When I came home from work today I was greeted with a letter from the club and inside was a free ticket for the Derby game on 14 Dec. This ticket is a complimentary ticket from the club and came with a letter and a half season ticket application form. Now I am not sure if everyone received one but on the letter it said it was due to customer loyalty as I had been a season ticket holder for the previous 5 years and was unable to do so this year. Now although this may be seen by some as a bit forceful to get us to apply for the half season ticket, but I for one was going to do that anyway and the gesture of giving out a free ticket for a match not included in the half season ticket, I feel is great customer service.
Interesting, I won't have received this as I gave up my season ticket the year we won League 1 due to work commitments and being out of the country for the past year, but am back next month, the Derby match will be my first game since we lost 1-0 at home to Barnsley last October and I intend to get a half season ticket, can't wait to get back down The Valley!
It's only aimed at those with a history of buying season-tickets, which seems quite positive. There is also what they call a "Yann-tastic" offer of a voucher for 4 games(2 gold) which seems to accommodate those who, like FHB jnr., are unable to attend many games for practical reasons.
I think it's a nice gesture. A lot of people have to give up season tickets because of financial reasons - so whether this is a gesture or a ploy to get people back, it will be a benefit to a loyal section of our fans. I don't care about me not getting it for free because I own a season ticket.
As a Marketing Manager, I'd have to say this is a very astute commercial move. It's the last home game before Christmas and the crowd, historically, will probably be the lowest Saturday crowd of the season. There's going to be a lot of spare tickets, so why not make good use of them, and at the same time spread some seasonal goodwill and perhaps lure some fans who were unable/unwilling to commit to a full season ticket back for the rest of the campaign? The 'gamble' element comes in with the result, if we win the game, and win it with a good performance half-season tickets are going to be selling well, if we lose it people simply aren't going to commit. Either way, the goodwill generated will still be there.
Agree with the majority of opinions in that this is both a smart move and a nice gesture. In terms of my season ticket, I am not overly bothered by such 'freebies'. Part of paying up front is the security of securing your seat for the entire seat, although I appreciate getting a ticket at short notice is very easy these days. That being said, I am in a privilidged position in that I can attend all home games. My season ticket was £300 but would cost me £600 were I to pay on the gate for every game. Even if you take the odd 'freebie' or 'Football For a Fiver' promotion into consideration, I still dont think season ticket holders are in a position to feel too hard done by.
Has anyone got any of their 'free ticket' vouchers left? I used mine at the first match, but I still have plenty of guests lined up. I will pay a good rate for them and hopefully secure a few long-term fans in the process.
