Football clubs are also a unique business in that hardly any of them make any money! The costs of running a football club are generally higher than the income. It's an unsustainable industry.
Have to say whenever I have dealt with WWFC, I have had infinitely better customer service than I get for example from my utility company. No organisation will ever get customer service right every time, the test of an organisation is how they recover from it when they get it wrong.
@DevC I largely agree with your initial observations. If the club had at least communicated their desires to evict us from our seats, but at the same time made sure they accommodated us in the same stand, (just a shuffle along a block or two), I would not have been so peed off! As of this date I have no idea if can accommodate us despite me being at the counter twice, with my money, ready to part with it! As such, I'm unsure if I will be a season ticket holder next season, even though the date to claim your seat has long since past and I was at the club with my money ready to buy five available seats. It would appear, logically, that there are "variable" closure dates depending on who you are? Unless someone from the club or other wise sage on here can give me another reason that I'm clearly missing? This great football club have been forever reminding us, the supporters how broke we are and are looking for ways to raise revenue and cut costs.
I doubt that it is "hundreds" put out by this, probably closer to 30-50? Most of that 30-50, will be long standing supporters, probably in the, "Gods' waiting room" category, as one of them disgruntled supporters put it to me. However chatting with a few of them socially, away from the football club, they do feel aggrieved and the football club need to know that. If only 10 do not renew, that's ten seats that have to be re-sold and ten faces that will not be seen again, which is a shame as they have been part of the backbone of WWFC support, some for 50+ years! This is not how I see a "we are one family" club?
I do disagree with your view about the lack of need to consult. There are many people in that stand that have been loyal to this football club through good and bad times, (that is the burden of loving your football club beyond reason), over a 20 year plus timescale. We have for many years, paid a financial penalty/premium for being there, as opposed to the FA Stand. It would appear to me a common courtesy to at least communicate the desires of the football club first, rather than the autocratic way it has been done, but maybe that's me. If it is "for the greater good, then tell us what that greater good is and offer a suitable alternative at the delivery. At least it makes the "bitter pill" sweeter?
As I have stated before, the club have my number, name and address, as has Dale, I'm not chasing the club anymore. I have made mine and the feelings of a few known on here and to the club. I have never been aggressive to any of the staff and hope I have communicated my feelings and status in a manner that has not caused offence. There is little I can do about the status of the health of my knees other than keep going to the gym and retaining my birth knees as long as is possible, as, in osteopathic terms I am still a "youngster" and don't wish to have the replacements done twice!
So I will leave it to the club, if they can accommodate me/us, great, if they can't, then so be it and I wish them all the best.
Cheers.
EH is right. Sometimes totally loyal customers need just the slightest thing to get ticked off about sufficiently to never deal with a company again. I nearly deserted three years ago for something much more trivial than this and I've been going for over 30 years. I can't believe this has not been resolved.
@EwanHoosaami what a real shame you are taking that approach. I think the club are doing their best on limited resources to find a solution so deserve the benefit of the doubt. Important to remember we are supporters not customers. Everyone does things for the benefit of others.
@Midlander what a bizarre post. What do you propose i do then? Shall i buy tickets to an area of the ground that I will find difficult to access and more dread a visit to AP than look forward to being there. Shall I buy 5 seats spread throughout blocks D & E so making it difficult to manage the 3 kids so as to ensure they are not a pain in the derrière for others? Been offered the required seats. Wanted to pay only to be told I may not b able to here them! Thought I had put my case as simply and clearly as I could. What do you find so odd or strange about wanting to sit with my mate and kids às I have done for years without being a bother to anyone? I haven't given up on the club, I have attended twice to sort the issue, left my number and been promised calls back which haven't been forthcoming and also left the "door open" for further dialogue. So Midlander I am open to your wisdom.
@EwanHoosaami you have said you will stop coming. This will be solved by a bit of patience and understanding not threats. I'm sure the club will come back to you to confirm your five seats as quickly as they can in a spot that suits you at the discounted rate.
@Midlander of course I will stop coming if I can't sit with my kids in comfort like I have done in the past. Are you deliberately being a wind up merchant? Did I not state that I have left the door open for the club to contact me? Did I not state that I have travelled down to the club twice and left my contact number? DOFL! Like you have stated, I'm sure the club will be in contact. But n
have severe reservations that they will be able to offer the seats together unless they have asked others to move? Let's just wait and see eh?
I'm sure other clubs would have taken your money and then only emailed you that there was a problem with the seats if the other STH wanted to renew. I would find it reassuring the office are being up front.
My original post was about about finding ways to turn some of those casual fans from the playoffs into something more permanent but you've kinda hijacked the thread with your specific issue which is fair enough that's why it's a forum.
I can understand your frustration but as Gary Barlow once said " Just have a little patience "
@EwanHoosaami no I'm not on a windup. You have said 'I can't be @rsed anymore' and then suggested you will now only be going to two games a season because a junior member of staff has not immediately agreed to your request without consulting decision makers. That seems quite an extreme thing to say if you mean it (rather than just looking for a reaction) at a time when there are few of the small but hardworking team at wwfc working due to holidays. This whole issue appears to be one that will be resolved easily enough in time.
@Midlander. You are cherry picking snippets of posts and making a completely wrong assumption/interpretation. I can't be @rsed anymore refers to my travels to & fro to the club and fight to retain the status quo, as the promised phone calls "in the next day or two" don't happen. You clearly are struggling to comprehend that my reasons for going to just a few home games are nothing to do with understaffing issues. My understanding of the current staffing levels are perfectly fine. I have always been polite at the desk and even supported/defended Lily when she was under a "sarcastic" attack from someone in the ticket office. As I have explained, I will not sit in the FA stand on a regular basis, (particularly in the worst of winter conditions), due to painful knee osteoarthritis. As such, this will be the deciding factor on my/our attendance if the Beechdean is unavailable.
By the way, what's the difference between a supporter and a customer? FYI, my interpretation is that a supporter will cross many bridges to watch his team, (as I have done over 20+ years), a customer won't give a second chance. They will just move on to a rival business?
@EwanHoosaami I am not sure you are aware but the FA upper tier has a lift so depending on where you were to sit you would potentially have less stair climbing than going to the back row of the Beechdean stand. And a much better view of the game IMO.
@Davieboy I wasn't aware until someone mentioned it the other day on one of these threads, but thanks anyway for the heads up. Whilst I agree with you, the "birdseye view" is indeed much better, there are reasons for my desire to to not sit there. One, being it is a much colder stand than the Beechdeen, (it doesn't get any of the limited winter sun), as such it does have a detrimental effect on my knees therefore tempering my enjoyment. Secondly my lad suffers from vertigo and I am not exactly a lover of heights. Plus I always feel "removed" from the action, if that is putting it correctly? Almost like watching from behind a window? I have tried it before, for example the Port Vale & Luton games and for "one offs" I'm ok with it, but certainly not as a preferred option. Even watched a couple of games from the "prawn sandwich boxes" and still hankered to be sat opposite., "giving the linesmen the benefit of my wisdom"! As I said before, I appreciate the thought regarding the lift, which I shall use now, if I ever watch a game from there in the future.
@EwanHoosaami ok fair enough. That is a similar definition id have. If tesco could not deliver on a product then I'd go to asda. But it's entirely different over football teams especially one owned by the fans.
@Fidget yes thanks. After another "mistake" on promises from the club which they couldn't deliver on, a face to face meeting with Richard resulted in a satisfactory compromise/outcome.
Comments
Football clubs are also a unique business in that hardly any of them make any money! The costs of running a football club are generally higher than the income. It's an unsustainable industry.
Have to say whenever I have dealt with WWFC, I have had infinitely better customer service than I get for example from my utility company. No organisation will ever get customer service right every time, the test of an organisation is how they recover from it when they get it wrong.
@DevC I largely agree with your initial observations. If the club had at least communicated their desires to evict us from our seats, but at the same time made sure they accommodated us in the same stand, (just a shuffle along a block or two), I would not have been so peed off! As of this date I have no idea if can accommodate us despite me being at the counter twice, with my money, ready to part with it! As such, I'm unsure if I will be a season ticket holder next season, even though the date to claim your seat has long since past and I was at the club with my money ready to buy five available seats. It would appear, logically, that there are "variable" closure dates depending on who you are? Unless someone from the club or other wise sage on here can give me another reason that I'm clearly missing? This great football club have been forever reminding us, the supporters how broke we are and are looking for ways to raise revenue and cut costs.
I doubt that it is "hundreds" put out by this, probably closer to 30-50? Most of that 30-50, will be long standing supporters, probably in the, "Gods' waiting room" category, as one of them disgruntled supporters put it to me. However chatting with a few of them socially, away from the football club, they do feel aggrieved and the football club need to know that. If only 10 do not renew, that's ten seats that have to be re-sold and ten faces that will not be seen again, which is a shame as they have been part of the backbone of WWFC support, some for 50+ years! This is not how I see a "we are one family" club?
I do disagree with your view about the lack of need to consult. There are many people in that stand that have been loyal to this football club through good and bad times, (that is the burden of loving your football club beyond reason), over a 20 year plus timescale. We have for many years, paid a financial penalty/premium for being there, as opposed to the FA Stand. It would appear to me a common courtesy to at least communicate the desires of the football club first, rather than the autocratic way it has been done, but maybe that's me. If it is "for the greater good, then tell us what that greater good is and offer a suitable alternative at the delivery. At least it makes the "bitter pill" sweeter?
As I have stated before, the club have my number, name and address, as has Dale, I'm not chasing the club anymore. I have made mine and the feelings of a few known on here and to the club. I have never been aggressive to any of the staff and hope I have communicated my feelings and status in a manner that has not caused offence. There is little I can do about the status of the health of my knees other than keep going to the gym and retaining my birth knees as long as is possible, as, in osteopathic terms I am still a "youngster" and don't wish to have the replacements done twice!
So I will leave it to the club, if they can accommodate me/us, great, if they can't, then so be it and I wish them all the best.
Cheers.
EH is right. Sometimes totally loyal customers need just the slightest thing to get ticked off about sufficiently to never deal with a company again. I nearly deserted three years ago for something much more trivial than this and I've been going for over 30 years. I can't believe this has not been resolved.
@EwanHoosaami what a real shame you are taking that approach. I think the club are doing their best on limited resources to find a solution so deserve the benefit of the doubt. Important to remember we are supporters not customers. Everyone does things for the benefit of others.
@Midlander what a bizarre post. What do you propose i do then? Shall i buy tickets to an area of the ground that I will find difficult to access and more dread a visit to AP than look forward to being there. Shall I buy 5 seats spread throughout blocks D & E so making it difficult to manage the 3 kids so as to ensure they are not a pain in the derrière for others? Been offered the required seats. Wanted to pay only to be told I may not b able to here them! Thought I had put my case as simply and clearly as I could. What do you find so odd or strange about wanting to sit with my mate and kids às I have done for years without being a bother to anyone? I haven't given up on the club, I have attended twice to sort the issue, left my number and been promised calls back which haven't been forthcoming and also left the "door open" for further dialogue. So Midlander I am open to your wisdom.
@EwanHoosaami you have said you will stop coming. This will be solved by a bit of patience and understanding not threats. I'm sure the club will come back to you to confirm your five seats as quickly as they can in a spot that suits you at the discounted rate.
@Midlander of course I will stop coming if I can't sit with my kids in comfort like I have done in the past. Are you deliberately being a wind up merchant? Did I not state that I have left the door open for the club to contact me? Did I not state that I have travelled down to the club twice and left my contact number? DOFL! Like you have stated, I'm sure the club will be in contact. But n
have severe reservations that they will be able to offer the seats together unless they have asked others to move? Let's just wait and see eh?
I'm sure other clubs would have taken your money and then only emailed you that there was a problem with the seats if the other STH wanted to renew. I would find it reassuring the office are being up front.
My original post was about about finding ways to turn some of those casual fans from the playoffs into something more permanent but you've kinda hijacked the thread with your specific issue which is fair enough that's why it's a forum.
I can understand your frustration but as Gary Barlow once said " Just have a little patience "
@EwanHoosaami no I'm not on a windup. You have said 'I can't be @rsed anymore' and then suggested you will now only be going to two games a season because a junior member of staff has not immediately agreed to your request without consulting decision makers. That seems quite an extreme thing to say if you mean it (rather than just looking for a reaction) at a time when there are few of the small but hardworking team at wwfc working due to holidays. This whole issue appears to be one that will be resolved easily enough in time.
@Midlander. You are cherry picking snippets of posts and making a completely wrong assumption/interpretation. I can't be @rsed anymore refers to my travels to & fro to the club and fight to retain the status quo, as the promised phone calls "in the next day or two" don't happen. You clearly are struggling to comprehend that my reasons for going to just a few home games are nothing to do with understaffing issues. My understanding of the current staffing levels are perfectly fine. I have always been polite at the desk and even supported/defended Lily when she was under a "sarcastic" attack from someone in the ticket office. As I have explained, I will not sit in the FA stand on a regular basis, (particularly in the worst of winter conditions), due to painful knee osteoarthritis. As such, this will be the deciding factor on my/our attendance if the Beechdean is unavailable.
By the way, what's the difference between a supporter and a customer? FYI, my interpretation is that a supporter will cross many bridges to watch his team, (as I have done over 20+ years), a customer won't give a second chance. They will just move on to a rival business?
@EwanHoosaami I am not sure you are aware but the FA upper tier has a lift so depending on where you were to sit you would potentially have less stair climbing than going to the back row of the Beechdean stand. And a much better view of the game IMO.
@Davieboy I wasn't aware until someone mentioned it the other day on one of these threads, but thanks anyway for the heads up. Whilst I agree with you, the "birdseye view" is indeed much better, there are reasons for my desire to to not sit there. One, being it is a much colder stand than the Beechdeen, (it doesn't get any of the limited winter sun), as such it does have a detrimental effect on my knees therefore tempering my enjoyment. Secondly my lad suffers from vertigo and I am not exactly a lover of heights. Plus I always feel "removed" from the action, if that is putting it correctly? Almost like watching from behind a window? I have tried it before, for example the Port Vale & Luton games and for "one offs" I'm ok with it, but certainly not as a preferred option. Even watched a couple of games from the "prawn sandwich boxes" and still hankered to be sat opposite., "giving the linesmen the benefit of my wisdom"! As I said before, I appreciate the thought regarding the lift, which I shall use now, if I ever watch a game from there in the future.
@EwanHoosaami ok fair enough. That is a similar definition id have. If tesco could not deliver on a product then I'd go to asda. But it's entirely different over football teams especially one owned by the fans.
@EwanHoosaami did you ever get a resolution to your seating issue?
@Fidget yes thanks. After another "mistake" on promises from the club which they couldn't deliver on, a face to face meeting with Richard resulted in a satisfactory compromise/outcome.