Royalty Points Discussion

[Hahnemann's Hairdresser]

The only thing that has stopped fans with sufficient points getting a ticket is themselves. They knew the allocation, they knew the demand they knew what it would take to get a ticket.

I had enough points to get a ticket today, however I start work at 11 and there isn't enough time for me to get to the ticket office in the morning, get my ticket then get to work. So the only chance I have to get a ticket is at lunch, usually around 1. So when the ticket office sells out of tickets at 11/11:30 its my own fault for not taking time off work to get a ticket?!

Also I was at the ticket office yesterday to buy my Man Utd replay ticket, and also to get a friend their Arsenal tickets. I asked if there was any chance I could get my Arsenal ticket then but was told that I didn't have enough points and to come back tomorrow. At no point was I told that tickets would sell out within an hour which is terrible forcasting.

And to rub salt into the wound, they haven't added my Burnley royalty points, I went to Fulham but was in the neutral section as I went with a Fulham supporting mate, and I went to Watford but got my ticket off the classifides section of this site - 3 games that would have given me 15 extra points and as such enough to get my Arsenal ticket yesterday. So I had as much right as anyone else to get a ticket when it was available but because of the system i've missed out.

As an example, and it just happens to be true, I start work at 8am. I had the foresight to book a visit to the doctor for 10am a week ago. Luckilly the doctors surgery were selling Arsenal tickets .

Where there is a will there is a way.

In your case thats fine, I neglected to mention that I'm on a temporary contract, so I get paid hourly, therefore taking an hour off for a 'doctors appointment' costs me an hours pay, and p*sses my boss off - meaning any chance of me becomming a permanent worker gets slimmer! I could probably have managed to fit both in give or take 20/30 mins, and truth be told I probably would have done had I been informed demand for tickets was so high. They must have sold 2000 of the 3000 allocated by close last night which reaffirms my point about poor forcasting and raises a new point about informing regular customers about high demand.

[Warfield North Stand]

Because I know this person in question very well. He is the group of people i attend the games with.
I know for a fact that the reason he has more points than me is that the club have rewarded him with the points for a full season ticket rather than a half one last season.
Even if he bought on a game by game basis then he would not amass more than my season ticket. I would almost certainly say that I have been to more away games than him over ther last two seasons.
Believe me, it is a balls up and he has got lucky. Not his fault. I was just wondering if it happened to him then how many other instances of this may of happened?

[Spirit of Elm Park]

Explain to me why there is only a 24 hour window.

They have the staff, they have the time and on this occassion, they had the knowledge that it was possible that we may have been selling cup replay tickets on the 24 hours in question.

Explain to me why that is of any relevance? The tickets all sold out in that period, and yet I hear no claims of people not being able to get served within the opening hours? There was not a queue all day yesterday until 8pm, and the phone line system, from what I can understand coped well despite being busy.

STH were also able to purchase their replay tickets online, which if I am to beleive the club, 10,000+ did. hardly a log Jam.

Bad individual planning, who shall we blame? The ticket office/club? hardly fair.

You might want to read Hanehman's Hairdressers post above. There's one, i'm sure there are several others who either don't post on hob nob or haven't seen this thread.

There is absolutely no reason why the tickets couldn't have been sold over a longer period.

As you didn't answer the first time, i'll try again - explain to me why there was only a 24 hour window. We have the sales staff and we have plenty of time between now and the match, why force fans to rearrange their lives like you seem to be endorsing when it's completely unneccesary?

Ok try reading my answer again - Explain to me why that is of any relevance? The tickets all sold out in that period, and yet I hear no claims of people not being able to get served within the opening hours? There was not a queue all day yesterday until 8pm, and the phone line system, from what I can understand coped well despite being busy.

Maybe what you would like is a system, where tickets are in high demand the club email fans personally to find out "what time would be good for them?", then arrange transport to and from the club shop, or failing that a personal telephone booking line. A system that takes into account your high number of Royalty points and won't sell unless you notify the club specifically and in writing that you do not wish to take the option.

It makes no difference in my eyes if the tickets are on sale for 24 hours, 48 hours or 72 hours, there are still only 3000 tickets available. People have known the day available to buy "their" ticket, but they chose to do nothing and instead complain when it didn't work out. As our Chairman demonstrates, and as he is all too quick to point out, "he didn't get where he is by sitting on his arse waiting for the world to come to him". He looks at what the world has to offer and then makes it "work" for him.

I'm not endorsing "changing our lives" to suit the club, I'm just able to see that in the current scheme of things, if I want to support the club, certain sacrifices have to be made.

[Spirit of Elm Park]

and truth be told I probably would have done had I been informed demand for tickets was so high. They must have sold 2000 of the 3000 allocated by close last night which reaffirms my point about poor forcasting and raises a new point about informing regular customers about high demand.

7000 tickets for last years cup game? Selling out Old Trafford and others?

Sorry, I don't mean to be argumentative, but this subject really rattles my cage .

[weybridgewanderer]

Because I know this person in question very well. He is the group of people i attend the games with.
I know for a fact that the reason he has more points than me is that the club have rewarded him with the points for a full season ticket rather than a half one last season.
Even if he bought on a game by game basis then he would not amass more than my season ticket. I would almost certainly say that I have been to more away games than him over ther last two seasons.
Believe me, it is a balls up and he has got lucky. Not his fault. I was just wondering if it happened to him then how many other instances of this may of happened?

well the HST holders I know including myself did not get awarded a full years points for the half season ticket . in actual fact we had to "fight" to get to keep the points we already had as for some reason the club decided we needed a new member number.

so I'd expect the number that got "rewarded" on this way is very small

[Schards#2]

Explain to me why that is of any relevance? The tickets all sold out in that period, and yet I hear no claims of people not being able to get served within the opening hours? There was not a queue all day yesterday until 8pm, and the phone line system, from what I can understand coped well despite being busy.

STH were also able to purchase their replay tickets online, which if I am to beleive the club, 10,000+ did. hardly a log Jam.

Bad individual planning, who shall we blame? The ticket office/club? hardly fair.

You might want to read Hanehman's Hairdressers post above. There's one, i'm sure there are several others who either don't post on hob nob or haven't seen this thread.

There is absolutely no reason why the tickets couldn't have been sold over a longer period.

As you didn't answer the first time, i'll try again - explain to me why there was only a 24 hour window. We have the sales staff and we have plenty of time between now and the match, why force fans to rearrange their lives like you seem to be endorsing when it's completely unneccesary?

Ok try reading my answer again - Explain to me why that is of any relevance? The tickets all sold out in that period, and yet I hear no claims of people not being able to get served within the opening hours? There was not a queue all day yesterday until 8pm, and the phone line system, from what I can understand coped well despite being busy.

Maybe what you would like is a system, where tickets are in high demand the club email fans personally to find out "what time would be good for them?", then arrange transport to and from the club shop, or failing that a personal telephone booking line. A system that takes into account your high number of Royalty points and won't sell unless you notify the club specifically and in writing that you do not wish to take the option.

It makes no difference in my eyes if the tickets are on sale for 24 hours, 48 hours or 72 hours, there are still only 3000 tickets available. People have known the day available to buy "their" ticket, but they chose to do nothing and instead complain when it didn't work out. As our Chairman demonstrates, and as he is all too quick to point out, "he didn't get where he is by sitting on his arse waiting for the world to come to him". He looks at what the world has to offer and then makes it "work" for him.

I'm not endorsing "changing our lives" to suit the club, I'm just able to see that in the current scheme of things, if I want to support the club, certain sacrifices have to be made.

Once again, you answer the question with a question.

Let's try again.

There are twelve days from when the tickets go on sale until the game, there is a sales force ready and willing to sell the 3,000 tickets on offer. Why is it neccessary to set up a sales system which forces all the people who want them to get them within the first 24 hours of the twelve days at the club's disposal thereby causing a lot of people a lot of avoidable inconvenience?

Why not have a stab at answering this time?

[Hahnemann's Hairdresser]

and truth be told I probably would have done had I been informed demand for tickets was so high. They must have sold 2000 of the 3000 allocated by close last night which reaffirms my point about poor forcasting and raises a new point about informing regular customers about high demand.

7000 tickets for last years cup game? Selling out Old Trafford and others?

The quickest we've sold out, to my knowledge, so far this season was after 2 full days for the liverpool away game, therefore I was using that as a guide, and we didn't sell out Old Trafford after 26 hours. Also Highbury last year had a couple of extra factors, last time Reading would play at Highbury, first away game to a 'big' team for a while, cup game to bigger club, this was just another league game so used the Liverpool scale as a more reliable guide.

Sorry, I don't mean to be argumentative, but this subject really rattles my cage .

Rattles your cage?!? At least you got a ticket!

[Spirit of Elm Park]

You might want to read Hanehman's Hairdressers post above. There's one, i'm sure there are several others who either don't post on hob nob or haven't seen this thread.

There is absolutely no reason why the tickets couldn't have been sold over a longer period.

As you didn't answer the first time, i'll try again - explain to me why there was only a 24 hour window. We have the sales staff and we have plenty of time between now and the match, why force fans to rearrange their lives like you seem to be endorsing when it's completely unneccesary?

Ok try reading my answer again - Explain to me why that is of any relevance? The tickets all sold out in that period, and yet I hear no claims of people not being able to get served within the opening hours? There was not a queue all day yesterday until 8pm, and the phone line system, from what I can understand coped well despite being busy.

Maybe what you would like is a system, where tickets are in high demand the club email fans personally to find out "what time would be good for them?", then arrange transport to and from the club shop, or failing that a personal telephone booking line. A system that takes into account your high number of Royalty points and won't sell unless you notify the club specifically and in writing that you do not wish to take the option.

It makes no difference in my eyes if the tickets are on sale for 24 hours, 48 hours or 72 hours, there are still only 3000 tickets available. People have known the day available to buy "their" ticket, but they chose to do nothing and instead complain when it didn't work out. As our Chairman demonstrates, and as he is all too quick to point out, "he didn't get where he is by sitting on his arse waiting for the world to come to him". He looks at what the world has to offer and then makes it "work" for him.

I'm not endorsing "changing our lives" to suit the club, I'm just able to see that in the current scheme of things, if I want to support the club, certain sacrifices have to be made.

Once again, you answer the question with a question.

Let's try again.

There are twelve days from when the tickets go on sale until the game, there is a sales force ready and willing to sell the 3,000 tickets on offer. Why is it neccessary to set up a sales system which forces all the people who want them to get them within the first 24 hours of the twelve days at the club's disposal thereby causing a lot of people a lot of avoidable inconvenience?

Why not have a stab at answering this time?

Jeeeesusss....I would "guess" that they have to sell the tickets by a certain date. They have to assume (rightly or wrongly) that "worst case", demand will allow sales to all brackets within the scale. Therefore they divide the banding into the days available to sell. Bottoming out at the points cut off which they deem acceptable for a game this late in the season?

I would also guess, that they have to organise staffing on those days to meet with anticipated demand. They, with their knowledge of the numbers involved, would feel that they could safely and accurately manage the numbers expected within that timeframe, having given fans (in this case) 2 weeks to sort themselves out.

...and again....if you wanted a ticket yesterday...they have informed you that you could get one. It was your "choice" not to take that option. If they had given you 2 days, three days etc, that would also have been your "choice", but they didn't. They gave you 1 day, 2 weeks in advance.

[EASTENDER MARKY]

and truth be told I probably would have done had I been informed demand for tickets was so high. They must have sold 2000 of the 3000 allocated by close last night which reaffirms my point about poor forcasting and raises a new point about informing regular customers about high demand.

7000 tickets for last years cup game? Selling out Old Trafford and others?

The quickest we've sold out, to my knowledge, so far this season was after 2 full days for the liverpool away game, therefore I was using that as a guide, and we didn't sell out Old Trafford after 26 hours. Also Highbury last year had a couple of extra factors, last time Reading would play at Highbury, first away game to a 'big' team for a while, cup game to bigger club, this was just another league game so used the Liverpool scale as a more reliable guide.

Sorry, I don't mean to be argumentative, but this subject really rattles my cage .

Rattles your cage?!? At least you got a ticket!

tbf you can't blame anyone but yourself. If you had enough points to get a ticket yesterday or today then why didn't you go down there/phone up?

[Hahnemann's Hairdresser]

7000 tickets for last years cup game? Selling out Old Trafford and others?

The quickest we've sold out, to my knowledge, so far this season was after 2 full days for the liverpool away game, therefore I was using that as a guide, and we didn't sell out Old Trafford after 26 hours. Also Highbury last year had a couple of extra factors, last time Reading would play at Highbury, first away game to a 'big' team for a while, cup game to bigger club, this was just another league game so used the Liverpool scale as a more reliable guide.

Sorry, I don't mean to be argumentative, but this subject really rattles my cage .

Rattles your cage?!? At least you got a ticket!

tbf you can't blame anyone but yourself. If you had enough points to get a ticket yesterday or today then why didn't you go down there/phone up?

As mentioned above, I had enough for today not yesterday, but couldn't get there before 1 today, by which time the tickets had sold out. I would not have been compensated for the loss of earnings had I missed work to get a ticket therefore I could not justify getting to the ground to get my ticket at any time other than my lunch hour at 1. Also I tried the phones but was turned away each time as demand was so high.

[Spirit of Elm Park]

this was just another league game so used the Liverpool scale as a more reliable guide.

Liverpool being in North London as opposed to North of England You really are not helping your arguement.

[Spirit of Elm Park]

As mentioned above, I had enough for today not yesterday, but couldn't get there before 1 today, by which time the tickets had sold out. I would not have been compensated for the loss of earnings had I missed work to get a ticket therefore I could not justify getting to the ground to get my ticket at any time other than my lunch hour at 1. Also I tried the phones but was turned away each time as demand was so high.

In which case it is misfortune on your part, and not bad organisation/planning by the ticket office.

[Gordons Cumming]

I told you how many points I had Mr Cumming. Now take that back....

Just jesting.............

[Hahnemann's Hairdresser]

this was just another league game so used the Liverpool scale as a more reliable guide.

Liverpool being in North London as opposed to North of England You really are not helping your arguement.

We've had plenty of games closer than Liverpool that sold similar or less quantities of tickets in a longer space of time, as Liverpool sold quicker than any other away game so far this season I think that location is irrelevant.

[STAR Voice]

For the record, STAR has asked the club several times to publish the number of people within each selling band, even though we do recognise that this would, by definition, be a snapshot in time as the number in each band is constantly changing. The club has declined to release this information.

We also believe that as the number of royalty points which people have increases, so the value at which the top band starts should increase.
Similarly, we believe that for high-demand matches the range of each band should decrease - especially for matches where the total selling period is quite long. These recommendations have both been given to the club on several occasions in the recent past.

FWIW, I don't think that this situation means that anyone has been unfairly treated, but I think it would have been easier for all (Sales Centre staff included) to have spread out the sales over a few more days by the use of narrower bands, as well as setting people's expectations better. As it turns out, we have too many people in the second band who had hopes of getting tickets which have turned out to be unrealistic hopes.

[Royalphil]

We also believe that as the number of royalty points which people have increases, so the value at which the top band starts should increase.
Similarly, we believe that for high-demand matches the range of each band should decrease - especially for matches where the total selling period is quite long. .

It's not rocket science...

FWIW, I don't think that this situation means that anyone has been unfairly treated, but I think it would have been easier for all (Sales Centre staff included) to have spread out the sales over a few more days by the use of narrower bands, as well as setting people's expectations better. As it turns out, we have too many people in the second band who had hopes of getting tickets which have turned out to be unrealistic hopes.

Couldn't agree more!

[Huntley & Palmer]

I hope that STAR will continue to lobby RFC on this subject, perhaps even providing this and other threads as evidence of the customer requesting this information,

[RoyalBlue]

For the record, STAR has asked the club several times to publish the number of people within each selling band, even though we do recognise that this would, by definition, be a snapshot in time as the number in each band is constantly changing. The club has declined to release this information.

Why?

This sort of point blank and seemingly unreasonable refusal p*sses me off as much as it does when Government departments refuse to comment on matters that are of clear concern to the public.

As far as I can see, STAR keep trying to be polite, reasonable, objective and helpful towards the business management side of the club, yet repeatedly get told to get lost.

If they won't co-operate at all with STAR, I really think STAR need to give serious consideration to the nature of their relationship with them.

If the business management side of the club aren't prepared to listen and take constructive criticism/advice from STAR, then STAR should let them stew in their own juice. Ultimately some of those managers are likely to end up losing their jobs because they are unable to learn from their mistakes and/or take on board sound advice from the likes of STAR.

[STAR Voice]

I hope that STAR will continue to lobby RFC on this subject, perhaps even providing this and other threads as evidence of the customer requesting this information,

Ceratinly will, and the more such evidence of dissatisfaction the louder the collective voice will be.

[readingbedding]

I hope that STAR will continue to lobby RFC on this subject, perhaps even providing this and other threads as evidence of the customer requesting this information,

Ceratinly will, and the more such evidence of dissatisfaction the louder the collective voice will be.

What complete rubbish.

How come the 3,000 managed to have the foresight to realise that these tickets would be highly sought after?

I'm sorry, but most of this sounds like petulant foot stamping to me.