Membership Issues Email.

[SainTas9]

Hi guys,

I usually just read posts for gossip or info. regarding the club and don't post as I am quite passive (or I have a life - you choose) but I thought I should post an email I sent to the membership department to get your opinion. Have I gone a bit overboard. Feel free to ignore the part about consecutive years of membership. I'm more looking for your opinion on the remainder but feel free to comment on anything (even my spelling and grammar if you're a spelling Nazi).
Cheers fellow Sainters. Here's the email.

Hi Saints,

I recently contacted the membership department regarding my renewal and was told to email the attached information as proof of years of membership. I hope I haven't left this too late as I was hoping to get this to you prior to the first payment being deducted however I've been very busy.

The letter I received indicated that the recognised years of membership was no longer just consecutive however I am noted as only having 7 years membership in total. This is incorrect. I was a member from 2002-2004 (3 years) and from 2007-2012 (6 years). Attached is a scanned copy of my membership cards as proof of this. I also believe I was a member for some years in the 90's however I haven't been able to locate any proof as yet. I will inform you if I can in the future. These years I may have had a child membership or something - I'm not sure. Hopefully you may have some records relating to this. Can you please let me know if you are able to chase this up because I've had no luck as yet.

I'd also like to comment on the constant changing of membership status. Being an interstate member, I was very happy with the introduction of an Interstate Social Club Membership however I was very disappointed a few years back when it was decided that the reserved seating arrangement was modified. A few years back all I had to do was ring up and let StKilda FC know that I was going to a game and a seat on level 1 was arranged at no cost. Now as a Social Club Member who pays a premium I am relegated to the bleachers and there is no option for an interstate member to have a good seat inclusive of there social club membership fee of $252 per annum. I generally only make it to 3 games a year and would think it's a better idea to maximise the amount of games an Interstate Premium Social Club member can attend to perhaps 5-8 games depending on some market research. Perhaps you could ask us all our opinion via a survey. I believe there is only about 150-200 of us. By maximising the number of games we are allowed to attend maybe then we could be provided with a Level 1 or 2 seat for the few games that we attend. I think it's a bit rich to ask us to pay an additional fee when we already pay $252 a year simply to sit on level 1 or 2. If I can only go to a few games a year I don't want to be sitting on level 3 so every game I attend I have to pay for a seat. I would think all Interstate Premium Social Club members would feel the same. Please don't disregard this because there must be a solution that will keep all parties happy. It is ridiculous for me to buy a reserved seat and leave it empty for 3/4 of the season.

Also, I am not impressed with people being classified as priority 1 or 2 grand final ticket access without notice simply based on where people choose to sit. Not good PR at all. I'm told that it won't affect whether or not we get a seat as there are more seat allocations than Social Club members. In which case a sly change in terms would have been better i.e. Group 1 and 2 rather than Priority 1 and 2. My main concern regarding this is that if we have more success in the future you will reintroduce something such as the 'September Saints' and you will end up causing loyal social club members to miss out on seats (as happened to a lot of people in '09 and '10) while the bandwagon jumpers end up with premium seats at a Grand Final. I want, and to be honest, demand a guarantee that this won't happen as I will seriously have to think about becoming an AFL member or something instead of a StKilda football club member. This would be massively disappointing as I have been a diehard Saints fan since the day I was born and had intended to be a member until the day I die. Please address this and provide a guarantee to all of us Social Club Members as I know I'm not the only one with these concerns.

Lastly, I don't know if you turn over new staff every year in the membership department or something that insist on a newer and better way to do things but please stop changing the way membership is done every year. Remember change for the sake of it isn't always better. It frustrates all of us more than you could possibly believe.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and please don't shrug it off as a rant from a disenfranchised idiot because I normally couldn't be fussed writing such an email and would just swallow it but my patience is wearing thin.

Thanks again and I await your reply or feel free to call me on my mobile (**** *** ***) if you'd prefer.

GO SAINTS - I LOVE THIS CLUB.

Regards

[SainTas9]

Mod's, I have no idea how to dlete double post. Can you please fix? I think it happended because I previewd and then submitted the post.
Cheers 'n' Thanx

[Legendary]

Excellent email. All valid points and worthy feedback. I hope the club give it a deservedly considered response.

[saintbrat]

Re Priority levels
for your information I was informed by someone who contacted the club that the - ultimate, Priority 1 and Priority 2 is ONLY valid to registering for Grand final tickets a fortnight out from the Grand final- meaning that it is stretched across the day rather than 10,000 people trying to get on at 9 am.

[Elementary]

[quote="saintbrat"][b]Re Priority levels[/b]
for your information I was informed by someone who contacted the club that the - ultimate, Priority 1 and Priority 2 is ONLY valid to registering for Grand final tickets a fortnight out from the Grand final- meaning that it is stretched across the day rather than 10,000 people trying to get on at 9 am.[/quote]

Saintbrat, that is not the information that is in the email from the club. They state:
"Priority 1 and 2 Grand Final Ballot Access

Premium and Ultimate Members are guaranteed a ticket in the Grand Final Ballot if St Kilda participates. Priorities have been created to provide members access to a Grand Final ticket that may be similar or equal to the membership type that they purchase each season.
The two priorities are:

•Priority 1 - a dedicated time window (eg. 8-11am) for Ultimate Members to register for a Grand Final ticket in the Grand Final Ballot if St Kilda is a participating team. Ultimate Members will be allocated tickets prior to Premium Members.
•Priority 2 - a dedicated time window (eg. 12-3pm) for Premium Members to register for a Grand Final ticket in the Grand Final Ballot if St Kilda is a participating team."
This would mean that priority 1 social club members should definitely get a seat while priority 2 would get a seat or standing room. Who knows what would happen to September Saints but my guess is they would be same as priority 2. This is definitely unfair for social club members who do pay for a reserved seat but prefer their seat behind the goals on level 1 or the first few rows of level 2. Their membership type guarantees a seat during the home and away season so they should get a seat at finals (including grand final).

I would be interested in hearing any response you get SainTas9. The club also changed cheersquad membership to require you to have social club to get the cheersquad allocation of grand final tickets and the club didnt tell the cheersquad about this before the change. It is hard to plan when you never know when the starting post is going to change.

[saintbrat]

thanks
I was going on word of mouth- so only got half the info

But from that I would not assume that Ultimate will get seating and Premium may get the rest- as all Grand final tickets are done by randon selection- and someone's number being called at 9 am is just as likely to get standing room as Premium seating- - from my understanding.

[SainTas9]

Thanks Elementary.
I'll be sure to post the reply from the club when it comes. Fingers crossed it wont take too long. Saintbrat, I've been told that the allocated seats are in excess of our social club numbers. Not sure if that takes into account our maximum allowable social club memberships and have no idea if that is already exhausted. My worry is if they introduce something such as the former 'September Saint' thing and us Social club members miss out on seats to 'bandwagon jumpers' for want of a better term.

[saintbrat]

there were certainly spaces available in social club during 2012,