[Other Sport] The real ticket issue?

[BensGrandad]

Obviously ST sales will drop drastically, anybody could predict that but the actual attendances will be very results orientated and if doing well, whichever division we are in, they will match this seasons, if not I dread to think. You do not need to be Einstein to see that.

 

[goldstone68]

Maybe a option when you buy your season ticket would be, do you want the travel included in the price or not

 

[BensGrandad]

Maybe a option when you buy your season ticket would be, do you want the travel included in the price or not

That would be too time consuming in man hours with delays at the railway terminals and too difficult to administer it has to be included or not for everybody.

 

[Return of the Rev]

When I suggested onWednesday evening to Paul barber that we could be losing up to 20% STH he thought I was miles out, and it wouldn't be that many.

I hope he's right, and in wrong.

Another example of how out of touch the club are!

 

[Dan Aitch]

Combining the worst case scenario with the best case scenario... we get relegated and ST sales fall through the floor.

However, next year we start pummelling teams left, right and centre and the expectation of an entertaining game makes a lot of people flood back for single tickets, half-season tickets, etc. That's probably why Wolves season average didn't fall more than 4% - i.e. once they started looking good for promotion everyone started coming back and pushed attendances up.

The Pollyanna is strong in me, once Little Miss Depressed has had her evil way.

 

[herecomesaregular]

As someone who did not renew their season ticket last season (due to childcare comitments) I was suprised the club never contacted me to ask why I was not renewing / to try and talk me into another year. Given the above if the club try to contact all 6000 and 5% decide to renew then thats another £150K in the bank (300 @ £500 per season ticket)

What has suprised me the most is that I dont get any emails advising of when tickets are for sale / what matches are coming up and how I can buy them, yet I am on the clubs mailing list as I get random emails / texts, usally marketing items/ products that I dont want or need.

Yeah, I'm surprised to hear Tony Bloom didn't come round to your house in person to see what the problem was and persuade you to rebuy a season ticket.

 

[Hampster Gull]

Yeah, I'm surprised to hear Tony Bloom didn't come round to your house in person to see what the problem was and persuade you to rebuy a season ticket.

What surrey jim is saying is pretty basic for a good commercial department. Doesn't need TB to phone anyone, just needs Bwrber to talk to his team

 

[clippedgull]

The transport element of the ticket,condemns low prices.

Indeed. Although some posters on this thread have quoted 'free travel'. The club have never offered this.

 

[surrey jim]

Yeah, I'm surprised to hear Tony Bloom didn't come round to your house in person to see what the problem was and persuade you to rebuy a season ticket.

It didn't need Tony Bloom to come round, it didn't even need someone from the Albion, many companies out source this type of activity. The simple fact is I stoped giving the Albion my £500(or Thereabouts) with no questions asked. Most companies out there would be keen to know why.

 

[The Merry Prankster]

When I suggested onWednesday evening to Paul barber that we could be losing up to 20% STH he thought I was miles out, and it wouldn't be that many.

I hope he's right, and in wrong.

I think he's in for a big shock, I'm going 20% as a starting figure.

 

[reigate]

Indeed. Although some posters on this thread have quoted 'free travel'. The club have never offered this.

Travel isn't "free" though is it? I'm sure a £50 supplement was added to the cost of a season ticket after 1st season at Amex after hardly anyone bought the travel vouchers in the first season?

 

[Paddy B]

I think if they are using data from other relegated clubs (such as Wolves as quoted earlier in this thread) then the club are very naive.

For example, Wolves have a large traditional and loyal fan base, whereas our crowd includes a large percentage of fans who are would not have counted BHA as the first choice 5 years ago.

I would say this percentage would be the largest on the football league (maybe only Reading come close?) and therefore surely we cannot expect blind loyalty from this group.

A 20% reduction on ST renewals is a fair estimate, particularly if we go down

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

When I suggested onWednesday evening to Paul barber that we could be losing up to 20% STH he thought I was miles out, and it wouldn't be that many.

I hope he's right, and in wrong.

Can't see the club would accept this suggestion whatever they really believe? I certainly wouldn't if I were BHA's CEO. Can you imagine the headlines if he had?
Didn't El Pres come up with some sort of algorithm recently? I can't remember the exact figures but I think it was every 3,000 non-renewals results in £1M less income, maybe even more. Largely straight off the football related budgets I'd have thought and with most of the costs relating to running the training facility yet to appear to appear in the accounts then it could be a difficult time.

 

[chaileyjem]

I think if they are using data from other relegated clubs (such as Wolves as quoted earlier in this thread) then the club are very naive.

I expect the club have modelled the likely fall in numbers if we're relegated/stay up for next season using averages of all clubs that have been relegated in recent years and the impact, looked at clubs that resemble Albion's supporter base, looked at innovations re: season ticket retention and how they've worked/not worked, explored all manner of pricing options, incentives for renewing early etc with the goal of securing as many retentions as possible.

In short i suspect they've researched it to death rather , i pray, just read my quotes re: how Wolves or Sheffield Utd attendances barely dropped on NSC or plucked a few figures from the air. If after all that they believe it won't be 20% or 40% or even the dramatic 48% quoted regularly on here by one poster on here then thats probably based on data they have and we haven't. And obviously nobody, including the club, knows for certain until the letters go out.
That said clubs have gone down to L1 in the last 5 years and attendances have remained pretty stubborn. That doesn't mean it will happen , god forbid , to the Albion but thats the data we have. Relegation will be big blow to the Albion financially in all sorts of ways but there are plenty of scenarios where tickets sold to matches holds up despite relegation if you look at the experience of other clubs in the same position instead of gut feeling.

 

[Crispy Ambulance]

Less away fans (income) coming to Falmer if we're in L1.

 

[Paddy B]

I expect the club have modelled the likely fall in numbers if we're relegated/stay up for next season using averages of all clubs that have been relegated in recent years and the impact, looked at clubs that resemble Albion's supporter base, looked at innovations re: season ticket retention and how they've worked/not worked, explored all manner of pricing options, incentives for renewing early etc with the goal of securing as many retentions as possible.

In short i suspect they've researched it to death rather , i pray, just read my quotes re: how Wolves or Sheffield Utd attendances barely dropped on NSC or plucked a few figures from the air. If after that they are believe it won't be 20% or 40% or even the dramatic 48% quoted regularly on here by one poster on here then thats probably based on data they have and we haven't. And obviously nobody knows for certain until the letters go out.
That said clubs have gone down to L1 in the last 5 years and attendances have remained flat. That doesn't mean it will happen , god forbid , to the Albion but thats the data we have. Relegation will be big blow to the Albion financially but there is plenty of scenarios where tickets sold to matches holds up despite us being in L1 if you look at the experience of other clubs in the same position instead of gut feeling.

Quite so, but do you think they have factored in the "uniqueness" of our fan base?

Judging by Paul Barbers comments at the NWSS meeting in the week, it appears not. Although it could be argued "he would say that wouldn't he?"

 

[chaileyjem]

Quite so, but do you think they have factored in the "uniqueness" of our fan base?

Judging by Paul Barbers comments at the NWSS meeting in the week, it appears not. Although it could be argued "he would say that wouldn't he?"

I suspect PB tries to forget some of our more unique fans from time to time.
Look I don't know for sure. I'm just arguing that this is what any club would be doing re: season ticket retention and i'm fairly confident that the club are well across issues and data like the dramatic growth in ST holders in one year in between 2010-11 , the historical average, issues like geography, extra family tickets; all the factors that contribute to you taking the leap and becoming a season ticket holder. Why on earth wouldn't they be doing that ?

As for what PB said at NWSS then I don't know what he exactly said or what the actual question was so its hard to comment ...but we'll know soon enough as i'm sure he'll be talking about this issue in the programme today and to the media in the next few days or will respond on here via his public emails etc.

this is what he said though as quoted by the club's twitter account re: ST.

BHAFC @OfficialBHAFC · Feb 18
PB: We've a lot of work to do to get back to where we were last season and season before. #BHAFC
PB: Every year there are a group who can't renew, for various reasons. I hope people will stay loyal to #BHAFC as they have for many years.
PB: Pricing strategy is around making football as affordable as possible for fans. It's important to #BHAFC that as many renew as possible.
Q: When will season-ticket renewals be announced? PB: Process and details will be announced on Sunday. #BHAFC

 

[Crispy Ambulance]

I suspect PB tries to forget some of our more unique fans from time to time.
Look I don't know for sure. I'm just arguing that this is what any club would be doing re: season ticket retention and i'm fairly confident that the club are well across issues and data like the dramatic growth in ST holders in one year in between 2010-11 , the historical average, issues like geography, extra family tickets; all the factors that contribute to you taking the leap and becoming a season ticket holder. Why on earth wouldn't they be doing that ?

That may be so but there doesn't appear to be any 'root cause analysis' into cancellations, which is a fairly basic and fundamental practice in a 'customer' environment.

 

[clippedgull]

Travel isn't "free" though is it? I'm sure a £50 supplement was added to the cost of a season ticket after 1st season at Amex after hardly anyone bought the travel vouchers in the first season?

That is correct. Due to the operators inability to check every passenger and the number of people that took advantage both the club and travel operator lost huge sums, so now every fan contributes whether they use the travel or not.

 

[chaileyjem]

That may be so but there doesn't appear to be any 'root cause analysis' into cancellations, which is a fairly basic and fundamental practice in a 'customer' environment.

I suspect the club over the last few months, especially in coming up with the process for ST renewals, have been exploring little else. Why are you convinced they wouldn't be ?