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Possible New Ticketing Initiative


Drew

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Hello All

I'm looking to canvas views in respect of a potential ticketing development that the club is currently considering. This is a longish one, but please bear with me.

I've exchanged correspondence regarding this with the club's General Manager, Brian Caldwell, and Brian is happy for me to use the forums (here and the OS) to gauge whether there is any mileage in this idea.

By way of some brief background, I emailed the club over the New Year period asking if there might be an option of a season ticket that is not seat or stand specific. Just to be clear, I wasn't suggesting that his replace the current system. Instead, it would offer an additional facility that would afford non ST holders the opportunity to purchase a Smart Card with in-built flexibility to roam around the stadium as desired. The idea occured to me when, having given up my ST a few years ago, I enjoyed the freedom to take in matches from different areas of the ground. In any event, my old ST seat is now taken up by my mate's grandson, so I couldn't get the seat back even if I wanted to (fair enough).

Despite not having any real urge to buy another seat-speciifc ST, I miss the convenience of rolling up on match day without having to faff about queuing for a ticket, and ensuring I've got cash at the ready (not least in the grim depth of a Scottish winter!). I also think that the club would benefit from supporters who, like me, find that a current ST doesn't really fit the bill, being in a position, nevertheless, to commit funds up front. In return, those who took up the offer of this type of ticket would have the convenience of a ST, and possibly a couple of other fringe benefits (see below).

Brian was keen to explore options, while being clear that any new system shouldn't be to the detriment of standard ST holder, who could be considered the life-blood of the club. He gets no argument from me, there.

Between us, we've come up with an option that might offer a way forward:

  • on application, non-ST holders would be issued with a smartcard, and they could purchase games online for whatever area of the stadium they wish. The matches would then be loaded onto the card, in much the same way that cup matches are under the current system;
  • games could be added to the card on a match-by-match basis, or a number of games could be pre-loaded. One suggestion to make the option of pre-loading matches more attractive, would be to offer a discount - possibly graded on how many matches are loaded onto the card. For example, buy any three matches, save 5%, or if 5 or more are purchased, save 10%. This way, the club can also benefit from some guaranteed advance income (in a similar manner that it does from standard ST sales). Full season standard STs would still represent best value, however;
  • matches are purchased online, and an email receipt specifies the match details and the stand for which each purchase(s) applies;
  • if and when the club create a supporters bar area in the void of the Main Stand (something that, as you know, is now being seriously considered), all smartcard owners could access this facility;
  • standard ST purchases would always take precedence, and the second tier smartcard would be applicable in respect of other available seats.

The benefits of such a system are pretty clear to me. I could demonstrate my commitment to the club by buying a ST of sorts, and would also enjoy the benefits of not having to queue for a ticket on matchday when the weather is hellish; I might be able to secure a modest discount if I pre-load matches (benefitting the club, in turn); and the club would be offering a more flexible approach to ticket purchase - something that could only be regarded as progress.

I have to say that Brian has welcomed my ramblings on this matter, and is genuinely keen to explore whether this might be a viable proposal. We're keen to hear whether people think this might be an option they'd consider, or any possible shorcomings/issues with the initial concept as outlined above.

Please feel free to offer any suggestions or criticisms as you see fit, but i'd be grateful if the thread remained relatively free of spamming as the club will be looking to access it for information and a sense of how people regard the idea.

Ta much

Drew

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IMO, a Great Idea, although I like the seat I have at present. To go slightly further, could there not be a slight alteration to the full ST's, in that, e.g. if I wished to take my grand kids to the family stand for a couple of games, I would be able to use my existing ST smartcard, but still buy the grandkids tickets to take them in

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Thanks guys.

It is early days, but if enough people support the idea in principle, then I reckon Brian will be keen to take it forward. The key for me is flexibility, and anything that makes attending matches more convenient and attractive in general has to be good for the club.

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IMO, a Great Idea, although I like the seat I have at present. To go slightly further, could there not be a slight alteration to the full ST's, in that, e.g. if I wished to take my grand kids to the family stand for a couple of games, I would be able to use my existing ST smartcard, but still buy the grandkids tickets to take them in

Yes. I often try and convince friends to come to a game, but then have to tell them that there are no guaranteed empty seats around my season ticket seat.

If I could move my seat for a game to enable me to sit with friends it would help.

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Yes. I often try and convince friends to come to a game, but then have to tell them that there are no guaranteed empty seats around my season ticket seat.

If I could move my seat for a game to enable me to sit with friends it would help.

TBH, the club are pretty relaxed about people sitting wherever there is an unreserved seat (whether they have a ST or have bought a ticket on matchday), but I take your point, and it is something I also experienced when I had a ST.

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  • matches are purchased online, and an email receipt specifies the match details and the stand for which each purchase(s) applies;

Great idea all round, Drew. I want to ask though, if someone doesn't have access to a PC I take it they could go to the Stadium and get their Card updated that way like we do for Cup Matches just now?

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If I could move my seat for a game to enable me to sit with friends it would help.

No one prevents you at present choosing to sit in a vacant seat within the stand you are situated. Many people already choose not to sit at their designated seat but instead sit together with friends at either end of the stand where there are plenty spaces.

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No one prevents you at present choosing to sit in a vacant seat within the stand you are situated. Many people already choose not to sit at their designated seat but instead sit together with friends at either end of the stand where there are plenty spaces.

Is It not making SURE you had the seats Drews' point?....And also In another stand?

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Drew I can't think of a downside. No postage costs beyond the first smart card, reduced printing costs in terms of tickets, possibly a reduction in the need for match day staff working in the ticket office, and - if the scheme was extended to opposition supporters as well - no need to pay the Old Firm a percentage of the ticket price for handling ticket sales to their own fans. There would also be an opportunity to issue local charities or community groups with a number of cards that could be charged up for various low attendance fixtures where they could be passed to the various age groups within their club for each of the fixtures.

The club also gets a database containing names and addresses of all their customers and they'll be better statistics available on who attends matches, what age group they are in, and what matches the more casual user prefers to attend.

It sounds like a good idea to me

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Is It not making SURE you had the seats Drews' point?....And also In another stand?

All I'm pointing out is that its possible to invite your mates and sit with them at present. Many people already do.

I'm not criticising the OPs initiative, just letting the person that feels he can't sit with his mates know that he, in fact, can.

I've had, on occasion, swapped stands to be with others already and have done this by entering the usual turnstile and explaining to a steward what I want. After they radio their supervisor or whoever I have then been escorted where I wanted to go. If this system makes that process easier then I have no issues with it.

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All I'm pointing out is that its possible to invite your mates and sit with them at present. Many people already do.

I'm not criticising the OPs initiative, just letting the person that feels he can't sit with his mates know that he, in fact, can.

I've had, on occasion, swapped stands to be with others already and have done this by entering the usual turnstile and explaining to a steward what I want. After they radio their supervisor or whoever I have then been escorted where I wanted to go. If this system makes that process easier then I have no issues with it.

Yep ....Anything that makes It easier has to be good.

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Hello All

I'm looking to canvas views in respect of a potential ticketing development that the club is currently considering. This is a longish one, but please bear with me.

I've exchanged correspondence regarding this with the club's General Manager, Brian Caldwell, and Brian is happy for me to use the forums (here and the OS) to gauge whether there is any mileage in this idea.

By way of some brief background, I emailed the club over the New Year period asking if there might be an option of a season ticket that is not seat or stand specific. Just to be clear, I wasn't suggesting that his replace the current system. Instead, it would offer an additional facility that would afford non ST holders the opportunity to purchase a Smart Card with in-built flexibility to roam around the stadium as desired. The idea occured to me when, having given up my ST a few years ago, I enjoyed the freedom to take in matches from different areas of the ground. In any event, my old ST seat is now taken up by my mate's grandson, so I couldn't get the seat back even if I wanted to (fair enough).

Despite not having any real urge to buy another seat-speciifc ST, I miss the convenience of rolling up on match day without having to faff about queuing for a ticket, and ensuring I've got cash at the ready (not least in the grim depth of a Scottish winter!). I also think that the club would benefit from supporters who, like me, find that a current ST doesn't really fit the bill, being in a position, nevertheless, to commit funds up front. In return, those who took up the offer of this type of ticket would have the convenience of a ST, and possibly a couple of other fringe benefits (see below).

Brian was keen to explore options, while being clear that any new system shouldn't be to the detriment of standard ST holder, who could be considered the life-blood of the club. He gets no argument from me, there.

Between us, we've come up with an option that might offer a way forward:

  • on application, non-ST holders would be issued with a smartcard, and they could purchase games online for whatever area of the stadium they wish. The matches would then be loaded onto the card, in much the same way that cup matches are under the current system;
  • games could be added to the card on a match-by-match basis, or a number of games could be pre-loaded. One suggestion to make the option of pre-loading matches more attractive, would be to offer a discount - possibly graded on how many matches are loaded onto the card. For example, buy any three matches, save 5%, or if 5 or more are purchased, save 10%. This way, the club can also benefit from some guaranteed advance income (in a similar manner that it does from standard ST sales). Full season standard STs would still represent best value, however;
  • matches are purchased online, and an email receipt specifies the match details and the stand for which each purchase(s) applies;
  • if and when the club create a supporters bar area in the void of the Main Stand (something that, as you know, is now being seriously considered), all smartcard owners could access this facility;
  • standard ST purchases would always take precedence, and the second tier smartcard would be applicable in respect of other available seats.

The benefits of such a system are pretty clear to me. I could demonstrate my commitment to the club by buying a ST of sorts, and would also enjoy the benefits of not having to queue for a ticket on matchday when the weather is hellish; I might be able to secure a modest discount if I pre-load matches (benefitting the club, in turn); and the club would be offering a more flexible approach to ticket purchase - something that could only be regarded as progress.

I have to say that Brian has welcomed my ramblings on this matter, and is genuinely keen to explore whether this might be a viable proposal. We're keen to hear whether people think this might be an option they'd consider, or any possible shorcomings/issues with the initial concept as outlined above.

Please feel free to offer any suggestions or criticisms as you see fit, but i'd be grateful if the thread remained relatively free of spamming as the club will be looking to access it for information and a sense of how people regard the idea.

Ta much

Drew

Hate to be a fly in the ointment but I'm not sure what problem this is solving.

It only affects non-ST holders so those saying it would be great for ST holders cos they could bring and sit with their mates are either misunderstanding or I am.

If it only affects non-ST holders then I don't really understand how the benefits would be enough to overcome the inertia currently being seen.

The idea of discounting for multiple purchases is good though but can this all really be introduced without cost?

Maybe I've missed your point but I don't see this as making any difference at all.

I also don't see it making things easier. It involves faffing around with application forms, cards etc. Just sounds like more hassle than its worth TBH. I prefer solutions which are simple.

Sorry to be negative.

Edited by oaksoft
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I've got a ST so this ouldn;t really affexct me although I do think it is a good idea. Buy a smartcard for a nominal fee and then be able to go to the website and pay for games that you'd like to go to when you have the money available.

What about also talking to other clubs who use the same system and see if the smartcards could be used in a similar way for away games ?

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My mate is already doing this almost accidentally, without the option of discount for multi-game purchases.

He was previously a season ticket holder so has a smart card, but he had to let this lapse due to other commitments.

He can however still login to the season ticket system and buy an individual match ticket like for tonight as an example, and because the system knows he has a smartcard it allocates his ticket to the card and he uses that to gain entry to the ground.

In effect it is a Pay As You Go Season Ticket.

Whilst this is all good and very convenient it does for me raise the possibility that it is actually TOO convenient and that a Pay As You Go season ticket would actually be much more preferable, even for some or a lot of current season ticket holders.

The discount for paying up front is decent but there can't be many season ticket holders who don't miss 2-3 games a season due to any manner of things happening.

Those punters might well think they would be better off just charging their card on a game by game basis, thus almost certainly reducing the crowds and reducing the crucial lump sum income that the club relies on in the summer.

There is definitely merit in the thinking behind the scheme, but the club would need to be careful about the impact on current season tickets if it were to adopt a flexible scheme like that detailed above.

Worth a try I guess, if it persuades more punters to come through the door then in the long run the club might be better off, even if not from a cashflow point of view.

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Any non-ST tickets should be stand specific but non-seat specific allowing the holder to sit in any non-ST seat available at time of entry to the Stand. Simples.

Why stand specific? One of the main reasons for looking at this is to offer flexibility.

Oaksoft refers to this proposal not solving any 'problem'. This isn't the point. The proposal is to offer an additional facility. The existing ST system would very much remain in place. Absorbing the cost of a small discount is something for the club to consider. This would be no different from the current situation with STs. If it encouraged more people to attend regularly, then it might be worth it. Bear in mind that 10% on a standard ticket is only 2 quid.

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Div, I have thought about most of the points you make, and don't think many current ST holders would give up their seats in favour of the alternative system. A handful, perhaps.

Short replies this morning as I am using my phone and getting ready to head off to work. I will try to answer some more points in greater detail later. Many thanks for the responses.

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I haven't had a season ticket for a few years now since I started shiftwork so a second tier option would definitely appeal to me.

The 'sit where you want' bit doesn't really bother me too much as I tend to just sit where there is a space but there would be a definite advantage for me to have a smartcard with more flexibility than the current season ticket.

I know my shifts well in advance so know if I'm going to be working a weekend or available to go to a home game, therefore I'd like the opportunity to add games to a season ticket in advance. This would avoid as previously mentioned, the need to queue twice on matchday.

The ability to be 'gifted' games on a smart card would also be a great idea, i.e. if someone has a birthday coming up or special event, family or whoever would have the facility to add a game to their smartcard as a gift.

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If I was the general manager I would as Div suggests worry this could erode full blown, up front season ticket sales. There is a school of thought that suggests "NOT MANY" current ST buyers would migrate to this 'Pay as you go" option. Hmmm unknown numbers are lethal, what if 250 peeps migrated, that could be one or two wages for the season previoulsy covered when the ST were bought!

Also the thinking not many would migrate to PAYG is eroded as did we not have the unedifying spectacle of several adults been huckled for buying and using week in week out Child ST's?

To be constructive it would be a good idea from the club's perspective to offer discounted packages on a smartcard "buy 3 games get 5% off" or "Buy 3 and a Buddie goes for £3" for a cup match. and, or... buy an intial 3 game package on a smart card, build up loyalty points...

the sit where you like (empty seat) element isn't an issue except to the buyer as unless they get a specific stand/seat allocated per game they could be up and down like a whores drawers as the latecomers come in with their seat specific ST's.

If it's possible to allocate seats per match for a smartcard without a cost implication then it's a no-brainer, if it in anyway tempts people from buying an ST and as a consequence reduces club revenue then best left alone.

Edited by somner9
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Div, I have thought about most of the points you make, and don't think many current ST holders would give up their seats in favour of the alternative system. A handful, perhaps.

Yip, fair enough, and at the end of the day giving the customer most choice is more likely to gain repeat customers. I am sure for example at the moment that there are many potential season ticket holders who don't buy a ST because they know they will likely miss 2 or 3 games a season and at the moment there is then a barrier in place to those people attending games where they have to go and buy a ticket.

If they had a Smartcard they could charge online whenever they wanted to go to a game that's got to be less hassle for them and thus make it more likely that they would attend.

The club could even send a new smartcard out to every address of every lapsed season ticket holder for free advising them that this is their new PAYG card that they could use to get entry to any home game they pay for via the ticketing website.

All in all it's a good idea in my book, well done !

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