Buying a ticket for a City game? Confusion and no little anger for many . . . It’s becoming a well-known story at Hull City. It goes like this. The club institute changes. The changes haven’t been fully thought through, nor has any consultation taken place. Supporters don’t like the changes. Some walk away from the club. The latest chapter of the story comes with amendments to the way match tickets are sold. The club (or the SMC – since the same family have executive control over both it doesn’t really matter) has been developing an online ticketing system. Now, that in itself is an excellent thing. We all remember the farrago that was the sale of FA Cup Final tickets at the KC. City fans queued for hours, whilst eligible Arsenal fans could pick out their Wembley seats online. It was a situation that was, frankly, embarrassing. The new online system is developing quite nicely. You can order your tickets from the comfort of your own home and also buy them for friends and family, if they are registered on the club’s system. The club doesn’t charge for using credit or debit cards, and the charge for posting the tickets out is entirely reasonable. But in trying to push its customers onto this system it has gone several steps too far. Charging people extra for buying tickets over the counter or on the phone doesn’t seem equitable – it’s certainly not for disabled supporters who can’t buy their tickets online. Many supporters – evidently far more than was anticipated by the club– haven’t the opportunity to buy online. This was exemplified by the Brighton cup match fiasco, when people were queuing for over an hour to buy a ticket for a match where the crowd was less than half the ground’s capacity. Of course, in that situation many saw the size of the queue and walked off. Will they bother returning? The result of both the name-change saga and the exorbitant cost of season passes has been lower crowds than we got in the fourth tier. In this situation you would think the club would want to attract more people. Yet its latest initiative does the opposite, with confusion about the arrangements, what can be purchased and the cost of doing so for each method of buying tickets. The club and the SMC looking to streamline and reduce costs is understandable, but the application of this has been poor. Had the powers-that-be done their research, including asking customers, the latest furore could have been avoided, or at least ameliorated. But as usual they didn’t. It’s the same lesson, but it isn’t being heeded. We are writing to the club and the SMC over this particular issue, and the wider one of the need for supporter consultation. http://hullcitysupporterstrust.com/tigers-ticketing-troubles/?
Equally frustrating is the lack of "crisis management" as surely when someone spotted the unacceptable queue there needs to be someone able to jump in and attempt a rapid resolution. Not sure what could have been done but that is not my job to decide..... could ticket office people have gone down the queue with batches of printed tickets for those with cash for example?
As a member if the Trust I welcome the efforts they are making when trying to open a conversation stream with the club over issues such as this. In my opinion this could be better achieved if the Trust were to report on a response, or none, from the club to a letter already sent rather than after a somwhat tactless release such as the one above. It's time for bridges to be built, for the sake of the club & supporters. If that means the Trust having to eat a little humble pie to establish a meaningful relationship with the club then they should be big enough to swallow their pride in order for them to achieve this. The sooner a meaningful & trusted relationship between both parties is established the sooner both parties will benefit. A less inflammatory release could maybe have served the purpose better. Maybe something along the lines of:- "We have been contacted by numerous Trust members regarding concerns they have with the club's new ticketing policy. We have written to the club & requested an opportunity to meet so that we can discuss these concerns with them. We will keep you updated as soon as we have had a response from the club" Just my observations.
Now everyone knows, though they should already know, don't turn up an hour before looking for a ticket. Go online, print at home. What's that you've not got a printer. Go to the local library, it costs ten pence. Do this in advance.
We shouldn't be making it more difficult for people though , that's the point , we have lost enough fans already as it is , we need to be making it easier not harder
Seriously, the ground's half empty and you think people should go to a library to print out a ticket? If anyone else wants to order anything from my website, I'll now require you to go it from a house belonging to someone called Pete and I'll need you to email me a photo of you and Pete standing on one leg before I'll dispatch your order. Do this in advance.
Nice thought Sir Chesh, but in my cynical mind I can't help thinking that the Anti Allam biased committee of HCST is just itching scabs in an effort to make sure they're noticed. They more than anyone hope the rumours about buyers are true, and that they'll be invited to sit at the table. The sort of owners we'll likely get, won't of course entertain any such nonsense and are more likely to make the Allams look like the most benevolent owners ever (not hard given our history of owners, I admit). They've never had an approach of building bridges, it's always been confrontational, and given the known views of chairman past and present, as well as some of the committee members, and in fact members, that's hardly surprising. As you can see above, they still have a protest type mentality. Once we're sold, I suspect we'll need a supporters trust more than ever. It's not just at the club some major changes need to be made, I fear these changes will only be seen at the club though.
I wanted to nip round to your house with the cash to buy some 34" jeans. What's your address?? THIS IS A JOKE.
What I want, is no barriers put in the way of those who want to buy tickets for our games, is that really too much to ask?
SMC v Hull City or the left hand and the right hand springs to mind. It appears that the SMC part pushed the changes through when Hull City wanted to delay the implementation of this silly system. However, You can now book online and then PRINT YOUR TICKET FROM THE MACHINES AT THE KC by just asking for a re-print. Now this sounds a far better idea for those who need to do it.
Oi cheeky bastard. Lambo assured us he makes them with a "generous fit". Im still waiting for his address so I can nip some cash round and get a pair. Some people just don't want money it seems.
Totally agree with the core sentiment of make buying a ticket easy, which they are not. Totally disagree with the chosen delivery and I think Sir Cheshire Ben is spot on. Is there anyone there with an ounce of diplomacy skills?
But for that to happen it would require the people in charge to allow people 'below' them to make their own decisions...I suspect that is unlikely
Certainly no artificial ones such as being charged £2 to get the person you've been speaking to for a couple of minutes to spend another 20 seconds selling you something
Or wouldn't it be simpler to use the purpose built ticket office at the ground to sell match day tickets? You know with people selling tickets at one side, and people handing over cash at the other? Thinking about it...shhhh.....might go on the Apprentice with this idea.....
Don't waste your time with the Apprentice (or Dragons Den even) SGJ - ^This^ system is already working fine at Preston ............. ticket office/window for away fans next to burger & chip van .......... simples!
