[Albion] Season Ticket Farce @PaulBarber

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Very fair point.

But doesn't that point to the lack of empathy people are pointing out on the thread?

For sure. Tho with all the myriad ever-changing covid hoops the club are being forced to jump through, maybe they could be cut a little slack. Do the club have a dedicated Customer Engagement guy/gal/other (other than [MENTION=24867]chaileyjem[/MENTION] obviously)? That might help smooth things over, might help share the love between club and customer and help address any individual concerns

 

[Spiros]

Ha ! I think we can all agree that I don't think anybody - who might have gone - would have turned into a lifelong Albion fan after wednesday's miserable 90 minutes.

You'd be surprised. Back in our Championship days my daughter couldn't make our home game against (I think) Huddersfield. At the last minute my next door neighbour - lapsed Arsenal supporter who hadn't been to a game in years - decided he'd come with me. The game was a desperately miserable 0-0 draw. He loved every minute of it, just being back in a ground with people watching football not on the telly. Off the back of that he's been a few times since, even bought tickets a few times for him and his daughter, but there's no way he'd sign up as a MyAlbion+ member as he's not a Brighton fan he just likes football. However he did spend quite a bit of money on beer and food, all money the club would not have got if my daughter's seat had stayed empty

 

[amexer]

I think it's a real shame that the club appears to have become something of a lightning rod for the current state of affairs on Plague Island. For sure they get a few things wrong - who doesn't? - but there's nothing that can't be tweaked for the better as a result of customer feedback. But during this rotten time of covid, seems to me that a totally justified sense of low-level depression with life in general gets amplified and distorted on here and used as a stick to beat the club with. Understandable maybe, but doesn't seem entirely fair

I do think you have a point in several issues. However do think PB should also be aware of situation and take a softer approach to comments from supporters. I saw last week a reply he sent to a neighbour. Basically saying in so many words he did not know what he was talking about and how successful sharing scheme is and how well it has gone down. Why couldn't he just thank him for his comments which they will take on board at end of season review of system. In business I ran were always thankful for any form of contact from customers even if did not agree.

 

[chaileyjem]

You'd be surprised. Back in our Championship days my daughter couldn't make our home game against (I think) Huddersfield. At the last minute my next door neighbour - lapsed Arsenal supporter who hadn't been to a game in years - decided he'd come with me. The game was a desperately miserable 0-0 draw. He loved every minute of it, just being back in a ground with people watching football not on the telly. Off the back of that he's been a few times since, even bought tickets a few times for him and his daughter, but there's no way he'd sign up as a MyAlbion+ member as he's not a Brighton fan he just likes football. However he did spend quite a bit of money on beer and food, all money the club would not have got if my daughter's seat had stayed empty

Ha. I was teasing. Of course. thats how it works. My son has had a season ticket with the Albion since the Amex . We now go to nearly half the away games in a season too. He's a fan...
His first game though was at Withdean - a 0-0 in the pouring rain. Probably the most miserable 90 minutes you could imagine and he was soaked. .

 

[Da Man Clay]

You'd be surprised. Back in our Championship days my daughter couldn't make our home game against (I think) Huddersfield. At the last minute my next door neighbour - lapsed Arsenal supporter who hadn't been to a game in years - decided he'd come with me. The game was a desperately miserable 0-0 draw. He loved every minute of it, just being back in a ground with people watching football not on the telly. Off the back of that he's been a few times since, even bought tickets a few times for him and his daughter, but there's no way he'd sign up as a MyAlbion+ member as he's not a Brighton fan he just likes football. However he did spend quite a bit of money on beer and food, all money the club would not have got if my daughter's seat had stayed empty

And this in a nutshell is the complete point Barber misses. I imagine a number of us who have had STs have stories such as this. Overall the club will lose out because people like your neighbour and others who would never have bothered ended up attending. Regular supporters or those who have previously shared tickets may take up the new service - but all of those potential others who could have become interested are gone.

Next year I fear we’re going to be really struggling for numbers and this type of policy will not help.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I do think you have a point in several issues. However do think PB should also be aware of situation and take a softer approach to comments from supporters. I saw last week a reply he sent to a neighbour. Basically saying in so many words he did not know what he was talking about and how successful sharing scheme is and how well it has gone down. Why couldn't he just thank him for his comments which they will take on board at end of season review of system. In business I ran were always thankful for any form of contact from customers even if did not agree.

Personally I've always been gobsmacked that you can email CEO of the Albion and usually get a personalised response within about 30 minutes. Shows he's reading what you're writing. The boy's a class act

 

[herecomesaregular]

Didn't the club say this scheme was for one season only anyway?

 

[Lower West Stander]

Personally I've always been gobsmacked that you can email CEO of the Albion and usually get a personalised response within about 30 minutes. Shows he's reading what you're writing. The boy's a class act

I have to disagree with you there.

Yes - he replies. But he doesn't listen. His responses are always a stock "I am right you are wrong". He never enters into any form of debate or accepts you may have a point he hasn't considered. It seems to me his responses are a way of deflecting dissent rather than proactively taking into account what we say.

He replies quickly because he doesn't bother thinking about his responses other than to deny. Personally I would rather wait a couple of days to get a response from the club saying they had considered my points, rather than a standard diatribe about why he is right half an hour later.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I have to disagree with you there.

Yes - he replies. But he doesn't listen. His responses are always a stock "I am right you are wrong". He never enters into any form of debate or accepts you may have a point he hasn't considered. It seems to me his responses are a way of deflecting dissent rather than proactively taking into account what we say.

He replies quickly because he doesn't bother thinking about his responses other than to deny. Personally I would rather wait a couple of days to get a response from the club saying they had considered my points, rather than a standard diatribe about why he is right half an hour later.

Well I guess if you ask a standard question you'll get a stock response. Personally have always been highly impressed by PB's feedback. He's clearly not doing it by rote. And he's clearly Always On to answer stuff from the likes of me and thee. Normally within 30 minutes. Like I say, that's pretty impressive by any rule of thumb

 

[Harold]

Personally I've always been gobsmacked that you can email CEO of the Albion and usually get a personalised response within about 30 minutes. Shows he's reading what you're writing. The boy's a class act

Indeed unusual and admirable. You would guess that he bothers to do so in order to have an immediate heads up on trending issues. Rather than them getting lost in the machine, and building a head of steam that damages his or the clubs corporate image. He's failed on this one.

 

[Lower West Stander]

Well I guess if you ask a standard question you'll get a stock response. Personally have always been highly impressed by PB's feedback. He's clearly not doing it by rote. And he's clearly Always On to answer stuff from the likes of me and thee. Normally within 30 minutes. Like I say, that's pretty impressive by any rule of thumb

We'll have to agree to disagree!

 

[Springal]

I like the idea people think he just does what he wants.

Any major changes like this go in front of the board for a vote I reckon. He just implements it.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Didn't the club say this scheme was for one season only anyway?

Yes, but I wouldn’t assume that it will be replaced by a return to the old system of turning a blind eye. It’s much more likely that the opportunity to pay for ticket sharing will be removed and the newly enforced rules will continue to be enforced. A case of be careful what you wish for.

 

[BNthree]

Yes, and but I wouldn’t assume that it will be replaced by a return to the old system of turning a blind eye. It’s much more likely that the opportunity to pay for ticket sharing will be removed and the newly enforced rules will continue to be enforced. A case of be careful what you wish for.

More a case of careful what the club wish for. Less MyAlbion+ members and less bums on seats.

 

[Lower West Stander]

https://youtu.be/E_LUGY_ptGA

 

[timbha]

I’m not sure what we want from PB. He replies quickly to complaints and like it or not he is consistent and clear in his responses. I wouldn’t be surprised if the system is amended at the end of the season following feedback. What he can’t do at this stage is a) admit it isn’t working (when it might be), b) promise changes and c) dish out a standard “thanks for your communication, we will consider all your points in due course”, that would placate some in here.

The cheap shots by WAB were so easy for PB to dismiss that you wonder if the report was a plant!

Now isn’t the time to change the system for many many reasons.

PB must dread us losing knowing full well the flack and criticism he will receive about all and sundry.

 

[studio150]

Simple amendment for next season.
The ability to pass tickets to friends remains, and no cost is applied.
However any ST holder signing up to this, does not have the renewal loyalty added the loyalty points accumulation and for each game during the season that the ticket is passed over, 10 loyalty points are deducted from the ST total.

 

[Harold]

Scrap the current ST share scheme. Scrap the largely useless ticket exchange. Allow any ST to be transferred to any individual (no charge) as long as the recipient has a FAN number (urgo club knows their details - ticking Covid and stadium security tick boxes).

 

[Springal]

Scrap the current ST share scheme. Scrap the largely useless ticket exchange. Allow any ST to be transferred to any individual (no charge) as long as the recipient has a FAN number (urgo club knows their details - ticking Covid and stadium security tick boxes).

Scrap the ticket exchange? So if you can't get rid of the ticket yourself, then tough, the seat is empty? No thanks.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

More a case of careful what the club wish for. Less MyAlbion+ members and less bums on seats.

Agree with all of that but fewer.