Season Ticket Sales

[ericofarabia]

So are ST ticket sales going to be up or down on last year without an installment plan?

 

I think we'll see an increase in sales overall as the season starts.

 

Aha .... but there's the rub.

 

Renewals end at the end of the month and New Season Tickets sales end on Fri 6th August.

 

Unless I'm reading it incorrectly, the club statement clearly states that fact.

 

So if you haven't stumped up the big money by then, you are demoted to being a mere casual visitor instead of an Uber Season Ticket Holder Fan. Not even a chance to join this elite club via a Half season Ticket in Jan.

 

If they'd left new applications available till say, mid Sept, a few games into the season I'm sure a fair few people would have gone for the Season Ticket route as they may well have missed the first few games through being on holiday etc anyway. And of course if we had a barnstorming start that would rekindle alot of interest in ST's to ensure seats for away games later in the season and possible Cup runs.

[John B]

Aha .... but there's the rub.

 

Renewals end at the end of the month and New Season Tickets sales end on Fri 6th August.

 

Unless I'm reading it incorrectly, the club statement clearly states that fact.

 

So if you haven't stumped up the big money by then, you are demoted to being a mere casual visitor instead of an Uber Season Ticket Holder Fan. Not even a chance to join this elite club via a Half season Ticket in Jan.

 

If they'd left new applications available till say, mid Sept, a few games into the season I'm sure a fair few people would have gone for the Season Ticket route as they may well have missed the first few games through being on holiday etc anyway. And of course if we had a barnstorming start that would rekindle alot of interest in ST's to ensure seats for away games later in the season and possible Cup runs.

 

Yes It is going to be interesting what the attendances are going to be this Season.

 

 

Obviously SFC think they know what they are doing but I am not so sure - However as Results Should be really Good perhaps they may well be right

[StuRomseySaint]

Maybe the club has done some research and realised the cost of printing and posting 13,000 letters isn't worth it when people will make the decision on their own. Someone that spends £400 on a season ticket and take 3+ hours out of their lifes on 23 days of the year clearly thinks about the club alot and it is a significant part of their life. They don't need a letter to sell it to them or remind them.

 

Ahh yes, you and Cortese are right and every other club in the country that DOES send out renewals are wrong.

 

You're blinded love for everything Cortese is sickening.

 

Oh and for the record, printing 13,000 renewals would be approximately the cost of 2 or 3 season tickets, especially considering they have an ongoing agreement with a printers already. So as long as 2 people renewed because of the renewal reminder.

 

Some people remain undecided whether to get a season ticket, these are the people who a renewal reminder might just sway them into renewing. Funnily enough, once again, as you fail to be able to put yourself in other peoples shoes. SFC is not a big deal to everyone, lots of businesses have season tickets for their employees etc and some people just generally won't be sure whether they will renew or not.

 

Seriously, what is it with your complete 100% blinded love for Cortese?

[John B]

Why not send out Reminders by Email?

 

That would not be costly - Most People have Email addresses in fact one of my daughters has five

[StuRomseySaint]

Why not send out Reminders by Email?

 

That would not be costly - Most People have Email addresses in fact one of my daughters has five

 

They could send renewal reminders and new season ticket details by email, text, through the local press, radio adverts, or by mail, they could have even pushed them in the last few games of the season, on big screens, at half-time, capture their target audience.

 

I really am completely amazed that people cannot piece together all the information and see ( which is absolutely clear as day ) that the club do not want season ticket holders next year. I don't think everyone can be so stupid, so can only put it down to the 'Cortese is our saviour' blind loyalty that some fans seem to have.

[Thedelldays]

stu. even though I dont really agree, I can totally see your point about the installment plan

 

however, I simply cannot accept that somoene will NOT renew their season ticket before the first game of the season (or before the end of the month) for not having a bit of paper telling them to do so..

[Window Cleaner]

Aha .... but there's the rub.

 

Renewals end at the end of the month and New Season Tickets sales end on Fri 6th August.

 

Unless I'm reading it incorrectly, the club statement clearly states that fact.

 

So if you haven't stumped up the big money by then, you are demoted to being a mere casual visitor instead of an Uber Season Ticket Holder Fan. Not even a chance to join this elite club via a Half season Ticket in Jan.

 

If they'd left new applications available till say, mid Sept, a few games into the season I'm sure a fair few people would have gone for the Season Ticket route as they may well have missed the first few games through being on holiday etc anyway. And of course if we had a barnstorming start that would rekindle alot of interest in ST's to ensure seats for away games later in the season and possible Cup runs.

 

And as player recruitment seems decidely slow (not that we need a great deal really, just a right back and a competent midfield replacement when necessary) I'm a bit concerned that what we get by way of players might just depend on ST sales numbers.

[StuRomseySaint]

stu. even though I dont really agree, I can totally see your point about the installment plan

 

however, I simply cannot accept that somoene will NOT renew their season ticket before the first game of the season (or before the end of the month) for not having a bit of paper telling them to do so..

 

It's called advertising DullDays.

 

Seriously, every club in the land send out renewal notices. Not everyone is an uber-fan like you. They simply MUST work and not be a waste of money, otherwise please explain to me why clubs, even ones in administration, p!ss money down the wall sending them out?

[StuRomseySaint]

And as player recruitment seems decidely slow (not that we need a great deal really, just a right back and a competent midfield replacement when necessary) I'm a bit concerned that what we get by way of players might just depend on ST sales numbers.

 

Woosh.

 

Do you seriously not think the club is trying to sell as few season tickets as possible? If so, do you have any proof or examples of how they are trying to sell them? I can give you maybe 10 reasons as examples as why they are NOT looking to have season tickets next season.

[Thedelldays]

It's called advertising DullDays.

 

Seriously, every club in the land send out renewal notices. Not everyone is an uber-fan like you. They simply MUST work and not be a waste of money, otherwise please explain to me why clubs, even ones in administration, p!ss money down the wall sending them out?

 

stu......but this is renewals..not asking for new memebers..

 

you know stu..you just may well be wrong (for once)

 

I new that season tickets would have to be renewal this month at every single minute of last season...did the club tell me this..?

[Barry the Badger]

Woosh.

 

Do you seriously not think the club is trying to sell as few season tickets as possible? If so, do you have any proof or examples of how they are trying to sell them? I can give you maybe 10 reasons as examples as why they are NOT looking to have season tickets next season.

 

They are opening late on the last 3 days of the month to allow for renewals.

[Saint_clark]

Totally disagree. My old man is waiting for a renewal form to come through the post, he will not go chasing them to give them his business.

Thats how he and I'm sure many others will see it.

 

Sorry, but that is just incredibly lazy.

[Thedelldays]

Why not send out Reminders by Email?

 

That would not be costly - Most People have Email addresses in fact one of my daughters has five

 

apparently, those who it effect (as if they dont know) do not have access to a computer/internet

[Thedelldays]

Totally disagree. My old man is waiting for a renewal form to come through the post, he will not go chasing them to give them his business.

Thats how he and I'm sure many others will see it.

 

obviously not that bothered about getting one..

[StuRomseySaint]

stu......but this is renewals..not asking for new memebers..

 

you know stu..you just may well be wrong (for once)

 

I new that season tickets would have to be renewal this month at every single minute of last season...did the club tell me this..?

 

No, because you have 15,000 f*cking posts on an internet forum. EVERY CLUB IN THE COUNTRY SENDS OUT RENEWAL PACKS

 

Why is this DellDays?

[StuRomseySaint]

Sorry, but that is just incredibly lazy.

 

No you plank, that is someone who has principles and will not hand over £400 to a business, whatever business that might be when the club can't even be @rsed to send out a renewal notice to their members. There are many many people like that.

[Thedelldays]

No, because you have 15,000 f*cking posts on an internet forum. EVERY CLUB IN THE COUNTRY SENDS OUT RENEWAL PACKS

 

Why is this DellDays?

 

 

why are you getting so excited stu...as for the posts..are you not leaving this place for good (again)..?

 

I am surprised that with your expertise in advertising and your busniess accumen that you are not working for the club..or even applied to..

I mean, you success at under cutting the club with travel coaches (where im sure you offered installment plans) was great

 

maybe, JUST MAYBE, you are that little bit more savvy than a swiss/italian investment banker who has the ear (and funds) of a mulitple BILLIONAIRE..

 

hmmmmmmmmmm

[Saint_clark]

No you plank, that is someone who has principles and will not hand over £400 to a business, whatever business that might be when the club can't even be @rsed to send out a renewal notice to their members. There are many many people like that.

 

Principles You're talking sh*t.

[Thedelldays]

Principles You're talking sh*t.

 

its like saying

 

"I refuse to wipe my arse after a sh1t, until andrex advertise my toilet paper to me properly..i know its there but that is not the point"

[sandwichsaint]

Why not send out Reminders by Email?

 

That would not be costly - Most People have Email addresses in fact one of my daughters has five

 

This won't happen, too expensive for the club. It would take an admin type person at least a couple of days to put it all together (say 1000 quid absolute tops) and then to send it to any of the following cohorts:

 

people that had a season ticket last year,

 

people that had a ST lastyear and haven't renewed yet,

 

people that bought tickets say 6 times last year,

 

people that bought a ticket once last year,

 

'everybody' on the database, apparently in excess of 200,000,

 

(all obviously subject to these people having up to date and valid email addresses - let's take the worst case scenario and say the club only have valid contact details for 25% the 200,000, and only 75% (improbably low, it's probably 95%) of the main target group (previous STs).

 

For a cost of £1000 (2 STs) the club can contact somewhere between 75%a nd 95% of last year's ST holders or, on a sliding scale, up to 50,000 of the database of previous customers; why have they not done this?

 

Interestingly Kent Cricket Club (like a lot of others) are in the stum and this year moved from an all-in membership to a more PAYG/RyanAir type model; raising the price of full-memberships and taking away some of the match types, having a range of add-ons, and raising T20 ground prices from £15-£18 to £25. The rationale was to make cricket 'more affordable' (by raising all their prices!) and to target their audience to diff tyes of games, based in part in the popularity of T20 'with families' (it is now £75 for a family of four) and in part on their 'success' over the previous seasons, Kent have reached 'finals day' twice in the last three seasons. The Outcome has been an unmitigated DISASTER! The club have sold fewest 'full' memberships in living memory, the T20 team is struggling and in the bottom half of the league, they normally have crowds of 6-8000 for home T20 games; the crowd for this season's first game at Canterbury was3000 (lowest ever for this format) - the club are 'not panicking' but 'are reviewing all options for the remaining rounds' (price cuts!). Check out their message board if you want to see some hapy fans!

[StuRomseySaint]

why are you getting so excited stu...as for the posts..are you not leaving this place for good (again)..?

 

I am surprised that with your expertise in advertising and your busniess accumen that you are not working for the club..or even applied to..

I mean, you success at under cutting the club with travel coaches (where im sure you offered installment plans) was great

 

maybe, JUST MAYBE, you are that little bit more savvy than a swiss/italian investment banker who has the ear (and funds) of a mulitple BILLIONAIRE..

 

hmmmmmmmmmm

 

Every club in the country sends them out Delldays. If it costs the clubs money then why does every single club in the country send them out.

 

I look forward to your answer.

[StuRomseySaint]

This won't happen, too expensive for the club. It would take an admin type person at least a couple of days to put it all together (say 1000 quid absolute tops) and then to send it to any of the following cohorts:

 

people that had a season ticket last year,

 

people that had a ST lastyear and haven't renewed yet,

 

people that bought tickets say 6 times last year,

 

people that bought a ticket once last year,

 

'everybody' on the database, apparently in excess of 200,000,

 

It wouldn't even take 2 days. They only need to write out the prices, send a link to the online booking etc - the club already have the system to send out to all opt-in customers on the database at the click of a button... it's the same database that the 'Saints Newsletter' gets sent out from.

[Whitey Grandad]

Not sending out reminders/invitations to renew is a guaranteed way to lose regular customers. This is true in any line of business. Anyone who was undecided about renewing is a potential lost customer, especially when there is such a short and late time window for renewal.

[djharvey]

It's called advertising DullDays.

 

Seriously, every club in the land send out renewal notices. Not everyone is an uber-fan like you. They simply MUST work and not be a waste of money, otherwise please explain to me why clubs, even ones in administration, p!ss money down the wall sending them out?

 

That says a lot in itself!

[scott_saints]

Stu, why do you care so much? Chill.

[beatlesaint]

Sorry, but that is just incredibly lazy.

 

Sorry but thats crap....its not lazy.

 

Imagine you have been a season ticket holder for the past 20 or 30 years. You live outside Southampton, like you do, and are elderly and have no computer or access to one.

For the past 20-30 years you have had a renewal form sent to you, you fill in that form and send it back, hey presto you have renewed your season ticket.

This year you have had no renewal reminder, remember you have no access to a computer and you live 70 miles away.

How do you know the prices and when you can renew by ?

 

Now before you say "contact the club" - why the **** should you ?

You are a customer, you are giving them £400 and you are paying for their product.

How many other companies would work like this ?

If you get your car MOT'd or serviced at Kwikfit for example the following year they will remind you and tell you how much those services will cost this year. Why is it any different ?

 

As someone has said before people on here tend to live in a bubble. Forget us, the users of this forum, we know about the renewals, many of us have already I suspect. Just put yourself in someone elses shoes, like the guy whose Dad waits for the form. There are hundreds of people like that.

 

Why would a company only contact 75% of their custom through one medium when they can reach 95-100% by usung another simple and relatively cheap medium ? You dont need a big glossy book, one or two sheets of A4 paper would do it - how much would it cost ? The price of 2 season tickets ?

 

You send out a renewal reminder to all Season Ticket Holders on your database. Job done, no worries.

 

What is so hard to grasp about that ?

[djharvey]

Woosh.

 

Do you seriously not think the club is trying to sell as few season tickets as possible? If so, do you have any proof or examples of how they are trying to sell them? I can give you maybe 10 reasons as examples as why they are NOT looking to have season tickets next season.

 

Waiting!

[StuRomseySaint]

Waiting!

 

I will post them when I get some reasons to the contrary. I have them ready and waiting.

 

First, I would like people to give me some examples of how the club have shown they want season ticket holders next year.

[boxosponge]

 

Explain to me why the club would deliberately be trying to lose season ticket holders?

 

13000 season tickets could currently lose the club up to £2,340,000.00 according to the OS

 

In effect a potential loss in income from season ticket holders of 32% to 35% depending on their seat location "more than £180 over the course of the League season" for "top priced adult season ticket holders receiving a price of £17 per game"

 

Its not isolated for this season: how much will it be when we return to the Prem?

[djharvey]

Sorry but thats crap....its not lazy.

 

Imagine you have been a season ticket holder for the past 20 or 30 years. You live outside Southampton, like you do, and are elderly and have no computer or access to one.

For the past 20-30 years you have had a renewal form sent to you, you fill in that form and send it back, hey presto you have renewed your season ticket.

This year you have had no renewal reminder, remember you have no access to a computer and you live 70 miles away.

How do you know the prices and when you can renew by ?

 

Now before you say "contact the club" - why the **** should you ?

You are a customer, you are giving them £400 and you are paying for their product.

How many other companies would work like this ?

If you get your car MOT'd or serviced at Kwikfit for example the following year they will remind you and tell you how much those services will cost this year. Why is it any different ?

 

As someone has said before people on here tend to live in a bubble. Forget us, the users of this forum, we know about the renewals, many of us have already I suspect. Just put yourself in someone elses shoes, like the guy whose Dad waits for the form. There are hundreds of people like that.

 

Why would a company only contact 75% of their custom through one medium when they can reach 95-100% by usung another simple and relatively cheap medium ? You dont need a big glossy book, one or two sheets of A4 paper would do it - how much would it cost ? The price of 2 season tickets ?

 

You send out a renewal reminder to all Season Ticket Holders on your database. Job done, no worries.

 

What is so hard to grasp about that ?

 

This is ridiculous! You may as well say that all these season ticket holders are spoilt brats, sat at home in a huff, refusing to phone the club to renew.

GROW UP!

[djharvey]

I will post them when I get some reasons to the contrary. I have them ready and waiting.

 

First, I would like people to give me some examples of how the club have shown they want season ticket holders next year.

 

Laughable!

 

The tickets are available, the prices are available, the seats are available. IF YOU WANT ONE!

 

Go on, pick up the phone, you know you want to!

[StuRomseySaint]

Laughable!

 

The tickets are available, the prices are available, the seats are available. IF YOU WANT ONE!

 

Go on, pick up the phone, you know you want to!

 

Didn't we work out last time that you are about 12? Come on, give me some examples of the club pro-actively trying to encourage season ticket sales. It can't be that hard, surely?

[hypochondriac]

My views is that season ticket holders should be made to feel valued and wanted by the club. I'm not sure they are so much this season which IMO is a shame.

[djharvey]

Didn't we work out last time that you are about 12? Come on, give me some examples of the club pro-actively trying to encourage season ticket sales. It can't be that hard, surely?

 

You wished i was 12!

 

1. Tickets are on sale, we all know that!

2. Advertised on official club website.

 

PICK UP THE PHONE!

[djharvey]

I will post them when I get some reasons to the contrary. I have them ready and waiting.

 

First, I would like people to give me some examples of how the club have shown they want season ticket holders next year.

 

Still waiting!

[hypochondriac]

Shutup djharvey. You can search for the reasons, there are many which have aready been posted.

[paris]

Come on it's on the OS and if your keen surely you ring the box office to find out ...

 

"I want to buy a season ticket now what shall i do" answer " ring the box office or if you have access to a computer look on the official site " "OK thanks for your help "

[djharvey]

Shutup djharvey. You can search for the reasons, there are many which have aready been posted.

 

Hypo! If you didn't realise Stu has kindly said he has the information ready and waiting.

[beatlesaint]

This is ridiculous! You may as well say that all these season ticket holders are spoilt brats, sat at home in a huff, refusing to phone the club to renew.

GROW UP!

 

WWOOOOOOOSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH ............there goes someone elses opinion flying clean over the top of your head !

How the hell you reached that conclusion based on what I said beggars belief.

 

I think the growing up and non selfish "I'm alright Jack" atttitude should come from you !

[djharvey]

Come on it's on the OS and if your keen surely you ring the box office to find out ...

 

"I want to buy a season ticket now what shall i do" answer " ring the box office or if you have access to a computer look on the official site " "OK thanks for your help "

 

Wow, i think maybe it is easy after all! What ya reckon Stu!

[djharvey]

WWOOOOOOOSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH ............there goes someone elses opinion flying clean over the top of your head !

How the hell you reached that conclusion based on what I said beggars belief.

 

I think the growing up and non selfish "I'm alright Jack" atttitude should come from you !

 

Ok, sure thing! lmao

[StuRomseySaint]

You wished i was 12!

 

1. Tickets are on sale, we all know that!

2. Advertised on official club website.

 

PICK UP THE PHONE!

 

Tickets are on sale, you would only know if you went on the official website.

 

Come on, proper reasons... I have 10 good ones waiting... infact I am off out, so here you go.

 

1) The club waiting until June 1st before announcing prices.

2) The club have offerered renewals only a 30 day window in which to renew.

3) The club have not sent out any renewals.

4) The advertising on the Official Site has been minimal.

5) There has been NO advertising in the press/radio.

6) The club are making season tickets unavailable from the first game of the season.

7) The club have removed half-season tickets.

The club have removed instalation plans for no apparant reason.

9) The club have not contacted their database through the FREE method of email or by text.

10) The club have risen the prices by 15%

 

----------------------------------------------------------------

 

There you go, there is 10, if you honestly look at all them reasons and STILL think that the club genuinely want as many season ticket holders as possible, then quite frankly, you are retarded.

[StuRomseySaint]

Come on it's on the OS and if your keen surely you ring the box office to find out ...

 

"I want to buy a season ticket now what shall i do" answer " ring the box office or if you have access to a computer look on the official site " "OK thanks for your help "

 

Do you know what, that's where I have been going wrong in my years working in sales. Rather than actually selling the product, I should just sit back and wait for the phone to start ringing... I'll sell lots more that way.

 

Thanks for the advice genius.

[Whitey Grandad]

Amongst over 10,000 people there are bound to be some who are undecided about renewing because of any number of perfectly valid reasons. In the past they have always received an invitation to renew through the post around March/April time and a lot of these will not have ready access to the internet. You cannot expect them to telephone the ticket office every week for three months to find out what is happening. We have regularly received all sorts of mailshots and irrelevant supporters' charters so it must have been a deliberate decision not to send out blanket renewal invitations. You can draw your own conclusions from that.

[StuRomseySaint]

Amongst over 10,000 people there are bound to be some who are undecided about renewing because of any number of perfectly valid reasons. In the past they have always received an invitation to renew through the post around March/April time and a lot of these will not have ready access to the internet. You cannot expect them to telephone the ticket office every week for three months to find out what is happening. We have regularly received all sorts of mailshots and irrelevant supporters' charters so it must have been a deliberate decision not to send out blanket renewal invitations. You can draw your own conclusions from that.

 

Exactly... it is standard practice for any business which requires subscription/memberships to send out renewal reminders in the post. Some people don't seem to understand that.

 

Also, the cost of sending renewals out really is minimal, as long as 2 people out of the 13,000 renew as a direct result of the reminders, then they have got their money back.

 

But we obviously have some geniuses like DJ Harvey with no experience in sales other than working the till at Happy Shopper who think they know better.

[djharvey]

Woosh.

 

Do you seriously not think the club is trying to sell as few season tickets as possible? If so, do you have any proof or examples of how they are trying to sell them? I can give you maybe 10 reasons as examples as why they are NOT looking to have season tickets next season.

 

Tickets are on sale, you would only know if you went on the official website.

 

Come on, proper reasons... I have 10 good ones waiting... infact I am off out, so here you go.

 

1) The club waiting until June 1st before announcing prices.

2) The club have offerered renewals only a 30 day window in which to renew.

3) The club have not sent out any renewals.

4) The advertising on the Official Site has been minimal.

5) There has been NO advertising in the press/radio.

6) The club are making season tickets unavailable from the first game of the season.

7) The club have removed half-season tickets.

The club have removed instalation plans for no apparant reason.

9) The club have not contacted their database through the FREE method of email or by text.

10) The club have risen the prices by 15%

 

----------------------------------------------------------------

 

There you go, there is 10, if you honestly look at all them reasons and STILL think that the club genuinely want as many season ticket holders as possible, then quite frankly, you are retarded.

 

Those points may show that the club are not neccessarily maximising season ticket sales. However if the club were trying to sell as few season tickets as possible (as you stated), don't you think that they would just not sell them at all!

There are clearly commercial reasons for the decisions that the club are taking, i may not fully understand them (like many others) but i am willing to trust the club with them. If you dont trust them then dont hand over any cash.

Simples!

[View From The Top]

You wished i was 12!

 

1. Tickets are on sale, we all know that!

2. Advertised on official club website.

 

PICK UP THE PHONE!

 

I'm not sure if you are just acting thick but the whole point is that there will be season ticket holders who don't know the tickets are on sale and don't have access to the internet. These will tend to be the older generations.

 

Sending out a renewal notice is SOP across the leagues. Most clubs would send one stating ST details to every non-ST holder on there data base in the hope of generating more sales.

[djharvey]

i'm not sure if you are just acting thick but the whole point is that there will be season ticket holders who don't know the tickets are on sale and don't have access to the internet. These will tend to be the older generations.

 

Sending out a renewal notice is sop across the leagues. Most clubs would send one stating st details to every non-st holder on there data base in the hope of generating more sales.

 

pick up the phone!

[hypochondriac]

djharvey is a mong and clearly retarded.

[John B]

If you dont trust them then dont hand over any cash.

Simples!

 

Unfortunately some may do that because the Club is now seen by some as not caring for fans and trying to make as much money as possible from them.

 

In the past most of the money received usually went to make the team stronger this maybe the case but as a Private company could also go into the Owners pocket.

 

However with better PR things could be a lot better - the Pompous Arrogant nature of Mr Cortese which may of course be not true appears to be gaining momentum amongst a minority of fans and needs to be stopped I would have thought.

 

A simple explanation on the ticketing strategy and what the finances of the club are like would go a long way to resolving the situation