Social Club Membership still for sale

[plugger66]

Sorry Plugger but I think you're missing the point - when people fork over their hard-earned and are called "members", they expect to get something in return, and certainly don't see it as a donation. The problem is that SC offers what in the way of value??? If the only thing it represents is guaranteed GF access, then it becomes worthless in the eyes of many if they don't think we can make the GF.

Surely it is smarter and more beneficial for the club if the SC represents something more than what it presently does (a donation to the club). It is a revenue stream from the most responsive demographic they'll ever have, rusted on fans. If they chose to try and milk it like mad for no benefit to the fans then the club will miss out - let's not forget that the bulk of the supporters have a limited amount of discretionary income and have to chose what represents the best value for money for them.

In my case I could have afforded it, but for many that won't be the case, so instead of an incidental increase in membership revenue of about 20% (in our case), they lost a SC membership at whatever the value of that was. Doesn't strike me as smart business. They should be making it as easy as possible for people to "buy up to" extra membership options.

Well this is where we disagree. i still say it is a donation and as soon as a club drops the people drop their donation off because the donation had one thing going for it and that is a GF ticket. What could the club give people when a side is on the way down that would keep them as SC members. i doubt there is much that would change peoples minds once the club is on the way down. Only have to look at our normal membership this year. Im afraid footy is a grab for cash and you have to strike while the iron is hot.

And i must hang out with different members to you because most of the ones I know would be lucky to use their membership once or twice a year. Doesnt mean some dont go but get in on other tickets. They only buy a membership as a donation.

keep half the social club seating non-reserve. Have it available the week before through the club. Thus those who are from interstate, from geelong and other towns or would like to invite more social club friends to sit with them can use his facility. They still get a bay full of reserved but also make money from those wanting to book ($5 a pop sounds fair) each week. Simple database exercise which would make the club money and also give something back of value to the social club member.

Bring back the foundation social club member. Maybe an extra 10% off on merchandise on top of their normal level membership. A social club medallion every 5 years of social club membership (not every year but milestones).

Some thoughts that would not break the budget. Spend to make money they say.

To those saying it's a donation, it's not. A donation is a donation. If I won the lottery I would give a donation, it's called a cheque.

It may not be a donation for you but it is for me and a few friends that pay it. Never been in the social club seating as I cant stand level one and never go the after match. Still pay that and my membership as it is a donation. Get no benefit and dont want one. Understand why some do but the benefit is a GF ticket. The pies charge $800 for that benefit. I reckon the club have worked out that giving benefits as less productive money wise that not otherwise surely they would give some benefits.

[asiu]

twas always a 'donation' from me ... foundation and a reserved seat when i lived in sydney.
.... i got the shiiiiits at linton st the morning after the gf loss to the maggots ... after the devaluing of the fm hearing a sales pitch instead of 'sorry' was the straw that broke the rats back.

short term greed wasnt my way so i surely wasnt cop it from the club , sorry , i mean 'the brand'.
idiots , imo.

[Stephen Theodore]

I still say the club had no choice but to make money while it could. Numbers will drop off no matter how you treat members when in the opinion of supporters they are on the way down. SC members have dropped off because they dont see the need to join because a GF ticket isnt an issue this year. We had to make money when it was an issue. Do people really think a little gift will keep members. may keep a few but the cost would out way the benefit. Yes it would be nice to do heaps for members but really these type of things are donations and you get more donations when successful. We have lost 5k members this year. I would have thought that was an obvious amount because people thought we couldnt win the flag. Do you people actually think a little gift would keep them? I doubt it.

Sorry Plugger but I think you're missing the point - when people fork over their hard-earned and are called "members", they expect to get something in return, and certainly don't see it as a donation. The problem is that SC offers what in the way of value??? If the only thing it represents is guaranteed GF access, then it becomes worthless in the eyes of many if they don't think we can make the GF.

Surely it is smarter and more beneficial for the club if the SC represents something more than what it presently does (a donation to the club). It is a revenue stream from the most responsive demographic they'll ever have, rusted on fans. If they chose to try and milk it like mad for no benefit to the fans then the club will miss out - let's not forget that the bulk of the supporters have a limited amount of discretionary income and have to chose what represents the best value for money for them.

In my case I could have afforded it, but for many that won't be the case, so instead of an incidental increase in membership revenue of about 20% (in our case), they lost a SC membership at whatever the value of that was. Doesn't strike me as smart business. They should be making it as easy as possible for people to "buy up to" extra membership options.

Well this is where we disagree. i still say it is a donation and as soon as a club drops the people drop their donation off because the donation had one thing going for it and that is a GF ticket. What could the club give people when a side is on the way down that would keep them as SC members. i doubt there is much that would change peoples minds once the club is on the way down. Only have to look at our normal membership this year. Im afraid footy is a grab for cash and you have to strike while the iron is hot.

And i must hang out with different members to you because most of the ones I know would be lucky to use their membership once or twice a year. Doesnt mean some dont go but get in on other tickets. They only buy a membership as a donation.

Gotta agree. Being an interstater, it's purely a donation.

[The Craw]

It may not be a donation for you but it is for me and a few friends that pay it. Never been in the social club seating as I cant stand level one and never go the after match. Still pay that and my membership as it is a donation. Get no benefit and dont want one. Understand why some do but the benefit is a GF ticket. The pies charge $800 for that benefit. I reckon the club have worked out that giving benefits as less productive money wise that not otherwise surely they would give some benefits.

Then call it a grand final ticket donation, not a social club which is non existent.

The whole concept of a social club is where like minded people can get together and feel involved .... its not about just getting a GF ticket, its about have a meal before the game, a drink during the game, a drink after the game and mixing with people contected to the footy club. Making a bit of coin on the bar, on the raffle for a signed footy jumper, football etc... the club wants people to turn up to games but give no incentive and it isn't a freebee as money is still handed over, just a little engagement. $100 for an SC membership with all of that added could very well turn into an extra $200 - $300 over a home game year PP.

The way it is going the club is losing its soul.

[plugger66]

It may not be a donation for you but it is for me and a few friends that pay it. Never been in the social club seating as I cant stand level one and never go the after match. Still pay that and my membership as it is a donation. Get no benefit and dont want one. Understand why some do but the benefit is a GF ticket. The pies charge $800 for that benefit. I reckon the club have worked out that giving benefits as less productive money wise that not otherwise surely they would give some benefits.

Then call it a grand final ticket donation, not a social club which is non existent.

The whole concept of a social club is where like minded people can get together and feel involved .... its not about just getting a GF ticket, its about have a meal before the game, a drink during the game, a drink after the game and mixing with people contected to the footy club. Making a bit of coin on the bar, on the raffle for a signed footy jumper, football etc... the club wants people to turn up to games but give no incentive and it isn't a freebee as money is still handed over, just a little engagement. $100 for an SC membership with all of that added could very well turn into an extra $200 - $300 over a home game year PP.

The way it is going the club is losing its soul.

Doesnt the SC have all that you mentioned?

[saintsRrising]

I still say the club had no choice but to make money while it could. .

Why is that at all relevant????

Making EXTRA money and maintaining the SC are not mutually exclusive. The clubs' approach is simplistic, lazy and is destroying long-term value.


For example: When the extra GF ticket Right allocation became available all the Club had to do was invent a new Membership Category.....like they did with the GF waiting list category.

Call it the Baldock Club for example...

So all SC Members get GF Ticket access (say 70% of the allocation) and all Baldock Club (say 30%) get GF Ticket Access.

Even the banks realised that alienating customers is a bad ting, and are falling all over themselves to reintroduce customer service. The "Can" Bank even has a concierge FFS. The "Can't" Saints meanwhile are turning members into second-rate customers.

Have you noticed that Telstra's share price has been on the rise? Reason being is the new customer focused CEO. Stilla long way to go, but they are improving.

[thejiggingsaint]

I upgraded to SC in 2003 in the aftermath of the Capuano sacking! I felt that it was the right thing to do while the club were being belted by the world and his dog in the media for dealing with a Bad Apple in a strong and decisive way. I've recently had to drop my reserved seat on level 1 because of economic reasons, but will maintain SC.