Tea/coffee and late 1901 ticket - Paul Barber reply and then another Paul Barber reply

[Sussex Nomad]

How about read things first?

How about it? How many times do I have to go through this?

 

[bhanutz]

How about it? How many times do I have to go through this?

you do drone on and on don't you!

 

[Notters]

Paul Barber email response to the tea/coffee issue and the delay in receiving 1901 tickets posted in full below:


Thank you for your e-mail. I hope you’re well.

I’m sorry to hear that your tickets/passes have been delayed.

This is due to a fairly small number (around 15%) of 1901 tickets not being collected by ROYAL MAIL. The club was informed of this issue by our printer only this morning. Unfortunately, in situations like this, we are very much at the mercy of our supplier (to inform us promptly if there’s been a delay – they didn’t) and Royal Mail (who, quite frankly, we simply expect to do their jobs and collect large batches of mail as requested – they didn’t).

From time to time, such issues do occur. It’s very frustrating for supporters and for the club - but it is not the club’s fault. As we have explained on many occasions, and in common with most clubs of our size and bigger, we distribute new tickets and passes as close to our first home game of the season as possible.

This is because a lot of experience - both from here and from other clubs – shows us that early distribution of new season’s tickets and passes leads to many tickets and passes being mis–laid ahead of the first home game – and this, in turn, causes a considerable amount of additional work for our supporter services team and delays for supporters.

With regard to the provision of free tea and coffee in 1901 lounges, this has never been a contractual right or official benefit for 1901 members. It was an initial gesture when the stadium opened from the club’s catering partner, Azure (which they funded), and after their departure, it has been something the club honoured (as other caterers couldn’t/wouldn't fund it) without any obligation whatsoever – at a cost of tens of thousands of pounds per season – for a further 3.5 years.

The provision of tea and coffee has never been featured in any literature relating to the sale of the 1901 club, hence there was no mention this time on renewal, and half time tea and coffee featured as the lowest ranked (next to friendly match tickets) of any benefits 1901 members have received during their first term from the 1901 members’ survey. I suspect that thaws because of the inevitable difficulties of delivering up to 3,000 cups of tea or coffee in a 15 minute period.

As such, we have focused our time and energy on the benefits that did matter to 1901 members and to keep the costs of renewal as low as possible. Based on my emails after renewal notices went out, our renewal pricing came as a pleasant surprise to the vast majority of members. We can only retain the most important services and keep prices competitive for members if we manage all other aspects of our cost base efficiently. This we have done and will continue to do.

Finally, of late, we have seen various references to the club “penny pinching” or comments from some supporters dismissing us attempting to secure savings of “tens of thousands of pounds” as if they are somehow insignificant or irrelevant! Unfortunately, when we are asking one man to fund our combined losses of £1.5m per month, such savings - wherever we can make them - are very significant and they are certainly relevant to the chairman.

In summary, far from 1901 members receiving a poor or worse service than anyone else, this football club provides a level of access, dialogue and overall support for fans that I have not seen anywhere in nearly 20 years working in professional football, and certainly in 20 years as a football fan and season ticket holder myself prior to that. Again, we can only provide such a level of engagement if we manage the football club’s business efficiently and remove non-contractual costs when we can.

Thanks again for writing. I’ll leave you to liaise directly with Paul Rogers regarding the most efficient way for you to collect your tickets/passes.

Regards, Paul


Paul Barber
Chief Executive

I'm sure it was, originally, but can't find any of the original brochures!

 

[Notters]

Sorry but I also don't buy the excuse that "we took away free friendlies and free tea from the 1901 benefits because these were the least appreciated". Nonsense.

If they ask you the question - which do appreciate most ? The football match ? or the toilet facilities ? or the train service ? - and you rank them in relevance to you - there is no need or requirement to withdraw the least favoured in order to cut costs. Quality customer service is hard to do - especially to dumb football fans who are sadly long-used to being treated with contempt.

Agreed. And if they weren't used much then why were they costing the club tens of thousands per season?

 

[Sussex Nomad]

you do drone on and on don't you!

It really is c**ts like you that keep people off here. You drone on and on and on and people just give up in the end. I see you as one of those little people, little skinny people that sit there and shut up at a game but have a huge gob online. You carry on my dear, I still love you and your disabilities x

 

[Paul Reids Sock]

Fair play to him for his responses. He has a difficult job to do and will be being asked to make these cuts.

He and his team will have to identify them and then take the blame. This isn't a case of him just cutting benefits for a laugh.

I have a similar job to him (luckily I don't have to take things away to cost cut as there are a lot of process changes I can make) and things aren't just cut for no reason, also, people mention his wage and that we could cut the costs there - why? We could have saved money by cutting some of our players wages, but you don't get the best by being cheap.

Lets be honest. if the tea and coffee hadn't been there from the start there would have been a tiny percentage of people that, at a football match, went 'Oh, I would love a cuppa'

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

They already do. £15. Luckily only had to do this once in 5 years.

Likewise have only had to do this once in 5 years (31/3/2012). Club gave me a free replacement ST. Reason: I had that John Prescott on the back of me card.

 

[bhanutz]

It really is c**ts like you that keep people off here. You drone on and on and on and people just give up in the end. I see you as one of those little people, little skinny people that sit there and shut up at a game but have a huge gob online. You carry on my dear, I still love you and your disabilities x

Mocking disabilities?

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Mocking disabilities?

Oh good grief, is this the time to retire from 'absolute idiots' forum?

 

[bhanutz]

Oh good grief, is this the time to retire from 'absolute idiots' forum?

In true Nomadic fashion.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

In true Nomadic fashion.

You must have a sad life.

 

[Norman Baker suck my lozenge]

So we might lose our tickets if we get them a couple of weeks before the start of the season but we can be trusted not to lose them for the next 6 months? Bizarre thinking...

Exactly,stay tuned for next weeks instalment,"how to wipe your own arse."


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[BobbySmith]

Interesting response and although I am sure Mr Barber is correct that it was not a contractual arrangement regarding the coffee, but it was part of the overall presentation given verbally by Mr Perry. Also not a maths man, but 15% , that is strange as 10 of us, different surnames, different areas have not received our tickets, we must be just very unlucky?. Sorry as the main supplier, you can not blame a third party for a lack of service, our supplier is BHAFC, if they choose to use a mail company to deliver the packages, it is still their responsibility and they should have a proper and legal SLA with the mailing company, that is basic service management and I am afraid the fault of the club. Oh well only a 40 mile journey home to collect my tickets and pass before going to the Amex and its not the club fault, its a third party supplier?. I would write to the club, but think Mr Barber has more important things to do than to apologies to us 1901 club members and should concentrate on sorting the travel arrangements out, which I am 100% with the club on this one as they have been screwed by the worst company that i have ever come across. .

 

[bhanutz]

You must have a sad life.

Well according to you, I am a skinny **** that happens to be disabled. Not much fun is it?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Despite not generally having much sympathy for the 1901'ers, have to side with their gripe here. For the money they're paying, you'd expect a couple of quibble-free extra nice touches. Everybody knows how much it costs to boil up a bit of water. And how much a catering pack of tea or coffee costs. Two bob club is the perception. Quite pitiful really.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Well according to you, I am a skinny **** that happens to be disabled. Not much fun is it?

You make me more and more speechless, yes you have a disability, it is called being a nice person online. that is your disability. Try being a decent person and be objective or even nice online. It ain't all about the alpha male my friend. You get someone's back up they will respond. Is that how you want to live your life?

 

[bhanutz]

You make me more and more speechless, yes you have a disability, it is called being a nice person online. that is your disability. Try being a decent person and be objective or even nice online. It ain't all about the alpha male my friend. You get someone's back up they will respond. Is that how you want to live your life?

Has anyone ever told you that you take things to heart a bit too much?

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Has anyone ever told you that you take things to heart a bit too much?

 

[bhanutz]

There is help out there..you just need to reach out.

 

[Eddiespearritt]

So serious question - the Royal Mail have not delivered my season tickets today - and there is a match tomorrow. Post generally comes about 2.30pm in midweek. Do I wait and hope for the best that something comes ( they are really doing me a favour because I'm so silly I might lose my ticket between 2.30 and 7.45) ? Do I call someone in the morning and ask them what I'm supposed to do ? Do I hope that the amazing customer service for 1901 members actually kicks in and provides me the well-explained solution in advance ? Or do I queue up at the ticket booth at The Amex and hope I can convince them I'm a member and would like some service please. Very, very seriously, the cost of two 1901 season is eye-wateringly substantial and I'm happy to pay it because I really enjoy watching the Albion - but the service being provided by the CLUB and Barber's "I blame everybody else - and you can get stuffed if you want free tea" mealy mouthed excuses are annoying me a bit today.