ChippenhamRed Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 No question our ticketing system has gone backwards. 7 years ago, I was a member, I got second tier priority for tickets after STHs, and I could buy online. There was a loyalty points system. Games were remotely loaded onto my members card. Now the membership scheme offers no priority, can only be purchased over the phone and we are back to paper tickets in the post. I haven't even joined because recent experience suggests I can't trust our phone system to work effectively if there is a huge game and a mad rush for tickets. How has this happened?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bar BS3 Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 This should have been forced to be a sell out by needing a ticket stub from this game to get priority on the "big" 4th round game tickets. I can't help feeling that the club have rally missed a trick here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChippenhamRed Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 This should have been forced to be a sell out by needing a ticket stub from this game to get priority on the "big" 4th round game tickets. I can't help feeling that the club have rally missed a trick here! This is what I was saying from the start and expected to happen. Strikes me in this case that the club don't actually want a full crowd and enabling the Dolman work to start is the priority. Otherwise it was a no-brainer to do what you suggest and would have generated a lot more revenue for the club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew Peacock Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 No question our ticketing system has gone backwards. 7 years ago, I was a member, I got second tier priority for tickets after STHs, and I could buy online. There was a loyalty points system. Games were remotely loaded onto my members card. Now the membership scheme offers no priority, can only be purchased over the phone and we are back to paper tickets in the post. I haven't even joined because recent experience suggests I can't trust our phone system to work effectively if there is a huge game and a mad rush for tickets. How has this happened?! It is what happens when you let marketing people get their hands on core IT systems. At least they can now send out e mails to all ST holders urging us to buy our tickets for the next match. #youcouldn'tmakeitup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aizoon Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 It is what happens when you let marketing people get their hands on core IT systems. At least they can now send out e mails to all ST holders urging us to buy our tickets for the next match. #youcouldn'tmakeitup Well said, sir! And it's not just BCFC. Step forward, Vodafone and EE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliftonCliff Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 No question our ticketing system has gone backwards. 7 years ago, I was a member, I got second tier priority for tickets after STHs, and I could buy online. There was a loyalty points system. Games were remotely loaded onto my members card. Now the membership scheme offers no priority, can only be purchased over the phone and we are back to paper tickets in the post. I haven't even joined because recent experience suggests I can't trust our phone system to work effectively if there is a huge game and a mad rush for tickets. How has this happened?! I agree with you entirely. The sentence I've highlighted in your second paragraph is particularly relevant. The whole point about an online service is surely that it's supposed to make the process more efficient by eliminating the need for printing, paper, postal services or time-consuming direct personal contact by phone or visit. We had a system for a brief time that could provide this. As far as I'm aware, there's never been an adequate explanation as to why this ceased to exist. There is an inevitable eruption of discontent whenever an all-pay game comes along and there is confusion caused by a variety of failings on the part of the club, includinging late release of tickets, poor advance planning, inadequate or misleading information and communication and so on. At the time of one fairly recent episode (I can't remember the occasion - there've been so many) I recall Jon Lansdown getting quite tetchy about the level of criticism aimed at the club over this issue. He, and whoever it is in (presumably) the commercial department who presides over this recurring shambles might as well get used to the discontent, because it will continue on a regular basis until they put it right. I'm not usually much given to submitting moaning posts about the club on this forum or anywhere else, but like many others I feel strongly about this issue and will continue to complain as long as supporters are messed about and provided with a sub-standard service. I've said it before and will say it again. The club's core business is selling tickets to football matches and they can't even do that effectively. How hard can this be? If they were running any other kind of retail business in a competitive industry, with their track record they'd have almost certainly have lost a huge percentage of their customers to their rivals and gone bust by now. It's only the unique nature of the product and the environment in which they operate that allows them to get away with treating customers in this way. As long as it continues to happen we should keep giving them hard time about it, because it's no more than the club deserves. It's a great pity that fans' enjoyment of (at last) a successful on-field season can be marred by this kind of inexcusable muddle, which I'm am certain is costing the club revenue in the form of the many supporters, including STHs, who end up not bothering to attend because securing one's seat is such a hassle. It's no way to run a business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchay Red Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 I agree with you entirely. The sentence I've highlighted in your second paragraph is particularly relevant. The whole point about an online service is surely that it's supposed to make the process more efficient by eliminating the need for printing, paper, postal services or time-consuming direct personal contact by phone or visit. We had a system for a brief time that could provide this. As far as I'm aware, there's never been an adequate explanation as to why this ceased to exist. There is an inevitable eruption of discontent whenever an all-pay game comes along and there is confusion caused by a variety of failings on the part of the club, includinging late release of tickets, poor advance planning, inadequate or misleading information and communication and so on. At the time of one fairly recent episode (I can't remember the occasion - there've been so many) I recall Jon Lansdown getting quite tetchy about the level of criticism aimed at the club over this issue. He, and whoever it is in (presumably) the commercial department who presides over this recurring shambles might as well get used to the discontent, because it will continue on a regular basis until they put it right. I'm not usually much given to submitting moaning posts about the club on this forum or anywhere else, but like many others I feel strongly about this issue and will continue to complain as long as supporters are messed about and provided with a sub-standard service. I've said it before and will say it again. The club's core business is selling tickets to football matches and they can't even do that effectively. How hard can this be? If they were running any other kind of retail business in a competitive industry, with their track record they'd have almost certainly have lost a huge percentage of their customers to their rivals and gone bust by now. It's only the unique nature of the product and the environment in which they operate that allows them to get away with treating customers in this way. As long as it continues to happen we should keep giving them hard time about it, because it's no more than the club deserves. It's a great pity that fans' enjoyment of (at last) a successful on-field season can be marred by this kind of inexcusable muddle, which I'm am certain is costing the club revenue in the form of the many supporters, including STHs, who end up not bothering to attend because securing one's seat is such a hassle. It's no way to run a business. I may be wrong (and often am!) but wasn't the system, to which you refer, ditched because it wasn't "in-house" and more costly to run than the one we now have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin phantom Posted January 7, 2015 Admin Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 As far as I'm aware, there's never been an adequate explanation as to why this ceased to exist. I'm sure someone will correct me on this, I can't recall the guys name, but it was someone who was brought in by the club that pushed the change in system used etc He is now no longer employed by the club after numerous ticketing disasters including the phone line / online systems etc etc Was is Kevin something??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChippenhamRed Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Well said Clifton. When the tickets were sold for Wembley in 2008, a lot of genuine fans missed out on tickets to people who would never normally watch City, because after season ticket holders there was no way for the club to differentiate between regulars and anyone else who just fancied a day out. I remember the membership system being introduced to enable the second tier of regular supporters to be identified and thus given priority if the same situation arose again. However, fast-forward to 2015 and with a Wembley trip looking likely again, it seems we are now back to square one. (granted the JPT final will not attract the same interest as the play-off final, but that is not the point). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliftonCliff Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 I may be wrong (and often am!) but wasn't the system, to which you refer, ditched because it wasn't "in-house" and more costly to run than the one we now have? On the contrary, I think you're probably right. At the time, the club was on a cost-cutting binge that would have made a hatchet man like George Osbourne proud. But whilst making your business less costly to run may in principle make sense, it won't do you much good if it results in a reduced service that loses you paying customers. It's self-defeating and creates an awful lot of unnecessary frustration and bad feeling. They'd do better to go back to out-sourcing to somebody who knows what they're doing and biting the bullet on cost. It would probably make business sense in the longer run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedM Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 I admit to not having read through all this thread properly, but am I understanding ALL the Dolman will be shut? What is the reason for this, I guess its obviously the building work. I see after our league match on Saturday we are away for the following two Saturdays and not at home until Sat 31st Jan. Again I'm guessing that some major building work must be pencilled in for this period. Nobody could have forseen that we would need to fit in a home fixture, I suppose. I bet the team were under strict orders not to get a draw! I understand that there was problems with steel work before Xmas, so there is already a delay unless they have managed to get back on schedule in the last few days? The ground is still in match condition as we have to play there Saturday, so could the works not be delayed by 2 days and start first thing Wednesday? The Dolman could open and a good crowd could attend, we are only turning away money if this doesn't happen. I haven't even looked at Bristol Rugby fixtures, how do they fit into all of this, Dolman out for them until 31st Jan too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyderInACan Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 I bloody KNEW we shouldn't have got rid of Kevin Smith. We'd be on our 3rd friendly with Willem II, too, by now if he'd stayed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cider Queen Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 What's annoying.. after: 1. No priority to ST Holders 2. No Dolman Is the fact the DEH won't be open. This is annoying as coming straight from work I usually go for a pie & pint. In the dry & out of cold. More money the club are missing out on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave L Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 What's annoying.. after: 1. No priority to ST Holders 2. No Dolman Is the fact the DEH won't be open. This is annoying as coming straight from work I usually go for a pie & pint. In the dry & out of cold. More money the club are missing out on! The DEH will be open to all supporters for this game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cider Queen Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Really... thanks Dave. Shame I can't sit in my normal seat or get priority tickets! :laugh: Can you sort that our as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYTRAM Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 My seat was already sold but managed to get adjacent seat. Was told that tickets were selling well due to online sales overnight and expected to use Dolman as an overflow. However this was just an opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmite Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 People select certain seats as season ticket holders for a variety of reasons. Mobility problems, close to exit, sat near friends etc. If I was in any of those groups but had made the trip to Gillingham last night, only to find out today that my s/t seat had been sold, I would be spitting fire. Terrible PR by the club on this occasion. Best get it sorted if we get a trip to Wembley or before the 4th round tie if we get through. I have to admit though that I did manage to secure my s/t seat this morning online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave L Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashtonboy Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 http://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/article/20140402-st201415key-1461832.aspx As season ticket holders WE DO get priority, what we DON'T get is 'your seat' for every game as because of the redevelopment there might be the need to move people on a match by match basis, the latter point being applied in this case. Well OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashtonboy Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristol Rob Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Given that it was made absolutely crystal that it's only the premier seating that has been given priority, has anyone tried to buy tickets in the directors block? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aizoon Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 The DEH will be open to all supporters for this game That's great news. Pity it needed a couple of "moaners" to find out, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin phantom Posted January 7, 2015 Admin Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 However next week is when Barr are starting to work on the removal of the lower tier of the Dolman stand, and there is some uncertainty about the extent of the work and how much it might impact on access to the upper tier. Thanks for the update, and rather than turn this into a mud slinging match, if the work is starting on Monday next week Barr would do well to do much more than get all of the seats taken out of the bottom tier before the game is played on the Tuesday evening ! Short of ensuring nobody stands in that area can't see any other issues. What I do find amazing is that there is "uncertainty" about what work is being carried out by an outside company and nobody seems to know what they are going to be doing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyderInACan Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Given that it was made absolutely crystal that it's only the premier seating that has been given priority, has anyone tried to buy tickets in the directors block? Is Premier Seating actually on offer for the Donny game? If I *have* to move over to the Grandstand for this game I may as well have a comfy seat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aizoon Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 That's great news. Pity it needed a couple of "moaners" to find out, though. Sorry to be a "moaner", but will the security staff be told that the Dolman will be open to all ticket-holders? Possibly twice, so that it registers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristol Rob Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Sorry to be a "moaner", but will the security staff be told that the Dolman will be open to all ticket-holders? Possibly twice, so that it registers? And who is going to take responsibility for opening the gate so we can access it, if the stand isn't open! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristol Rob Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Is Premier Seating actually on offer for the Donny game? If I *have* to move over to the Grandstand for this game I may as well have a comfy seat! Reserved for existing ticket holders until tomorrow evening, then general sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aizoon Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 And who is going to take responsibility for opening the gate so we can access it, if the stand isn't open! It really shouldn't be necessary to ask these questions, but some of us have been around the block before Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin phantom Posted January 7, 2015 Admin Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 And who is going to take responsibility for opening the gate so we can access it, if the stand isn't open! Won't the entrances down the side of the stand be open instead? The loss will obviously be the half time trade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristol Rob Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Won't the entrances down the side of the stand be open instead? The loss will obviously be the half time trade? only if someone opens them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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