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Post by Bob Rickerton on Feb 22, 2024 17:48:07 GMT 1
An absolutely bizarre interaction, I'm not quite sure how we've ended up in a situation where we've "sold out" an allocation of just 600 in a half empty ground with a capacity of 24,000 but here we are. We were always going to take comfortably more than that to a new ground not that far away against a relegation rival, it shouldn't have taken until two days before to either confirm some extra tickets and/or pay on the day.
As for the tone of the reply, crickey. I find that account a bit odd generally, for an account dedicated to ticket updates there doesn't seem to be much....news about tickets on there?
The club's done a lot of good work on the media and social media front in recent years, but I think more proactive updates about ticketing especially in an age of on-the-day increases and all-ticket games for no reason is needed.
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Post by Pilch on Feb 22, 2024 17:56:08 GMT 1
An absolutely bizarre interaction and situation generally, I'm not quite sure how we've ended up in a situation where we've "sold out" an allocation of just 600 in a half empty ground with a capacity of 24,000 but here we are. We were always going to take comfortably more than that to a new ground not that far away against a relegation rival, it shouldn't have taken until two days before to either confirm some extra tickets and/or pay on the day. As for the tone of the reply, crickey. I find that account a bit odd generally, for an account dedicated to ticket updates there doesn't seem to be much....news about tickets on there? The club's done a lot of good work on the media and social media front in recent years, but I think more proactive updates about ticketing especially in an age of on-the-day increases and all-ticket games for no reason is needed. At least they haven't shared their own post ðŸ¤
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Post by Bob Rickerton on Feb 22, 2024 17:56:55 GMT 1
At least they haven't shared their own post 🤠Dunno what you're talking about
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Post by pughywasfree on Feb 22, 2024 18:57:21 GMT 1
Not sure I like that tone. Maybe whoever that is needs to remember that they are talking to the people that pay their wages.
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Post by Worthingshrew on Feb 22, 2024 18:59:58 GMT 1
Maybe they could have used a better tone, but they’re not wrong.
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Post by Feedo Gnasher on Feb 22, 2024 19:44:11 GMT 1
Maybe they could have used a better tone, but they’re not wrong. They were only being asked if the game had sold out 😂
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Post by gobowenshrew on Feb 22, 2024 20:04:19 GMT 1
Maybe one to raise at the SP.
But yes this idea of tickets being taken off sale days before the match or "selling out" because you've shifted 600 tickets is a bizarre anomaly of modern football.
I'd understand if the away end had sold out or that they were reluctant to open a second tier of a stand for a few latecomers, but there seems little justification for making it so difficult to obtain tickets to a football match.
And we're just as bad sometimes, so the club should really drop the condescending tone.
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Post by Valerioch on Feb 22, 2024 20:58:17 GMT 1
Terrible customer service from the Club, but at this point, it’s just laughable
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Post by Pilch on Feb 22, 2024 21:48:49 GMT 1
At least they haven't shared their own post 🤠Dunno what you're talking about maybe we could start a conspiracy theory now on who deleted your post
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Post by davycrockett on Feb 23, 2024 10:08:24 GMT 1
Maybe one to raise at the SP. But yes this idea of tickets being taken off sale days before the match or "selling out" because you've shifted 600 tickets is a bizarre anomaly of modern football. I'd understand if the away end had sold out or that they were reluctant to open a second tier of a stand for a few latecomers, but there seems little justification for making it so difficult to obtain tickets to a football match. And we're just as bad sometimes, so the club should really drop the condescending tone. It’s been happening more and more that the ticket office ask for a low number initially and then ask for more. On at least two occasions the team were playing decided not to open the away end based on the numbers requested from the ticket office (Morecambe and Bristol) Don’t know why they predict a low number and then ask for more if needed and if there’s time? It’s easy to send tickets you don’t sell back so why ask for a low allocation? Agree more updates on ticket sales which also encourages more to attend. This just puts people off although don’t see too much problem with the post on Twitter.
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Post by ProudSalopian on Feb 23, 2024 10:25:38 GMT 1
As others have alluded to, there's a couple of points here
The first is the general approach to ticketing for away matches.Football has changed, it's no longer 'you have a terrace which holds 2,000', it's mainly all-seater and clubs don't want to open an entire away end for a small following, I understand that. But deciding on what our allocation is and then how that can be expanded if need be, seems to be the problem. I've just had a look at the original article for this game, it said we had been allocated 695 tickets, it doesn't say it's the maximum or more will be available, it doesn't state whether tickets can be purchased on the day. If the 695 was the maximum amount and it looked like we were going to sell out then you'd think the ticket office may actually tell people that.
Which brings us onto the general comms from a ticketing perspective, I've said for a few years that it's laughable how little our ticket office twitter feed actually gives ticket news. When they do interact they are mixed, at time's its been really helpful 'send me a DM and I'll take a look/get it sorted', very personal and quick service. But at other times they come across as a disgruntled employee who gets annoyed with customers actually enquiring. Perhaps they do get annoyed with some of the questions they have on Twitter but when you don't answer the phone, don't be surprised if people turn to trying Twitter.
The 'you've had a month' be factually right but someone wanting to go to a game 48 hours ahead of kick off in a ground which will be half empty, really shouldn't be an issue
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Post by Valerioch on Feb 23, 2024 10:36:11 GMT 1
It’s just a passive aggressive reply, if you’d done a great job advertising in the last month and still people missed out, I’d understand a bit more. But the original article, and lack of comms since, are beyond appalling, I’d expect a child to be able to offer better, more accurate, complete updates.
If I’m the CEO the ticket announcements and subsequent updates have just jumped to the top of my agenda
This level of customer service cannot be seen again
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Post by ssshrew on Feb 23, 2024 10:43:21 GMT 1
It’s strange because normally when an allocation has sold out they just announce it and then ask for more.
Perhaps the season ticket offer has thrown them off tack but that shouldn’t be the case at all and should be no excuse.
ive also noticed that everything is now signed by ‘the ticket office’ whereas before I always had a name of the person dealing with the query. Is this the new way of doing things - anonymously?
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Post by davycrockett on Feb 23, 2024 13:05:07 GMT 1
Think we’ve messed up to be honest.
Been checking out ‘away ground guides’ who say that Reading offer a membership scheme costing £5 with £5 off an adult ticket. They also make discounted tickets available for away fans who are ST holders at their club. We sold them as family tickets with no restrictions?
** Away fans who are Season Ticket Holders at their Club or are Club members can get up to a £5 discount on the adult ticket price and £3 of a concession price.**
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Post by ThrobsBlackHat on Feb 23, 2024 13:41:48 GMT 1
I personally think the reply shows a level of distain for the fans.
There is nothing wrong with buying your ticket for Saturday on a Friday.
January is an exceptionally long month and the Christmas credit card hits in the first week of February.
Since Christmas fans have gone to Cheltenham, Burton, Peterborough, Northampton, and Derby.
The earliest people get paid in February is generally the 20th for Shropshire Council and then later, whilst people who get a weeky wage will get paid on the Friday.
It is the 6th away game in 8 weeks (alongside a "bonus" home cup game that was full price for that is 7 outside of an ST) and comes before people get paid.
It doesn't matter if they have been on sale for a month.
It is astonishingly tone deaf to the current fianncial situation of many people, and in this particular part of the season, to expect people to have bought their tickets way in advance.
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Post by ssshrew on Feb 23, 2024 13:51:31 GMT 1
As already said - definitely one for the SP.
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Post by Feedo Gnasher on Feb 23, 2024 13:58:57 GMT 1
I personally think the reply shows a level of distain for the fans. There is nothing wrong with buying your ticket for Saturday on a Friday. January is an exceptionally long month and the Christmas credit card hits in the first week of February. Since Christmas fans have gone to Cheltenham, Burton, Peterborough, Northampton, and Derby. The earliest people get paid in February is generally the 20th for Shropshire Council and then later, whilst people who get a weeky wage will get paid on the Friday. It is the 6th away game in 8 weeks (alongside a "bonus" home cup game that was full price for that is 7 outside of an ST) and comes before people get paid. It doesn't matter if they have been on sale for a month. It is astonishingly tone deaf to the current fianncial situation of many people, and in this particular part of the season, to expect people to have bought their tickets way in advance. And that’s not even including next season’s season tickets going on sale earlier than ever. The reply’s astonishingly tone-deaf and very defensive, as if they saw an innocent question as criticism of the club. I’d argue the club deserve some criticism for not keeping fans updated, but there was no criticism inferred in the question they answered.
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Post by ProudSalopian on Feb 23, 2024 14:09:20 GMT 1
I've just seen the whatsapp message from yesterday afternoon that says the 'online provision' of 695 tickets has sold out, but tickets are available on the day from Reading. I've never heard/read about an online provision of tickets before.
The whole thing just seems unnecessarily complicated, in simplistic terms, you can turn up and pay to get in on the day, however for those who want to purchase in advance, we've been given 695 tickets.
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Post by Mediolanum Shrew on Feb 23, 2024 14:22:48 GMT 1
Seen a couple of posts and the twitter response.
Just come back from holiday. Realised that I needed to sort tickets out. Checked online. Good availability (think that was Wednesday). Went to book Thursday and had all go. Oh no! So before spunking £60 on rail tickets, I thought I'll ring the club just to check if they were getting anymore. Emailed them and posted on X. Result - got a lovely email back saying they weren't getting anymore but would be available on the day. 'Phew!' I put in reply. I really wanted to go to Reading. Need the ground. So chuffed. 'No problem' was the response from Town. Brilliant. Booked rail tickets. Really looking forward to it. Then I saw the X reply and thought, you know what. Despite all the Umbrella Groups, Trust meetings, Support Parliament et al, we always end up at square one. Should I be surprised. Not really.
One thing I have learnt (apart from buying on day 1 of sale or not all), is to go on WhatsApp, as the main website, twitter, facebook, email, don't provide quick enough updates.
Anyway, looking forward to Reading. Going from Whitchurch via Crewe, Stafford. Hopefully see some of you there. #coyb #phba #happyshrpshireday
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Post by Mediolanum Shrew on Feb 23, 2024 15:05:14 GMT 1
Have seen that the club did post on facebook.
What we should be all celebrating is just how many we are taking.
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