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E-cash discount



Gazwag

5 millionth post poster
Mar 4, 2004
30,228
Bexhill-on-Sea
Funny that these subtle changes and reduction in STH perks are being reduced now everybody can get a smartcard and we get the info AFTER the fans forum
 




tinx

Well-known member
Jul 6, 2003
9,198
Horsham Town
I like how they try to make it a positive thing that they have taken away a really good perk of being a season ticket holder. I for one will not be buying any more merchandise this season as the 10% back made the prices reasonable. Without that they are excessive for the quality they sell.
 


Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,403
Uffern
Not looking forward to this. Going to be lots of people arguing the toss that they were in the queue 40 minutes before KO and it's not their fault that it took 15 minutes to get served they want their full discount etc.

"The discount level applied is determined automatically by the tills at the point money is taken – not at the point queuing started. Staff will not have discretion to vary this" - seems pretty clear.

It seems a strange step to take: the whole point of the smartcard cashbook was to encourage people to use them and save time handling cash. So, as the world takes more steps towards cashless shopping, the Albion wants to go the other way
 


Ninja Elephant

Doctor Elephant
Feb 16, 2009
18,855
So when you go into the shop to buy some stuff, you won't always get cashback if you use the eCash?

That is a big loss. The eCash isn't a disaster in a way, it does make sense a little bit. If the aim is to be a bit tighter, which it clearly.

My question is, why wasn't this mentioned BEFORE the fans forum? Am I being cynical to suggest it was to avoid a backlash?
 


Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
So when you go into the shop to buy some stuff, you won't always get cashback if you use the eCash?

That is a big loss. The eCash isn't a disaster in a way, it does make sense a little bit. If the aim is to be a bit tighter, which it clearly.

My question is, why wasn't this mentioned BEFORE the fans forum? Am I being cynical to suggest it was to avoid a backlash?

Only on special offers as and when.

Paul Barber will be at the Supporters Club AGM in Dicks Bar on Wednesday, so hopefully I shall be able to question him about it.
 




clippedgull

Hotdogs, extra onions
Aug 11, 2003
20,789
Near Ducks, Geese, and Seagulls
So when you go into the shop to buy some stuff, you won't always get cashback if you use the eCash?

That is a big loss. The eCash isn't a disaster in a way, it does make sense a little bit. If the aim is to be a bit tighter, which it clearly.

My question is, why wasn't this mentioned BEFORE the fans forum? Am I being cynical to suggest it was to avoid a backlash?

It was mentioned. On this very thread!
 


yxee

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2011
2,521
Manchester
Seems sensible to me, since a graduated scale of cash-back deals serves a wider purpose (encouraging a change in travel habits). And, by removing the incentive to use cards at half-time, they will be encouraging fans to be less selective about which queue they join - which can only help reduce the length of the longest queues.

Surely it'll slew the queues down since the cards are far faster than cash. No discount = longer average service time.

I think people are far more likely to not bother with e-cash than arrange to arrive over an hour earlier to save 40p on a pint
 


Ninja Elephant

Doctor Elephant
Feb 16, 2009
18,855
Only on special offers as and when.

Paul Barber will be at the Supporters Club AGM in Dicks Bar on Wednesday, so hopefully I shall be able to question him about it.

That one disappoints me, I thought that was good. Could you ask how much of the funds we pre-load to the card actually goes to the club? Or do the company who issue the cards get any cut? I would be interested to know if there is a reason why they would want to discourage people spending using the ST card on non-match days and non-specials.

It was mentioned. On this very thread!

It was mentioned but was it discussed? I apologise if I missed it. I skimread. Casually, to be fair.
 




Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
That one disappoints me, I thought that was good. Could you ask how much of the funds we pre-load to the card actually goes to the club? Or do the company who issue the cards get any cut? I would be interested to know if there is a reason why they would want to discourage people spending using the ST card on non-match days and non-specials.

I'll try to remember that bit.

Edit to add, I'm confused about the cashback in the superstore. Does this mean that nothing is discounted unless it's a special offer, or that you can get cashback but not on match days?
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
60,018
The Fatherland
It seems a strange step to take: the whole point of the smartcard cashbook was to encourage people to use them and save time handling cash. So, as the world takes more steps towards cashless shopping, the Albion wants to go the other way

What I was thinking. I was reluctant to use mine due to errors, now I have virtually no incentive.
 


Superphil

Dismember
Jul 7, 2003
25,449
In a pile of football shirts
I'll try to remember that bit.

Edit to add, I'm confused about the cashback in the superstore. Does this mean that nothing is discounted unless it's a special offer, or that you can get cashback but not on match days?

From the email
"Meanwhile, from Monday 12th August, non-matchday e-cash purchases in the Seagulls Store and Dick's Bar will no longer earn cashback."

As far as I can tell that means that cashback in the Store is available on match days, not on other days.

As for the other changes, seems a bit petty to me, 5% cut seems hardly worth it. I shall buy my last drink 30 minutes before KO, and then after I'll just stomach the 5% increase for one drink, looks like it will cost me about 20p more than the old way. On a positive note, if I turn up early, or leve quite late, I'll problem make that 20p up and then some.
:shrug:
 




What I was thinking. I was reluctant to use mine due to errors, now I have virtually no incentive.

Never once had an error on my card, it was so much quicker especially as you didn't have to rely on kids getting the change right.

I won't be bothering anymore though as I intend getting to the stadium with no time left to get a drink and leaving at full time on the dot.
 


Superphil

Dismember
Jul 7, 2003
25,449
In a pile of football shirts
It seems a strange step to take: the whole point of the smartcard cashbook was to encourage people to use them and save time handling cash. So, as the world takes more steps towards cashless shopping, the Albion wants to go the other way

One thing for sure, that never happened in the 1901 Lounges, the staff always have trouble using the smart card system, takes/took far longer than cash.
 


Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
From the email
"Meanwhile, from Monday 12th August, non-matchday e-cash purchases in the Seagulls Store and Dick's Bar will no longer earn cashback."

As far as I can tell that means that cashback in the Store is available on match days, not on other days.

As for the other changes, seems a bit petty to me, 5% cut seems hardly worth it. I shall buy my last drink 30 minutes before KO, and then after I'll just stomach the 5% increase for one drink, looks like it will cost me about 20p more than the old way. On a positive note, if I turn up early, or leve quite late, I'll problem make that 20p up and then some.
:shrug:

I don't get emails. I've asked the club why I don't get emails when I get the weekly newsletter and confirmation of ticket purchases, but nobody can be bothered to do anything about it.
 




4-p

New member
Sep 3, 2011
432
Shoreham
My recent experiences from the Villarreal game suggest that you don't get the cash back, instead you just get the discount.
ie: A Pint was £3.60 when I put my season ticket card down and my balance only went down 3.60, rather than go down £4 then back up 40p.

This is disappointing because I would save it up and buy something for the shop with the "free money". That won't happenn now, I'm just spending less on beer.
Badly thought through that!

Same as no rewards from shop purchases, not cool.
I was going to buy lots of stuff for the kid and get beer money as my reward, now I'm not, so I'll buy less.

Many brands have a loyalty scheme, nectar, Tesco club etc. Where there is a long term incentive to save up points etc.

Badly thought through again.

I only hope it was a one off and when the league starts it goes back to normal and I get my actual ecash back.

Maybe Barber has forgotten that we're new to this level, the supporters have suffered and fought for years for this.
Spurs has been in the top flight for decades.

Too much too soon.

And yes it will be a nightmare in the queues as the clock ticks and the staff continue to flounder either through their lack of ability or the poor supply from the cellar and kitchens.
 


Superphil

Dismember
Jul 7, 2003
25,449
In a pile of football shirts
I don't get emails. I've asked the club why I don't get emails when I get the weekly newsletter and confirmation of ticket purchases, but nobody can be bothered to do anything about it.

Why don't you Email Paul.barber@bhafc.co.uk and he will sort it out, he's like that. To say nobody can be bothered to do anything about it is wide of the mark in my experience.
 


Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
Why don't you Email Paul.barber@bhafc.co.uk and he will sort it out, he's like that. To say nobody can be bothered to do anything about it is wide of the mark in my experience.

I've spoken to him about it. He told me to email customer services.
 


D

Deleted member 2719

Guest
I think Barber has the discount scheme wrong, it should be 90% discount 15mins before KO, much more fun.

I won't be buying much from the club shop apart from on thier discount days from now on then, they are hammering all those pensioners that go to Dicks as well, disgusting.
 




Miffy

New member
Jun 18, 2013
92
So the email indicates that the shop discount is still available on match days but gone for non match days but the letter received this morning indicates the exact opposite. So that's about as clear as mud then!!

It's got to be the worst business decision ever to remove it from merchandise. As others have said the difference on food and drink won't really be enough to put that many people off as it was a nice bonus. On the same note by increasing the discount by 5% won't really increase sales much either as it isn't enough of an incentive to make you buy more. But the shop is an entirely different question.

Most of my shopping in there is for presents for the kids and although the prices were over budget the cashback effectively meant it was only just over so I'd spend it. Losing the discount makes it impossible. On what I had planned over the next 6 months for Christmas and birthdays alone it has just lost the club £500 of merchandise purchases. Without the loyalty bonus that'll cost me about £50-£60 more that I just simply can't afford. So in one single sweep they've wiped out income equivalent to an extra season ticket .. And to be honest I'd probably spend more than that as I'd get money for my own birthday to buy hoodies etc and odd purchases during the year. Multiply that by the 5 other family members spending similar amounts and with just my family alone its starting to cost them.

By removing the incentive other than on certain items (presumably stock they can't shift?) they aren't going to encourage people to buy so are unlikely to increase revenue from that source. So the only way it's likely to move if it does is down. Pure stupidity in business planning and whoever thought (or more importantly didn't think) that one through needs a severe bollocking.

That's ignoring the damage it does to customer relations when they are issuing such stupidly conflicting pieces of information that nobody can understand and making it simply look like they are saying as clear as day we don't care about your loyalty.

I have money on my ecash at the moment but I sure as hell won't be topping it up. It probably saves about 30 seconds at the till and for a saving of about 50p I don't see any advantage in letting them have money out of my bank account way ahead of when I need to spend it. The queues are caused by bad service plain and simple - if they can't fix that and it gets worse, as I suspect it will, I simply won't be joining the queue and will be glad my bank balance is slightly improved each match.
 


LowerWesty

LowerWesty
Aug 16, 2012
162
Hassocks
Couple of points.

If the store cash back is only available on match days, aren't they the days when the store is most busy and won't that deter shoppers from going on the 'other' days when the store is very quite, or perhaps going at all.

Edited at 21.16. Email at 18.37 states "Meanwhile, from Monday 12th August, non-matchday e-cash purchases in the Seagulls Store and Dick's Bar will no longer earn cashback. Which at least clarifies the muddle in Barber's letter

Most times I'm not offered a receipt and don't ask for one, mainly because it just takes time and slows the queue down. If we are going to have to play this silly game, won't most be asking for a receipt that is date and time stamped, so they can be certain there not being ripped off.

If the clocks in the tills are not checked regularly, to ensure they are absolutely accurate, can you imagine the hassle when someone questions the time, on the receipt? by comparing it with the time on his mobile.

Bet it's going to be quiet on the LW concourse at half time, I used to rush down, stand in the queue, gulp down a pint and miss the first couple of minutes of the second half, no more!

I see trouble here, I was impressed with Barber's performance on Thursday, but I must admit it's difficult to see why this announcement was withheld for any honest reason.
 
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