Whole Stadium to be a Cash free zone. (UPDATED)

[Royal With Cheese]

Why would anyone in their right mind want to roll up to the stadium at 1 or 2 o'clock for a 3pm game? I'd love to know. Anytime I go now it's like a game a chicken to see how close to the kick off you can actually get there without missing any of the game.

Agreed also that beer/food at most fooball grounds are shyte and generall overpriced. I yearn for the good old days of the Royals Rendezvous whith half decent food/drink, the ability to stagger out straight into Elm Park for the match and the ability to stagger straight back in again afterwards. I spent considerably more 20 years ago than I would ever now.

I'm sorry to disagree with you Sun but I see any cashless system as a way of saving money for the banks/business - not the ability to provide a better/cheaper service to the customers. That's probably me being totally cynical about it.

[Sun Tzu]

I'm sorry to disagree with you Sun but I see any cashless system as a way of saving money for the banks/business - not the ability to provide a better/cheaper service to the customers. That's probably me being totally cynical about it.

I'm not sure you are disagreeing with me !

It's got to have a benefit for the business, they aren't going to do it unless they make / save money.

If by saving money in one area they can improve service and therefore make more money then everyone benefots, whether it gets past the saving money stage is the problem !!

[royalflush]

Can anyone just confirm which areas are now “cashless”? Is it just the southern side of the West Stand Upper?

[TFF]

Can anyone just confirm which areas are now “cashless”? Is it just the southern side of the West Stand Upper?

North West Upper

[West Stand Man]

Why would anyone in their right mind want to roll up to the stadium at 1 or 2 o'clock for a 3pm game?

To make sure I get a parking space somewhere accessible.

I spent considerably more 20 years ago than I would ever now.

I'll bet you don't really. Inflation alone will have made a major difference.

I'm sorry to disagree with you Sun but I see any cashless system as a way of saving money for the banks/business - not the ability to provide a better/cheaper service to the customers. That's probably me being totally cynical about it.

I think, like may things, there is a balance of benefits here. If the system works as it is supposed to then I would expect the speed of service to be improved. That would mean faster throughput and an outsider of a chance that we all get served before the second half starts. That there is benefit to the club is obvious - why would they spend money on a system that wasn't going to reap rewards.

[Matt de K]

If the system works as it is supposed to then I would expect the speed of service to be improved. That would mean faster throughput and an outsider of a chance that we all get served before the second half starts. That there is benefit to the club is obvious - why would they spend money on a system that wasn't going to reap rewards.

Hasn't the cashless system been in the UW for a year(ish) now? You'd have thought that after a year maybe the speed of service would have already shown signs of improvement...

[Royal With Cheese]

Why would anyone in their right mind want to roll up to the stadium at 1 or 2 o'clock for a 3pm game?

To make sure I get a parking space somewhere accessible.

I spent considerably more 20 years ago than I would ever now.

I'll bet you don't really. Inflation alone will have made a major difference.

OK - answer to 1 only valid due to the rediculous time taken to get into or out of the Mad Stad. If you could get out in 5 mins flat you probably wouldn't do that.
Answer to 2 is genuinely true. I would spend on average £50 on a match day. The majority of that was on drink and pool in the Royals Rendezvous!

[Whore Jackie]

Can anyone just confirm which areas are now “cashless”? Is it just the southern side of the West Stand Upper?

North West Upper

Three quarters through the season and it still hasn’t been extended beyond the original trial area. Safe to assume, there’s some pretty fundamental problems.

[Dirk Gently]

Can anyone just confirm which areas are now “cashless”? Is it just the southern side of the West Stand Upper?

North West Upper

Three quarters through the season and it still hasn’t been extended beyond the original trial area. Safe to assume, there’s some pretty fundamental problems.

not really - just that it's not top of their list of priorities at the moment. It is most appropriate when the stadium is at or near capacity week-in, week-out. When it's not, this is less of a priority.

[Sun Tzu]

If the system works as it is supposed to then I would expect the speed of service to be improved. That would mean faster throughput and an outsider of a chance that we all get served before the second half starts. That there is benefit to the club is obvious - why would they spend money on a system that wasn't going to reap rewards.

Hasn't the cashless system been in the UW for a year(ish) now? You'd have thought that after a year maybe the speed of service would have already shown signs of improvement...

It showed a big improvement as soon as it went in.

I've not been in the UW this season so don't know whether it's slipped back, or indeed whether they are still operating it the way they did last season.

I'd be surprised if running it in such a small section generated enough benefits to maintain higher staffing levels all season.

[WoodleyRoyal]

i dont know, being in the championship has decreased our revenue massivley. You would think the club would be doing its upmoast to generate more cash and speedier service, in the east would definatley generate more cash. I either have to leave my seat just before half time or miss out on a half time tipple as the service is so awfull down there and i'm sure alot of people just dont bother anymore

[Dirk Gently]

i dont know, being in the championship has decreased our revenue massivley. You would think the club would be doing its upmoast to generate more cash and speedier service, in the east would definatley generate more cash. I either have to leave my seat just before half time or miss out on a half time tipple as the service is so awfull down there and i'm sure alot of people just dont bother anymore

Yes, but in the Championship there is much less cash readily available for capital investment like this, and if the payback is lower (from smaller crowds) the investment becomes less urgent because it'd take longer to make it pay for itself.

[WoodleyRoyal]

we can only speculate about how much this would cost to implement, but its not going to be much. A few machines to read the cards and a few top up machines round the concourse wheres the expense??

[Whore Jackie]

Three quarters through the season and it still hasn’t been extended beyond the original trial area. Safe to assume, there’s some pretty fundamental problems.

not really - just that it's not top of their list of priorities at the moment. It is most appropriate when the stadium is at or near capacity week-in, week-out. When it's not, this is less of a priority.

Just seems odd that the roll-out, was scheduled for this season. The attendances aren't far off most of our predictions. And it's not got further than one of less populated stands. Much better to get it working through the whole stadium, if that's the long-tern plan, before the crowds return next year.

[TFF]

we can only speculate about how much this would cost to implement, but its not going to be much. A few machines to read the cards and a few top up machines round the concourse wheres the expense??

You should see the number of customer care staff/mobile top-up people we have floating around up there!

My guess is that there isn't a persuasive economic argument for the club to extend the trial.

[Dirk Gently]

we can only speculate about how much this would cost to implement, but its not going to be much. A few machines to read the cards and a few top up machines round the concourse wheres the expense??

Time and money spent in educating people how to use them and on customer service - plus an inevitable initial drop in revenue from all those luddites convinced this is a bad idea and only being done so the club can rip them off, who would boycott it on principle.

All new systems cost a certain amount of time and money to implement before you get the benefits back.

[WoodleyRoyal]

have you used it tff is it any good i.e reliable

[TFF]

have you used it tff is it any good i.e reliable

Pay attention! Couple of pages back I said this:

It's a proper pain in the arse to be honest but I persevere.

The pre-match queues do seem to be shorter but I don't know if that's due to fewer people buying in the concourse or more efficient service.

I never buy at half time as I prefer to watch all of the game. It's still not possible to watch all of the first half, take a leak, buy refreshments (much less in the case of beer consume it too) and return to your seat for the start of the second half.

I guess RFC will look at the effect on turnover when they finally decide to keep it or not.

There were a few teething troubles. Money paid to the people with handheld machines not showing as credit on the wall mounted machines but did at the till (or vice versa, I can't recall) and the online balance not being the same as the balance on the card but those are the kind of issues that the trial was designed to iron out.

As far as I can tell it pretty much works fine in a "nuts and bolts" sense. I just don't like it.

[WoodleyRoyal]

277 replies, forgive me for not remembering them all

[The 17 Bus]

Very soon you will be able to use your mobile to buy things, why would you want a completely different system for one location?

The problem is not really the method of payment, but the people manning the food kiosks.