I think we risk overdoing it a bit on the criticism of the early bird offers. The communications around some of the offers were poorly worded (perhaps intentionally) but I doubt it had a serious impact on whether anyone actually bought a season ticket or not.
It's irrelevant whether it had a serious impact on the purchasing of a season ticket. It's just poor form from the club. I cannot understand why they bothered, it's the worst incentive in the history of civilisation.
That's just over 100ml of free beer, two large shots or two mouth fulls of free beer.
Just spent £200 in the Club shop. They charged me 10p to put it in a plastic bag.
It's not the money, it's the principal. Did we get our Commercial Manager from Ryan Air?
Club shop isn't run by the club. Outsourced.
I think, don't know, but charging for plastic bags is compulsory to cut done on plastic use. Been a general thing for a while in London, maybe not reached you in countryside yet.
I doubt there’s a single person that bought a ticket early for the added benefit. If the club had stated that by buying the ticket early you would be helping Charlton financially the uptake would have either been exactly the same or possibly even greater (by a small margin). The whole drink and store voucher thing was so unnecessary with the included restrictions.
Again, the wording could quite easily be interpreted as each match day hence the large majority believing that to be the case. The wording being deliberately ambiguous and misleading is what has left a sour taste in the mouth of many even though the discount itself is bordering on insulting.
Nowhere do the club mention that in some cases you will have to wait 7 months before being able to claim the discount.
Don’t get me wrong - I think it is very ambiguous and people have right to be annoyed.
Would have thought 20% off a drink every home game would be a good way to get fans drinking in the ground more. Could have been a good plan, especially with the limited options in Charlton these days.
The term 'on a _ _ _ day' is often use colloquially to mean every. For example, 'the bin men come on a Friday'. You wouldn't expect them to turn up on just one Friday (unless you live in Bexley). As for the 20% off a single beer, I gave up drinking at The Valley a long while ago. I'm not really bothered about the discount personally and it didn't factor into my decision to buy a season ticket. I do think they are missing an opportunity to try and entice me back to the club bars, though.
Is the comms department still suffering from Shitweasel's cutbacks? I'd have expected a fully staffed comms department to have given a bit more thought to their offer and the wording they used.
The term 'on a _ _ _ day' is often use colloquially to mean every. For example, 'the bin men come on a Friday'. You wouldn't expect them to turn up on just one Friday (unless you live in Bexley). As for the 20% off a single beer, I gave up drinking at The Valley a long while ago. I'm not really bothered about the discount personally and it didn't factor into my decision to buy a season ticket. I do think they are missing an opportunity to try and entice me back to the club bars, though.
Is the comms department still suffering from Shitweasel's cutbacks? I'd have expected a fully staffed comms department to have given a bit more thought to their offer and the wording they used.
There’s nothing fully staffed down there, which is part of the problem.
There is a real risk of us sounding like spoilt brats here.
I don’t mean anyone in particular on here but the crying on social media I found pretty embarrassing
For me early bird tickets are just cheaper than waiting until August to renew and thats the incentive. Its poorly thought out marketing at worst but I've still got very vicious memories of increasing ticket prices under dumb and dumber, the sofa that was rightly destroyed by the people and having our own security people actively looking to pick a fight with fans
Except there was no price increase. All of this is nonsense. People wanted to buy STs. It makes no difference when they buy them. The club just disappeared down a rabbit hole because it set itself a task that was completely pointless.
There is a real risk of us sounding like spoilt brats here.
I don’t mean anyone in particular on here but the crying on social media I found pretty embarrassing
For me early bird tickets are just cheaper than waiting until August to renew and thats the incentive. Its poorly thought out marketing at worst but I've still got very vicious memories of increasing ticket prices under dumb and dumber, the sofa that was rightly destroyed by the people and having our own security people actively looking to pick a fight with fans
Except there was no price increase. All of this is nonsense. People wanted to buy STs. It makes no difference when they buy them. The club just disappeared down a rabbit hole because it set itself a task that was completely pointless.
You are correct, my point I maybe should have made clearer was 'STs are usually cheaper the earlier you buy and that is the incentive'
There is a real risk of us sounding like spoilt brats here.
I don’t mean anyone in particular on here but the crying on social media I found pretty embarrassing
For me early bird tickets are just cheaper than waiting until August to renew and thats the incentive. Its poorly thought out marketing at worst but I've still got very vicious memories of increasing ticket prices under dumb and dumber, the sofa that was rightly destroyed by the people and having our own security people actively looking to pick a fight with fans
Except there was no price increase. All of this is nonsense. People wanted to buy STs. It makes no difference when they buy them. The club just disappeared down a rabbit hole because it set itself a task that was completely pointless.
You are correct, my point I maybe should have made clearer was 'STs are usually cheaper the earlier you buy and that is the incentive'
You used to want people to buy before the end of the previous season because the theory was “out of sight, out of mind”. But that’s all over now, because of the internet, as is the idea the club can earn much interest. It’s unlikely to be needed for cashflow either. Obviously you want to capitalise on enthusiasm while it exists. In this case, there was no need for incentives and no benefit, but there was a committee so it had to come up with a camel.
if there was a committee to come up with the worst offer in the history of offers, maybe we are overstaffed down there? surely one person with an ounce of common sense could have come up with better
And frankly that's barely worth the effort anyway, considering how overpriced the drinks are anyway, and the poor quality - bog standard beer and cider while the Charlton red wine is grim! To really catch the imagination, surely it would need to be a free drink...
Certainly a PR disaster. I doubt if it increased sales of season tickets even by 1. However we now have fans feeling ripped off. Personally I always though it was one drink and had focused on that part of the offer, thinking why? The club shop time limit is even more stupid. Could they even cope with 6,000 customers in that timescale. It's also a weekend I can't go as we have a wedding but really don't see the point of doing it on one weekend. What is the reason I wonder?
No one bought a season ticket because of the ‘offers’ so I doubt if anyone is offended by it but the wording is very ambiguous and it leaves a sour taste in the mouth. The bigger problem is that over the course of one matchday they could have 9,000 people accessing the club shop to use their discount voucher. Not being able to use it online is ridiculous too.
All the club had to do was put the season ticket prices up by £30 after early bird. I was humming and eee.rrring. Looked at the early incentives. Wasnt really bothered by them and when I see the prices weren't going up gave me extra time. Purchased season ticket Saturday extremely happy with the price not going up.
The term 'on a _ _ _ day' is often use colloquially to mean every. For example, 'the bin men come on a Friday'. You wouldn't expect them to turn up on just one Friday (unless you live in Bexley). As for the 20% off a single beer, I gave up drinking at The Valley a long while ago. I'm not really bothered about the discount personally and it didn't factor into my decision to buy a season ticket. I do think they are missing an opportunity to try and entice me back to the club bars, though.
Is the comms department still suffering from Shitweasel's cutbacks? I'd have expected a fully staffed comms department to have given a bit more thought to their offer and the wording they used.
There’s nothing fully staffed down there, which is part of the problem.
Not least the bars so getting them to try and process a voucher that relies on some maths is crazy. You’ll queue for hours now whilst they scratch their head serving the first feller…
The term 'on a _ _ _ day' is often use colloquially to mean every. For example, 'the bin men come on a Friday'. You wouldn't expect them to turn up on just one Friday (unless you live in Bexley). As for the 20% off a single beer, I gave up drinking at The Valley a long while ago. I'm not really bothered about the discount personally and it didn't factor into my decision to buy a season ticket. I do think they are missing an opportunity to try and entice me back to the club bars, though.
Is the comms department still suffering from Shitweasel's cutbacks? I'd have expected a fully staffed comms department to have given a bit more thought to their offer and the wording they used.
There’s nothing fully staffed down there, which is part of the problem.
Not least the bars so getting them to try and process a voucher that relies on some maths is crazy. You’ll queue for hours now whilst they scratch their head serving the first feller…
I'm going to be honest that was the exact thought that my mind visualised. A load of the bar staff looking round more confused showing less urgency than normal whilst a load of people wonder why they bothered queuing up in the first place.
I genuinely don't care one way or the other, yep, the offers are poorly thought out and akin to 2.50 each or 2 for a fiver
Its tough to come up with interesting or innovative offers but the club don't take the piss with prices for season tickets, we have a decent owner now who seems to be rebuilding from the rubble left by over a decade of mistreatment and I'm happy to let him.
The term 'on a _ _ _ day' is often use colloquially to mean every. For example, 'the bin men come on a Friday'. You wouldn't expect them to turn up on just one Friday (unless you live in Bexley). As for the 20% off a single beer, I gave up drinking at The Valley a long while ago. I'm not really bothered about the discount personally and it didn't factor into my decision to buy a season ticket. I do think they are missing an opportunity to try and entice me back to the club bars, though.
Is the comms department still suffering from Shitweasel's cutbacks? I'd have expected a fully staffed comms department to have given a bit more thought to their offer and the wording they used.
There’s nothing fully staffed down there, which is part of the problem.
Not least the bars so getting them to try and process a voucher that relies on some maths is crazy. You’ll queue for hours now whilst they scratch their head serving the first feller…
It's bad enough relying on the arithmetic skills of table service pub/restaurant staff when you tell them to split a bill in 2 so people can pay individually by card!
Is anyone who is worked up by this letting the club know? If not moaning is pointless.
Remember, in the words of Bill Parcell, you should expect nothing, blame no one and do something.
Thanks Iainment, not having any interest in American sports I had to google Bill Parcells. I'm not really a lot wiser, but at least I'm getting a little closer to understanding this joke 15 years after the event.
The term 'on a _ _ _ day' is often use colloquially to mean every. For example, 'the bin men come on a Friday'. You wouldn't expect them to turn up on just one Friday (unless you live in Bexley). As for the 20% off a single beer, I gave up drinking at The Valley a long while ago. I'm not really bothered about the discount personally and it didn't factor into my decision to buy a season ticket. I do think they are missing an opportunity to try and entice me back to the club bars, though.
Is the comms department still suffering from Shitweasel's cutbacks? I'd have expected a fully staffed comms department to have given a bit more thought to their offer and the wording they used.
There’s nothing fully staffed down there, which is part of the problem.
Not least the bars so getting them to try and process a voucher that relies on some maths is crazy. You’ll queue for hours now whilst they scratch their head serving the first feller…
Haha...exactly what I thought! Even the simplest request (2 pints of lager, a bottle of cider) is usually met with a puzzled look and a race to consult a "senior" figure. Imagine an increased crowd and a load of people waving 20% off vouchers! It will be chaos. Maybe that's why they had to stagger the booze "incentive" as they knew it would be impossible. Might as well have said have a free pint at some point during the season. Much easier. The club shop thing is a bit more annoying, as I imaging most people would like to take advantage - for themselves, their kids or grand children. Limiting it to one weekend is just a bit cheap, and a bit of a piss take tbh.
All this moaning - its been a bit of a cock up yes and i'm sure the franchise situation with the club shop and refreshment bars has played a part in the insanity but really, who gives a monkies? Season's starting Saturday and we have our season tickets and will be there - all that matters !! COYR!!
Comments
I cannot understand why they bothered, it's the worst incentive in the history of civilisation.
That's just over 100ml of free beer, two large shots or two mouth fulls of free beer.
I think, don't know, but charging for plastic bags is compulsory to cut done on plastic use. Been a general thing for a while in London, maybe not reached you in countryside yet.
Is the comms department still suffering from Shitweasel's cutbacks? I'd have expected a fully staffed comms department to have given a bit more thought to their offer and the wording they used.
"A voucher giving you 20% off a drink"
And frankly that's barely worth the effort anyway, considering how overpriced the drinks are anyway, and the poor quality - bog standard beer and cider while the Charlton red wine is grim! To really catch the imagination, surely it would need to be a free drink...
The club shop time limit is even more stupid. Could they even cope with 6,000 customers in that timescale. It's also a weekend I can't go as we have a wedding but really don't see the point of doing it on one weekend. What is the reason I wonder?
I was humming and eee.rrring.
Looked at the early incentives.
Wasnt really bothered by them and when I see the prices weren't going up gave me extra time.
Purchased season ticket Saturday extremely happy with the price not going up.
I genuinely don't care one way or the other, yep, the offers are poorly thought out and akin to 2.50 each or 2 for a fiver
Its tough to come up with interesting or innovative offers but the club don't take the piss with prices for season tickets, we have a decent owner now who seems to be rebuilding from the rubble left by over a decade of mistreatment and I'm happy to let him.
If not moaning is pointless.
Remember, in the words of Bill Parcell, you should expect nothing, blame no one and do something.
I would be happy as Larry without the incentives, but the expectation from myself was this was about fan engagement not cheap marketing tricks.