Are we treated as Fans or customers?

[Hodgyman]

I am of the opinion that the supporters of our club should be treated as customers and not fans.

For years, supporters have been regarded by the club as fans that through loyalty will put up with any old rubbish, whether that be the product on the pitch or customer service.

Normal organisations need to look after their customers better as their income depends upon it

We collectively spend thousands upon thousands at this "football shop" and the club has consistently let us down. Perhaps a marked drop in income might make them see us as dissatisfied customers and get their act together.

Options to consider:
Falling attendances
Boycott Cup Games
Avoid blades merchandise purchases (especially before Christmas)
Season ticket non-renewals

Perhaps the playing staff might get the message too if the play in an empty stadium

 

[Trafford]

Your topic title hits the nail on the head - in any other walk of life we would not give our custome to this club, they have let us down too many times. But many of us find it impossible to walk away and, when the next opportunity comes along, we willingly part with even more money for the next shirt etc. For that reason we will always be fans rather than customers and all that we can hope for is that they treat us with respect off the field, which I generally find to be the case.

 

[Sean Thornton]

I am of the opinion that the supporters of our club should be treated as customers and not fans.

For years, supporters have been regarded by the club as fans that through loyalty will put up with any old rubbish, whether that be the product on the pitch or customer service.

Normal organisations need to look after their customers better as their income depends upon it

We collectively spend thousands upon thousands at this "football shop" and the club has consistently let us down. Perhaps a marked drop in income might make them see us as dissatisfied customers and get their act together.

Options to consider:
Falling attendances
Boycott Cup Games
Avoid blades merchandise purchases (especially before Christmas)
Season ticket non-renewals

Perhaps the playing staff might get the message too if the play in an empty stadium

No promotion this season will guarantee a marked drop in income. I'd expect the club are well aware of that.

 

[metalblade]

Options to consider:
Falling attendances ................................................................................................ It is already happening
Boycott Cup Games .............................................................................................. no need we will soon be out of the cup
Avoid blades merchandise purchases (especially before Christmas) ................. no need we only stock one size in the shop the one size that fits only 1% of the fanbase
Season ticket non-renewals .................................................................................. I can see us losing a lot of renewals after this season the way it is going on top of the annual best player sale.

 

[TJB.]

You pays your money and you takes your choice. If you're unhappy with SUFC then you don't have to attend. I'm unhappy with the state we're in, but I still choose to attend because I want to support my club and I want to watch games of football.

Normal organisations have competition; if you don't like your ISP then you cancel Sky and move to Virgin Media. People don't tend to switch their football providers and football clubs are not normal organisations.

I don't buy this notion that those who run the club provide crap because they know we'll put up with it. Nobody provides crap on purpose. Bad mismanagement both on the pitch and off is what has got us here, but I sincerely doubt anybody set out to get us to the point of 5 seasons in the third division.

Not that it doesn't make it any less wank just because nobody meant for it to happen.

 

[SwissBlade]

I'm a fan, not a fucking customer

 

[BushBlade]

Your topic title hits the nail on the head - in any other walk of life we would not give our custome to this club, they have let us down too many times. But many of us find it impossible to walk away and, when the next opportunity comes along, we willingly part with even more money for the next shirt etc. For that reason we will always be fans rather than customers and all that we can hope for is that they treat us with respect off the field, which I generally find to be the case.

I don't think that can be added to. Sums it up perfectly.

 

[Trigger Blade]

Options to consider:
Falling attendances ................................................................................................ It is already happening

It doesn't suit your agenda, but that isn't true. Last year's attendances were on average 2,000 up on the previous season. This season they're up again after eight games.

I think a club in our position after five seasons in this league averaging almost 20k is staggering. It wouldn't be a surprise if they fall, but let's wait until that happens before producing that particular negative eh?

 

[Darthblade]

I am of the opinion that the supporters of our club should be treated as customers and not fans.

For years, supporters have been regarded by the club as fans that through loyalty will put up with any old rubbish, whether that be the product on the pitch or customer service.

Normal organisations need to look after their customers better as their income depends upon it

We collectively spend thousands upon thousands at this "football shop" and the club has consistently let us down. Perhaps a marked drop in income might make them see us as dissatisfied customers and get their act together.

Options to consider:
Falling attendances
Boycott Cup Games
Avoid blades merchandise purchases (especially before Christmas)
Season ticket non-renewals

Perhaps the playing staff might get the message too if the play in an empty stadium

To be fair to the Club ...... we're treated like mushrooms !!

And they're really good at it .....

UTB & FTP

 

[sheffielder]

I'm a fan, not a fucking customer

Not sure I am either, but I certainly am a mug eitherway

 

[Rodley]

I'm a fan, not a fucking customer

Agreed. Bizarre OP. I'm 4th generation United, I love this club.

 

[Sean Thornton]

You pays your money and you takes your choice. If you're unhappy with SUFC then you don't have to attend. I'm unhappy with the state we're in, but I still choose to attend because I want to support my club and I want to watch games of football.

Normal organisations have competition; if you don't like your ISP then you cancel Sky and move to Virgin Media. People don't tend to switch their football providers and football clubs are not normal organisations.

I don't buy this notion that those who run the club provide crap because they know we'll put up with it. Nobody provides crap on purpose. Bad mismanagement both on the pitch and off is what has got us here, but I sincerely doubt anybody set out to get us to the point of 5 seasons in the third division.

Not that it doesn't make it any less wank just because nobody meant for it to happen.

How many times do you need telling? They don't want promotion. They make more money in L1/ tax fiddle. I've read it many times on here so it must be true.

 

[JJ Sefton]

Walthamstow Bade - Virgo.

 

[mosbolad]

I'm a fan, not a fucking customer

Indeed Swiss, the latter is the patron of a brothel!

 

[JJ Sefton]

Your topic title hits the nail on the head - in any other walk of life we would not give our custome to this club, they have let us down too many times. But many of us find it impossible to walk away and, when the next opportunity comes along, we willingly part with even more money for the next shirt etc. For that reason we will always be fans rather than customers and all that we can hope for is that they treat us with respect off the field, which I generally find to be the case.

Why wouldn't you give your custom to this club? Because the team is shit? Possibly. But if a good team that won stuff was all I was after for my £20 I'd have pissed off years ago. I haven't. Because, for that £20, I don't just get to watch 11 blokes play football. I get to see pals. I get to go on the same stands my great grandfather, grandfather, and father went on and watch the same club they watched. So, actually, when I hand over my £20 the football played by the 11 blokes is only part of what I'm paying for. That's why I've stuck around through so much shit football. I'm sure the same goes for most here.

 

[Boxer Blade]

Good points tom Jones, I would think most clubs have fans who feel exactly the same as we do

although not many can be as long suffering, I have a mate who is a city fan and he generally has

the same things to say, gets told in no uncertain terms mind!

 

[SwissBlade]

Indeed Swiss, the latter is the patron of a brothel!

Oh I'm both then

 

[Deleted member 875]

I still pay my £20 a match (well not technically true as it a direct debit for £48 a month) so i can watch a full array of fantasically talented and gifted individuals such as Messers Woolford, Howard, Freeman and Howard attempt to give galaticos such as Walsall, Gillingham and Burton Albion a bloody nose.

Don't know if the fact that i pay that each month makes me a customer, fan or just plain fucking stupid.

 

[JJ Sefton]

I still pay my £20 a match (well not technically true as it a direct debit for £48 a month) so i can watch a full array of fantasically talented and gifted individuals such as Messers Woolford, Howard, Freeman and Howard attempt to give galaticos such as Walsall, Gillingham and Burton Albion a bloody nose.

Don't know if the fact that i pay that each month makes me a customer, fan or just plain fucking stupid.

Try optimist.

 

[SwissBlade]

To be fair to the Club ...... we're treated like mushrooms !!

And they're really good at it .....

UTB & FTP

This is going off topic, but what more do you need to know? This has always puzzled me

We need to see the starting 11, subs, transfers in and out and then to watch the shit which lasts 90 minutes on the pitch.

What more do you need? we don't need to know that JCR is enjoying his football under Adkins? We dont need to know the values of transfers in or out.

Sure it's nice to know what the owners plan for the club, but whilst we put money into the club, the clubs customers are really the sponsors. We offer support and whilst the club benefits from attendances and merchandise ultimately the income comes from our sponsors.

 

[jt64]

I still pay my £20 a match (well not technically true as it a direct debit for £48 a month) so i can watch a full array of fantasically talented and gifted individuals such as Messers Woolford, Howard, Freeman and Howard attempt to give galaticos such as Walsall, Gillingham and Burton Albion a bloody nose.

Don't know if the fact that i pay that each month makes me a customer, fan or just plain fucking stupid.

We've not signed a second fucking Howard have we?

 

[Blade56]

If the club could exist on tv, FA performance payments and advertising they would lock us out cause it's our fault

 

[Deleted member 875]

Why wouldn't you give your custom to this club? Because the team is shit? Possibly. But if a good team that won stuff was all I was after for my £20 I'd have pissed off years ago. I haven't. Because, for that £20, I don't just get to watch 11 blokes play football. I get to see pals. I get to go on the same stands my great grandfather, grandfather, and father went on and watch the same club they watched. So, actually, when I hand over my £20 the football played by the 11 blokes is only part of what I'm paying for. That's why I've stuck around through so much shit football. I'm sure the same goes for most here.

So if Walthamstow the orginal, Walthamstow Junior, Walthamstow the third, all voted Labour, would you as Walthamstow IIII also vote Labour?

Apply the same principle to supporting a vastly underperforming football team 180 miles from the place you grow up, then all logic goes out of the window

 

[JJ Sefton]

So if Walthamstow the orginal, Walthamstow Junior, Walthamstow the third, all voted Labour, would you as Walthamstow IIII also vote Labour?

Apply the same principle to supporting a vastly underperforming football team 180 miles from the place you grow up, then all logic goes out of the window

I wouldn't no. Any warm, woolly feeling I'd get from voting for the same party as them, assuming it was different to the one I thought was right, would evaporate if the country went tits up as a result. In other words, the downside of voting guided like that would outweigh the warm, woolly feeling.

By contrast, the downside of acting as I do is sitting through 90 minutes of shit like I did when we played Millwall t'other week. Dire though that was, I'm happy enough to pay that price to see pals and follow in my family's footsteps.

 

[Canterbury Blade]

Why not ask the Police Forces of the land next time you face a steel fence, want to take a wander around a away town or are banned from entering a pub or having a can or twelve on a service train....

Treated as neither fans or customers but as potential marauding wreckers, pillagers and creators of the next Armageddon...

 

[metalblade]

It doesn't suit your agenda, but that isn't true. Last year's attendances were on average 2,000 up on the previous season. This season they're up again after eight games.

I think a club in our position after five seasons in this league averaging almost 20k is staggering. It wouldn't be a surprise if they fall, but let's wait until that happens before producing that particular negative eh?

From the opening day 23k attendances are showing a downward trend this season we are down to 17k v Fleetwood who brought about 2 coach loads of fans still good but we are getting down to ST holders only and even these are being given away on this very forum.
BTW what is my agenda other than to call shite you guessed it .......... shite ?

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

I'm a fan, not a customer too - & that's my choice & is regardless of what I'm treated as.

Tend to agree with TJ above: no-one's intended for us to be down here in the depths for 5 seasons. Indeed, with the money spent & the calibre of managers appointed (this & the last time) we should be much nearer getting the hell out of here right now. But we're not, & that's life.

The one unmitigated disaster has been the sale of Harry with, even up to now, no proper replacement in place. Board & both managers have a lot to answer for here. But, rather than answering, I'd rather that a damn good, dominant centre-half was just bought. Better late than never.

But, all in all, we're in a pretty deep malaise, which'll take fight & heart more than anything else (even money) to get us out of. In saying this, the retention of support, at the current levels, is beyond amazing.

 

[Hodgyman]

Why wouldn't you give your custom to this club? Because the team is shit? Possibly. But if a good team that won stuff was all I was after for my £20 I'd have pissed off years ago. I haven't. Because, for that £20, I don't just get to watch 11 blokes play football. I get to see pals. I get to go on the same stands my great grandfather, grandfather, and father went on and watch the same club they watched. So, actually, when I hand over my £20 the football played by the 11 blokes is only part of what I'm paying for. That's why I've stuck around through so much shit football. I'm sure the same goes for most here.

I understand the point that you make as I currently attend as much for the opportunity of having 4 generations of my family sharing an afternoon together. However the attraction of watching a match together is fading rapidly with my uncle now saying that he will not renew or miss his season ticket for next year (& the 180 mile round trip per match), my grandson has found alternatives and will also decline his season ticket for next year. As for myself, the prospect of the loss of the family get-together and the dire performances on the pitch, shopping with the wife in Meadowhall gets more attractive as an alternative.
Please do not consider us as fair weather or transient supporters as between the 4 of us we have over 180 years of supporting this club.

 

[JJ Sefton]

I'm a fan, not a customer too - & that's my choice & is regardless of what I'm treated as.

Tend to agree with TJ above: no-one's intended for us to be down here in the depths for 5 seasons. Blaming this, that & the other doesn't help. Indeed, with the money spent & the calibre of managers appointed (this & the last time) we should be much nearer getting the hell out of here right now. But we're not, & that's life.

But it is only life here. No other club in recent years has wallowed to the extent that we have post relegation from Division Two.

 

[TJB.]

From the opening day 23k attendances are showing a downward trend this season we are down to 17k v Fleetwood who brought about 2 coach loads of fans still good but we are getting down to ST holders only and even these are being given away on this very forum.
BTW what is my agenda other than to call shite you guessed it .......... shite ?

Are you seriously comparing the attendances of the first home game of the season to a cold Tuesday neyt against Fleetwood in order to prove dwindling attendances?

Who are these posters giving away their season tickets?! Send 'em my way. Me dad would have one.