| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 16:34 - Oct 24 with 4401 views | DaleiLama |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 13:56 - Oct 24 by upthedale |
Yeah I take your point, and you're right of course it is the business's prerogative to set prices at whatever they want whenever they want. That doesn't mean they necessarily should though, if it risks losing goodwill and upsetting loyal customers.
To entice us to buy a season ticket we were told we would make "substantial savings" over the season (I admit I just had a look at the letter that went out), obviously this wasn't a lie because I've no doubt it was the truth when the letter was written. But it has turned out to be wrong.
From a business perspective the season ticket holders are surely the best (non-corporate) customers that the club has. That's not me saying they're the biggest fans, I know some people can't get to all games and some don't wish to or can't spend a large amount of money upfront, but the season ticket holders provide the money up front and allow for more concrete budgeting etc. They’ve given the guaranteed income no matter what the league position is (or whatever the team sheet says when people read it in the pub  ).
I have never had any issues whatsoever with various one-off match promotions etc, and I wouldn’t even mind “breaking even” as such to get more fans in. But £65 is enough to get me a bit annoyed on this. As others have mentioned, even an acknowledgment of current season ticket holders in the news article would have softened the blow.
As Daley Lama has said, I understand other season ticket holders are behind it and I guess like Daley if it is only 5% that are unhappy then fair enough — a risk RAFC have taken. In that sense I am happy the club’s moving in the right direction, it’s the kind of thing we all hoped for at the start of the season. But I can’t fully support the initiative.
Out of interest, does anyone know whether any other club has done a promotion such as this where it’s worked out some season ticket holders have paid more than some non-season ticket holders?
Edit: Perhaps "among the best customers" would have been a better way to phrase. [Post edited 24 Oct 2016 14:05]
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The way I view this incentive is "great news, but unfortunate and avoidable timing". As a result of the club failing to do any test marketing on pricing and stubbornly ignoring feedback from the fanbase over the summer, It now has to fight a rear guard action to try to recover attendance figures. In doing so, it has incurred further unnecessary casualties.
A comparison with retail can't really be made in my eyes. When you buy an item and trade it from stock, the retailer has capital tied up and excess stock can be sold later at lower prices to move it and free up cash and space for new stock. (Btw, to an earlier poster, M&S have 20% discount events and my g/f recently took a load of clobber she'd just bought back then rebought it at 80% of the price - it can happen and the saving was ~£50 so worth her effort). Also, you don't pre-pay e.g. £345 to a retailer then turn up 23 times over half a year to collect a £20 shirt or two that you get for £15 each week.
Cinema was perhaps the closest equivalent in the entertainment sector I could think of, with constant pricing of an item but reduced offers for off-peak viewing (mid-week games). No season ticket that I know of though.
Before I comment further, I should say I am not a season ticket holder and can't take this new offer up due to personal reasons (so I have no axe to grind). To me though, this feels like an airline publishing better offers to new customers. There are tried and tested reasons airlines operate frequent flier schemes and offer benefits to their frequent fliers to keep them loyal. To extend the analogy, were I a season ticket holder now, I would feel like a frequent flier that had been bumped off a flight whilst stood next to a bloke who'd booked with the airline for the first time and been bumped up to first class.
Sport is not just a retail experience, it's an emotional one too. Most fans have an emotional side which is what the club and footy appeals to and which engenders in many a lifetime of loyalty. Loyalty like that can't be bought at River Island, Asda, the Odeon or by most other retailers where consumers can shop around for a "best buy". In footy, your club is your club and season ticket holders, who have stood by RAFC through thick and (lots of) thin, deserve at the very least to be no worse off than someone who can now get a better offer by paying later. Furthermore, in some ways, does this offer set a precedent for next season? Could some fans think, nah - not buying a ST now - it could be cheaper after Chrimbo?
What I would suggest is needed is very clear communication now in terms of what is going to be available next season. The club also ought to confirm that the pre-season offer will not be subject to change mid-season and that season ticket holders, the geese that lay the golden eggs for the club and the most loyal partners it has, will be treated in a manner commensurate with their loyalty.
This is not a negative post. Hopefully a ticket priced at this level should attract plenty of new regular fans and I wish I could buy one. Stick an announcement on the back of it that there'll be a great offer next year and what exactly it is ........ and existing season ticket holders will benefit by ".........", then everyone should be on board, in harmony and behind the club with better gates and better gameday experiences.
'Cmon Dale - give the ball a kick! |  |
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| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 20:27 - Oct 24 with 4232 views | pioneer |
I am back over the pond for work and received this from a buddy in Canada who I will be seeing next week. I hope the link works
https://www.thestar.com/sports/argos/2016/10/18/toronto-argonauts-cut-ticket-pri
They got prices for tickets for their cup final all wrong, few sold, so they have reduced them substantially. My mate and his mates bought tickets when they first went on sale at over $300 each. On Friday he received a call saying he would be receiving $150 per ticket back because they have reduced their prices. It was in his bank account this morning. You have to look after the interests of your best and most committed customers.
I think everyone agrees the 100 quid ticket is a great idea and initiative and full credit to the new bloke for convincing the board (I would have loved to be a fly on that wall) but it needs to presented in a way that recognises and protects the interests of those who paid for a full season months in advance if it is not to erode trust that this might not happen again.
I think the Hartlepool initiative was all upfront - ST prices for all slashed - no one missed out because there had not been any existing purchases at higher prices so this issue never occurred.
Also PLEASE can the new bloke stop calling the 10 quid for kids an administration charge, the only ST category that carries such a charge. It really is the worst PR and the easiest issue to correct. No one can reasonably claim to a 10 quid season ticket is unreasonable, but they can claim kids are being discriminated against by having an administration charge imposed that is not imposed on other categories. If the club want to claim that the admin fees is included in the price of the ticket for other age groups then there you go - the ticket price (including admin fee) is 10 quid, and you cannot get one without paying it.
Lets embrace our fans not (try to) deceive them - all a matter of trust |  | | |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 22:16 - Oct 24 with 4163 views | AtThePeake |
I haven't read through all of this thread cause it's long and I cba but for what it's worth, I will be buying one of these tickets I think.
The only reason I don't have an ST anyway is because due to work I only get to about half the games (but I tend to go home or away when I'm not working. Meaning I could miss the likes of Bolton at home, yet get to QPR away. Which can be frustrating)
I suspect I'll get to at least 5 of these games and given that I usually sit in the Main Stand, that'll make it worth it, even if only for a few quid, to get one of these tickets. Having already purchased the ticket, it gives me more incentive to try and find cover for work and get down to the ground on matchdays.
A great idea by the club and although I understand there will be concerns to existing ST holders, we have to have faith that there is more good news to come that everyone can benefit from next season. This is where the Rochdale public simply have to get behind the club. I hope that they do, but something tells me that although these prices will attract the 'floating voters' so to speak, I suspect there aren't that many and we won't see that big an increase on the crowds. I really, really hope I'm wrong. |  |
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| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 12:32 - Oct 29 with 3929 views | 442Dale |
Russ Green talks about the £100 ST in today's programme. Acknowledgement is made to those fans who got a full priced ST in the summer and goes on to say this:
"We will, over the coming months, be offering incentives for current season ticket holders to ensure that they are rewarded for their loyalty and we hope that the take up of the half season ticket offer will prove to be positive and this will be a pre-curser of future offers."
It'd be well worth the club sticking the article on the OS as it's a really good read. |  |
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| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 13:11 - Oct 29 with 3876 views | D_Alien |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 12:32 - Oct 29 by 442Dale |
Russ Green talks about the £100 ST in today's programme. Acknowledgement is made to those fans who got a full priced ST in the summer and goes on to say this:
"We will, over the coming months, be offering incentives for current season ticket holders to ensure that they are rewarded for their loyalty and we hope that the take up of the half season ticket offer will prove to be positive and this will be a pre-curser of future offers."
It'd be well worth the club sticking the article on the OS as it's a really good read. |
Patience is a virtue, although a week can seem a long time in football
Hope no-one pulls me up for responding 39 minutes after your post |  |
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| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 13:30 - Oct 29 with 3858 views | Daley_Lama |
"We will, over the coming months, be offering incentives for current season ticket holders to ensure that they are rewarded for their loyalty"
Proof will be in the pudding as they say but at this point I have no reason not to believe this.
My ire has subsided somewhat (irrespective of this) but I still feel that something like this should have been said at the time of the original announcement to keep the 5% happy.
It is good that the negative impact of this to ST holders has at least been recognised. |  |
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| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 13:42 - Oct 29 with 3848 views | 442Dale |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 13:30 - Oct 29 by Daley_Lama |
"We will, over the coming months, be offering incentives for current season ticket holders to ensure that they are rewarded for their loyalty"
Proof will be in the pudding as they say but at this point I have no reason not to believe this.
My ire has subsided somewhat (irrespective of this) but I still feel that something like this should have been said at the time of the original announcement to keep the 5% happy.
It is good that the negative impact of this to ST holders has at least been recognised. |
You're right about the original article benefitting from containing a few lines like those seen in the programme today, in fact some may have mentioned as much at the time!
It would have removed many of the issues contained within this thread as it would have been a case of 'wait and see' alongside the obvious positive of the £100 ST. | |
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| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 13:49 - Oct 29 with 3833 views | D_Alien |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 13:42 - Oct 29 by 442Dale |
You're right about the original article benefitting from containing a few lines like those seen in the programme today, in fact some may have mentioned as much at the time!
It would have removed many of the issues contained within this thread as it would have been a case of 'wait and see' alongside the obvious positive of the £100 ST. |
I can't but agree, and if any notice has been taken of this thread by those who make such decisions, I hope it'll serve as a lesson learnt to think things through. That's not a criticism of the decision-makers btw, it's just a pointer for the future. It's not always possible to see things from every angle immediately, especially when an announcement is being made with the very best of intentions. | |
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| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 07:39 - Oct 31 with 3565 views | aleanddale |
Anybody know how many have been sold? | | | |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 08:42 - Oct 31 with 3519 views | Sandyman |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 07:39 - Oct 31 by aleanddale |
Anybody know how many have been sold? |
They go on sale from 9AM today. |  | | |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 09:54 - Oct 31 with 3463 views | DaleiLama |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 13:49 - Oct 29 by D_Alien |
I can't but agree, and if any notice has been taken of this thread by those who make such decisions, I hope it'll serve as a lesson learnt to think things through. That's not a criticism of the decision-makers btw, it's just a pointer for the future. It's not always possible to see things from every angle immediately, especially when an announcement is being made with the very best of intentions. |
All the more reason to possibly have "consultations" (officially or unofficially) to test the water. Not saying fans should run the club, but "running ideas up the flagpole" could avoid issues like this and leave club and customers happy. Just saying. | |
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| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 11:18 - Oct 31 with 3398 views | TVOS1907 |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 09:54 - Oct 31 by DaleiLama |
All the more reason to possibly have "consultations" (officially or unofficially) to test the water. Not saying fans should run the club, but "running ideas up the flagpole" could avoid issues like this and leave club and customers happy. Just saying. |
The Trust having club representation on its board was supposed to help achieve this sort of thing. |  |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 20:44 - Oct 31 with 3282 views | D_Alien |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 11:18 - Oct 31 by TVOS1907 |
The Trust having club representation on its board was supposed to help achieve this sort of thing. |
Can anyone involved with Dale Trust comment on this?
Surprised those involved haven't already done so. For instance, is RG as the new chief exec automatically given the same representation as CG? If so, have conversations already taken place? If not, why not?
Apologies if this has already been flagged up on here. | |
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| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 21:10 - Oct 31 with 3235 views | ColDale |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 20:44 - Oct 31 by D_Alien |
Can anyone involved with Dale Trust comment on this?
Surprised those involved haven't already done so. For instance, is RG as the new chief exec automatically given the same representation as CG? If so, have conversations already taken place? If not, why not?
Apologies if this has already been flagged up on here. |
Was announced at the AGM a couple of weeks that the two club representatives have resigned from the trust board. No idea whether RG will act in a similar way to CG. Think he's got enough on his plate settling in before such conversations.
As mentioned some page up this thread, discussions took place about the merits of cheaper season tickets and Russ spoke about his experiences at Hartlepool. Conversations have also took place about we can do to support this initiative. Will try and get a story online later this week with details. |  | | |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 21:25 - Oct 31 with 3218 views | D_Alien |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 21:10 - Oct 31 by ColDale |
Was announced at the AGM a couple of weeks that the two club representatives have resigned from the trust board. No idea whether RG will act in a similar way to CG. Think he's got enough on his plate settling in before such conversations.
As mentioned some page up this thread, discussions took place about the merits of cheaper season tickets and Russ spoke about his experiences at Hartlepool. Conversations have also took place about we can do to support this initiative. Will try and get a story online later this week with details. |
Cheers Col
I guess it was slightly controversial having club representation with the Trust but the main thing is having a rapport, whatever form that takes. Appreciate the work that goes into this. | |
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| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 21:34 - Oct 31 with 3203 views | 442Dale |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 21:10 - Oct 31 by ColDale |
Was announced at the AGM a couple of weeks that the two club representatives have resigned from the trust board. No idea whether RG will act in a similar way to CG. Think he's got enough on his plate settling in before such conversations.
As mentioned some page up this thread, discussions took place about the merits of cheaper season tickets and Russ spoke about his experiences at Hartlepool. Conversations have also took place about we can do to support this initiative. Will try and get a story online later this week with details. |
Could this see the idea of the Consultation Groups being used again? These were an excellent idea that weren't capitalised on effectively enough.
It would also help fans share the workload with those on the Trust board. | |
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| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 21:36 - Oct 31 with 3196 views | ColDale |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 21:34 - Oct 31 by 442Dale |
Could this see the idea of the Consultation Groups being used again? These were an excellent idea that weren't capitalised on effectively enough.
It would also help fans share the workload with those on the Trust board. |
Meant to set up some surveys last week to gauge fan opinion on a few bits but being off for the week, never got round to it. Will sort something soon.
As an aside, you seen this?
http://www.joe.co.uk/sport/this-non-league-side-really-dont-seem-to-get-the-poin | | | |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 21:50 - Oct 31 with 3171 views | 442Dale |
Seen it. Been in a dark place. Was on the lonely road back.
Until now. Thanks. | |
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| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 21:50 - Oct 31 with 3169 views | TVOS1907 |
He'll blame Gary Jones. | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 14:49 - Nov 4 with 2876 views | DaleiLama |
Just in case anyone is thinking of buying a new car AND a half price season ticket?!?
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| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 16:57 - Nov 4 with 2729 views | judd |
I wonder if Calvin will get one now. |  |
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| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 17:01 - Nov 4 with 2719 views | DaleiLama |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 16:57 - Nov 4 by judd |
I wonder if Calvin will get one now. |
If so, he may as well bring some percussion along to drum up home support - show the boss he's Verso-tile | |
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| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 17:10 - Nov 4 with 2704 views | D_Alien |
| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 17:01 - Nov 4 by DaleiLama |
If so, he may as well bring some percussion along to drum up home support - show the boss he's Verso-tile |
He'll be wishing he wasn't caught on camry | |
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| £100 Half Season Tickets! on 18:00 - Dec 16 with 2335 views | boromat |
This is great news!! But think a bigger take up is required if we're hoping full season tickets are reduced drastically in the summer. But we shall see some good news financially from a Scott Hogan transfer might allow the club to run an experiment on cheap season tickets. | |
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