a season ticket card for more than an afternoon without accidentally tossing it into the sea, the club decides that EVERYONE has to have their new tickets posted 20 minutes before the season starts. And then (shock horror), start blaming all and sundry when, well, whaddya know - LOADS of people haven't got them in time.

Unbelievable.

,
I’m guessing that it economically better to wait until the last moment, so that all of the potential season tickets go out at the same time, rather than send them out as the applications get renewed or approved.
At the Goldstone in the executive club area we had tea and sandwiches and a parking area, the parking was nice but still a pain to get away. The tea and sandwiches? Were consumed but the main reason to be there was the premium position to see the team I love…end of.

 

[neilbard]

Don't know what the fuss over tea and coffee is all about really. 1901 receive far greater benefits than non-members. Frankly, if you can afford 1901 membership, you can afford a bleeding cup of tea at half time!

****!

 

[Dick Swiveller]

****!

Diggers got to sneer. Totally missing the fact that it is the principle that matters. It will be a different reaction when something they like is removed. Food, drink, more toilets than legally required, standing at the back of the North, cheap tickets, entertainment, park and ride, the designation of the type of stand you are in etc. These are not contractually required. If they remove something you like then just be glad you only signed up for a year and not 5.

Extreme examples? Of course. A lot of fuss over a drink? Very probably. But sneaking it in after sign ups and using a survey as justification leaves a very bad taste. Factor in the money they are wasting on issuing new cards which they screw up meaning I will miss the game tonight and if you don't see why people are upset then I can't help you. I am sure I could spend time on the phone today arranging for a ticket to collect but with my only option being to spend £12 on parking to then queue to get a ticket that I should have received in plenty of time (or not at all as I had a perfectly functioning card already) means I will take a pass with a bad taste in my mouth. Cutting off my nose to spite my face maybe but I'm not jumping through hoops to watch the reserves.

The losses are eye watering but you can't keep using them as your get out of jail free card. If the coffee genuinely costs too much then withdraw it prior to 5 year sign ups. And don't waste money issuing superfluous cards and screw that up as well.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[Eddiespearritt]

This is clearly not about the tea and coffee.

The way the press release reads is that basically we are doing this and it was not part of the deal anyway so tough! Never mind the fact that people signed up and paid their money so it is sneaky. Why not tell people that it was being removed like they did when they said friendlies were no longer included?

If this happened in any other business after contracts were signed you would be pissed off but because it's your football club you are expected to just take it on the chin.

What benefits are actually left for 1901 members? Nice seat position, a lounge and a free programme. Hardly amazing for something that costs over £1200 per year is it?

It's more about the message it gives 1901 members when they can't see the only home friendly we play and the little touches are removed as they cost 'tens of thousands' if that was the case then people obviously had it yet we are supposed to believe that members said they didn't really care if they had it!

I know many 1901 members and every single one of them say they want the friendly match and appreciated the free cuppa, especially in the winter, oh, and not one of them have received their 1901 cards either.

This sums up my feelings very eloquently. The income from the "extra special" 1901 club is a very substantial part of the marketing department's income - way north of £3 million a year - but the providers of this income are being treated with amazing contempt - coupled with feeble excuses. Don't blame suppliers - stay on top of the system and make sure your customers are serviced properly. Very very poor Barber - delivering tickets to your prime customers when the matches have already started. Sorry but that is basic - and truly terrible on your part.

 

[DanRedman]

Diggers got to sneer. Totally missing the fact that it is the principle that matters. It will be a different reaction when something they like is removed. Food, drink, more toilets than legally required, standing at the back of the North, cheap tickets, entertainment, park and ride, the designation of the type of stand you are in etc. These are not contractually required. If they remove something you like then just be glad you only signed up for a year and not 5.

Extreme examples? Of course. A lot of fuss over a drink? Very probably. But sneaking it in after sign ups and using a survey as justification leaves a very bad taste. Factor in the money they are wasting on issuing new cards which they screw up meaning I will miss the game tonight and if you don't see why people are upset then I can't help you. I am sure I could spend time on the phone today arranging for a ticket to collect but with my only option being to spend £12 on parking to then queue to get a ticket that I should have received in plenty of time (or not at all as I had a perfectly functioning card already) means I will take a pass with a bad taste in my mouth. Cutting off my nose to spite my face maybe but I'm not jumping through hoops to watch the reserves.

The losses are eye watering but you can't keep using them as your get out of jail free card. If the coffee genuinely costs too much then withdraw it prior to 5 year sign ups. And don't waste money issuing superfluous cards and screw that up as well.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

If it was never actually offered in the first place, and it was token gesture of gratitude, how can you complain about it being taken away? I believe Paul's response was justified. I would agree with you that if Park and ride, or the travel allowance had been taken after I signed up I would be fuming, and onto the club for sure, as it was a benefit of being a season ticket holder/ ticket holder for a single match. No use preaching to the converted, but there are plenty of other benefits to be grateful for