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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2016 10:02:51 GMT 1
Dear Shrewsbury Town Football Club On the 16th January 2016 my father attended the Greenhous Meadow to complete the transaction for a half season ticket and to attend the Barnsley game with that ticket. My mother had already paid for the ticket in advance as a surprise gift for their Ruby Wedding Anniversary and my father was there to complete the transaction by showing some formal ID and documentation to prove that he was infact entitled to disability discount as had been discussed on the phone. This is where the story becomes a tangled mess of ineptitude, arguing and in the end a loss of temper which in turn brought on two very scary seizures. Hopefully you will have the time to read this, so I will start from the beginning. Since the age of around sixteen my dad has suffered from Epilepsy in varying degrees, since that age and since I can remember my dad has randomly suffered from some very scary seizures. The severity and amount of the seizures tends to depend on if the specialists that he constantly sees can find the correct combination and levels of special tablets, the level of the drugs that are given tend to offer a good indication on the severity and also the amount of the seizures, as obviously when the levels are down he suffers, but if the level goes too high this causes a worryingly adverse effect on his vital organs, which highly concerns the specialists and as I am sure you can appreciate it is a very delicate balancing act and quite tough on my dad at times. He does have the ability to fly off the handle sometimes if things that in his head are black and white aren't adhered to and he has been told to avoid stressful situations and winding himself up to easily. Early on while he was involved in some very early trialling of drugs to find a good combination for him he would regularly suffer 5/6 serious fits in a day and again I am sure you can appreciate how difficult that was for him but also at the same time how scared you would feel as a ten or eleven year old watching you dad constantly fit, fall and lose consciousness in front of you without any warning. I have never been so scared in all my life as the day my dad collapsed outside my junior school having come to surprise me and pick me up and walk me the short distance home, the same thing as most of the kids mums and dads do on a daily basis. The school called ambulances as you would expect, but when my dad comes round from a seizure he always shows signs of 'flight or fight syndrome' because he is confused as to where he is and what has happened and generally he will fight against people trying to restrain him which is obviously what the paramedics were doing in this case to get him into the ambulance. I was screaming to be let out of the school to help my dad, because I knew that he would come round from and be ok and I wanted to go with him, but they wouldn't let me and kept me inside and my dad was driven off to hospital. Anyway enough of the hard luck stories, I have to say my dad, really when I look back and although I was loathe to admit it in my younger years was a hell of an inspiration in some respects, he never seemed to get down about his situation and even though I wouldn't admit it at the time he must have struggled with it all especially with two young nippers running around and causing him nightmares as they got older. My dad worked in a customer facing role for a high street bank for 40 years and he has always worked until he took early retirement five years ago. Epilepsy has always entitled him to a disabled badge, and the only reason he took this in the end, about ten years ago was for my mum’s sake in case she had to navigate through town to pick him from work if he had been ill, it was something he was until recently highly embarrassed about and wouldn’t liked mentioned. Apart from his wife and kids the one thing my dad enjoyed and which was able to give him some level of independence and still did until recently were trips to the Meadow to support his beloved Salop and I am sure he was delighted that his two sons also took up the supporter mantle and would accompany him to games where and when they could, and I know for a fact that he was looking forward to bringing his three Grandkids to the Meadow and bringing them up as he has my brother and I as honouree Salopians. When I got married three years ago we booked part of my stag party at the club so my dad could feel involved. We had a pre-match meal and drinks in the Arthur Rowley Lounge and my dad to our surprise also sponsored the match ball on our behalf which I have to say was a fantastic experience, especially presenting the MOM award to Jon Taylor! The support and money my dad has give this club over the years should not be underestimated and he should not be made to feel like a fraudster at the ticket office as he was on the 16th January. The problem and refusal to issue the half season ticket seems to have stemmed from the fact that my Dad could only provide proof of his disabled entitlement until the end of April this year and not for the full period of the ticket being active (even though the ticket was only active until May....yes we are quibbling over a couple of weeks)! My dad then tried to explain over and over again (even showing his disabled persons railcard trying to prove that he wasn't on the fiddle) before getting a little irate, that he will not get another letter from the authorities until two or three weeks before this current letter runs out, but this it seems this was not acceptable and unless you are physically disabled you are not fooling the ticket office at STFC, the very same ticket office who in the past have issued parking spaces to the person (me, my brother or mum) who brings him to the game, before allowing my dad to buy a disabled ticket! My dad left the ground very angry and upset and quite worked up according to my mum who rang me the next day. It turns out that the club couldn't give out a refund there and then and still have not refunded the ticket price. Unfortunately for my dad the stress brought on a seizure while travelling back to the Wirral and another during his sleep that night that my mum had to deal with alone, so thanks STFC, I am telling you now that you have lost two staunch supporters and regardless of the success you may have in the future my dad is adamant he will not be seen at the Meadow again and the way I feel at the moment neither will I. In life you reap what you sow, I feel at the moment never a truer saying has applied to all at Greenhous Meadow.
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Post by ThrobsBlackHat on Feb 3, 2016 10:06:25 GMT 1
I actually feel sick reading that.
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Post by ssshrew on Feb 3, 2016 10:13:00 GMT 1
And people try to tell us there is nothing wrong at the club!!! I agree with TBH it's awful. The catalogue of unthinking, uncaring happenings is building up rather too rapidly for my liking.
Best wishes to you and your family Evo.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2016 10:15:56 GMT 1
RW apparently isnt averse to reading stuff on here and inviting people in for "a coffee" , we'll here's the rub Roland, time to pick up the phone, apologise and get this shambles sorted. You are not bigger than the fans and you are a custodian of a club that's been here since 1886 not lord and master of all you survey. So pull your finger out and start running this club like you give a s**t about the fans and people of the town. Relegation I can live with but this kind of stuff matters.
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Post by neilsalop on Feb 3, 2016 10:16:58 GMT 1
Wrong, so wrong.
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al36shrew
Midland League Division One
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Post by al36shrew on Feb 3, 2016 10:22:31 GMT 1
really sorry to here that but iam not suprised
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Post by theriverside on Feb 3, 2016 10:22:45 GMT 1
I actually feel sick reading that. That's the only reaction you can feel after reading that. What an absolute joke.
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Post by mikeinsheff on Feb 3, 2016 10:27:45 GMT 1
Sorry to read that Evo. Long time no see. Completely understand your Dad`s reaction.
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Post by 18stfc86 on Feb 3, 2016 10:37:21 GMT 1
Disgusting yet again from STFC!
Makes me laugh when I see some fans on here living in the clouds saying that nothing is wrong with our club, it's at the worst it's ever been! After the Oldham game my friend ripped up his season ticket and vowed not to go back again, my Dad refuses to go whilst Wycherley is still at the helm, I've decided last night that I've had enough and won't ne returning for a very long time (United or not).
Losing a lot of supporters at the minute aren't you Roland? First the disgraceful approach about the memorial now this. Sort the customer support out once and for all!
Someone please take this to some national papers ahead of the United game, please. Might actually wake Rolly up!
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Post by 18stfc86 on Feb 3, 2016 10:39:34 GMT 1
Oh and also forgot about the unforgivable treatment of Glyn Price.
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Post by horse01 on Feb 3, 2016 10:41:25 GMT 1
When things go wrong on the footballing front, you can more often than not understand or explain it- they weren't at it today, his mistake cost us, the ref was poor, we were beaten by the better team etc etc
But there is no excuse for this sort of behaviour and attitude. It saddens me and makes me feel embarrassed that this how our club is acting and portraying themselves.
I do hope that this situation is rectified swiftly and favourably for your father and your family. This club has lost enough support as it is, without losing supporters like yourselves.
All the best
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Post by Exkeeper on Feb 3, 2016 10:55:26 GMT 1
I wonder who was on the other side of the window when this was going on. Is the club the problem here or a specific employee/ member of staff?
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Post by LetchworthShrew on Feb 3, 2016 10:55:48 GMT 1
No excuse for it. The new CEO has hell of a job on his hands to sort this sort of thing out!
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Post by ssshrew on Feb 3, 2016 11:01:44 GMT 1
I suspect what is wrong is that no-one these days either uses, or is allowed to use, plain commonsense. It's not just at STFC it's everywhere. It really irritates me. Someone a post or two ago described this as a joke. The trouble is that if you were put this incident in a TV comedy, no-one would believe it.
Surely it is basically a simple solution - have someone in authority ready in the office while still doing their own job who can help frontline staff if they are not sure what to do and have the authority to make decisions. As I said on another thread, it's not rocket science!!!! All it takes is thought, both for the customer and staff.
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Post by thatcherschild on Feb 3, 2016 11:08:29 GMT 1
I wonder who was on the other side of the window when this was going on. Is the club the problem here or a specific employee/ member of staff? it seems to me it was a jobsworth employee. i'm sure a personal letter(not email to the club) to RW would result in this whole sorry mess being sorted out.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2016 11:15:40 GMT 1
Appalling!
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Post by percy on Feb 3, 2016 11:23:45 GMT 1
Seriously Town - this is supposed to be a family club with a heart. Some of the things coming out at the moment are really bad.
I know some of the staff and they area reasonable people - why would they act this way ?
IMO it all starts with tone at the top - I'm not saying that RW would endorse this (as I think he wouldn't); but he is clearly not telling the staff to act in a way that they would be proud of if it were played back to them on the TV. That's how we tell our staff to act - not blindly conceding to every chancer, but having empathy and being empowered to make the right decision (or refer upwards if we are talking more than say £100 at stake).
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Post by roberto02afcct on Feb 3, 2016 11:25:52 GMT 1
I am at work reading this while having my breakfast in utter disbelief........how as a club let alone a business can someone in the ticket office do this???
I have never been so ashamed of this club off the field as I am now
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2016 11:30:39 GMT 1
I'm lost for words, I too feel sick reading the OP.
What has happened to treating people with dignity and respect?
The memorial garden and now this...shameful.
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osprey
Midland League Division One
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Post by osprey on Feb 3, 2016 11:33:49 GMT 1
It's All about the money. I had an experience when I informed the club that my mate had died. He was a STH for many years but, because of his illness, converted his ticket to one in the South Stand disabled section. I thought I would let them know, as another disabled person might need to use the seat.
No " sorry to hear that" or anything like, the first thing said was, " you can' t get a refund" . I told the person behind the glass a number of times during the conversation that I was not looking for a refund, but thinking about it later, why not?
Family club my puckered ring.
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Post by roberto02afcct on Feb 3, 2016 11:34:26 GMT 1
This is a matter that needs to be taken both extremely seriously AND with sensitivity & must be an issue the club approach and sort out
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Post by timgallon on Feb 3, 2016 11:54:03 GMT 1
A desperately depressing story, made worse by the fact that there are no home games in May, the last home is P'boro on 30 April - which is the date by which Evo Senior could actually prove he was disabled!!
As I experienced last night you sometimes feel that the Club doesn't actually want your custom. Which is mad given ongoing losses.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2016 11:56:32 GMT 1
A desperately depressing story, made worse by the fact that there are no home games in May, the last home is P'boro on 30 April - which is the date by which Evo Senior could actually prove he was disabled!! As I experienced last night you sometimes feel that the Club doesn't actually want your custom. Which is mad given ongoing losses. The NW was designed around the "Sovereign Club" with very little thought being given to mere supporters. I feel saddened but not shocked by this account.
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Post by SouthStandShrew on Feb 3, 2016 11:58:09 GMT 1
All about £££.
Poor show STFC.
Were supporters, not customers.
Heartless.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2016 12:01:40 GMT 1
Thanks for your well wishes everyone, my dad is fine now and he told my mum not to tell us about all this, but going round last night I was surprised to see them both there and not at the match and it all came tumbling out in the end. I think this shows the type of man my dad is because he really didn't want me or my brother to know about it or sully the clubs name to us, as he knew how much the club meant to us even though sometimes admittedly it is from afar, but we are still checking the scores or listening to the match on match day even if we can’t make the game!
I don’t want anything from the club and neither does my dad and I am not here in search of that, I just wanted the club and other fans to know how my dad was treated. They will not get any official correspondence from either me or my dad about this situation.
I will not ever forget the attitude he was shown, he was the first to admit last night that he gave that attitude back in the end because he was so flabbergasted by the decision and this did included a bit of choice language, he is as disappointed now by this as I was when he told me, but the fact is regardless of anything out of order that may have been said that my mum has had to pull over on the A5 at 5pm in the dark, on a sort of half hard shoulder, with cars and artic flying past at 70mph to try and look after my dad, who had worked himself up into such a state about what had happened that he was suffering.
This is the last post I am going to make about this, but thanks for your support everyone and I hope Salop don’t disappoint you all too much more going forward. Floreat Salopia.
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Post by venceremos on Feb 3, 2016 12:04:01 GMT 1
It goes from bad to worse. Is there anyone at the club capable of getting a grip of things?
The new Chief Exec has a hell of a job on his hands. We can only hope he's up to it - and allowed a free hand.
Otherwise .....
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2016 12:05:35 GMT 1
Like the clubs reaction on facebook when a link was posted to this topic.
"info isn't correct" - Jesus wept do we have any PR ability now! STFC where the customer is always wrong!
The club does have the right to reply but with a very personal story like this you DO NOT SAY THAT! Try "We cannot comment on this matter until we have spoken to the family of the supporter affected" - SIMPLE. NOT "HE IS WRONG". Stinks of shoving it under the carpet, large organisations have hundreds of far less serious complaints added to their social media outlets each day - do they hide them? No!
If I spoke to any of my customers like that I would quickly find myself in hot water. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
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Post by SouthStandShrew on Feb 3, 2016 12:06:20 GMT 1
Ian Whit claims this didn't happen like this and removed the post on FB?
Poor show Whits.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2016 12:10:05 GMT 1
I'm sure the club are failing in their responsibilities under the Disability Discrimonation Act .
So, the club need to look at how they meet these requirements and train their staff accordingly . Perhaps they could also train their staff in customer relations .
Absolutely no excuse for how they have treated this gentleman , appalling in my view and disgraceful in the extreme.
Something very, very wrong at the Meddah.
1) The memorial garden fiasco 2) The Glyn Price fiasco 3) This fiasco .
There are others . I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't have an FA Cup , 5th round ticket fiasco.
However , getting back to the main issue , I totally agree with roberto02afcct , this is an issue which the club must treat extremely seriously . The attitude of some staff beggars belief but if their lead comes from the top what can you expect .
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2016 12:10:09 GMT 1
No " sorry to hear that" or anything like, the first thing said was, " you can' t get a refund" . I told the person behind the glass a number of times during the conversation that I was not looking for a refund, but thinking about it later, why not? Did this individual (Lady) have an expression that could sour milk? Sounds all too familiar.
If any company receives certain amounts of criticism in a social media setting then they engage PR mode and do everything they can to rectify and restore reputation. Once the last bit of credibility is gone. that's it.
STFC management it is time to step up to the plate.
Best wishes Evo, I hope the apology and compensation arrives asap.
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