Opinion The Club and the way they communicate with us

[Jon Douglas]

In its current format, the GFC digital membership offers nothing that the AFL International offers me. It is EXACTLY the same thing rebadged. And as I currently have remaining time rolling over form last year I have not taken the GFC DM.

I have however renewed my current membership level and added the kids to it.

If there was something to be gained by going thru the club - better access and VFL coverage - Id be there faster than a fat kid on a cupcake.

And id be happy to pay more for it.

The concern is that if the club takes over my live feed subscription then THEY are the responsible party for my technical difficulties. And at 2 am I want them fixed and fixed now. Curently they are pretty good at having real time ( within 15 mins) tech responses ( it is a 3rd party vendor not the AFL).

I can't see the club being able to support it honestly.

GO Catters

Maybe more accurate to say - Faster than a fat bugger on a Grammy or an Academy Award (and his mate with a camera).

Cupcakes last 5 minutes - the Grammy pic gives you at least a few years more of near celeb bragging rights.

 

[Boxhead_31]

Just to clarify... are you suggesting the club promote a members package that is digital only?

Years ago when membership fro all clubs was around 10,000..it was the entry and supporting ones club that drove participation up. It was promoted as just do not be a watcher or barracker be a supporter , a member and the money goes to the club rather than the gate.

Cause I have serious doubts about members joining to access digital. People resist doing for media , let alone to access the biased POV from a club.

It would seem the biggest constraint to the membership growing is the capacity of KP. People need to get away from thinking that "I'll become a member of the club because I'll get a seat to each and every game" and start to the think that "I'll become a member because it will help the club be competitive and I want to feel like I've contributed to the clubs success."

Until we are able to do that we will never get to the member numbers Carter and Cook are looking at. The days of memberships only being about entry to games has past an we need to accept that.

Bigger membership numbers mean better TV slots, more sponsors and priority when looking for funding.

 

[Boxhead_31]

What was suggested CA?

More engagement from the players to the fans after the game was a big one that multiple people put forward

 

[Boxhead_31]

Has anyone seen a Member Satisfaction survey from the club in regards to media services?

Sent Tom Peeters a link to this thread the other day and this was the reply:

thanks. Member satisfaction surveys give communication 85+% rating and club awarded best social in AFL in 2013 and 2nd in 14. but we also welcome feedback so feel free to make a suggestion email from the board and send through to onlinecomps@geelongcats.com.au

 

[Turbocat]

It would seem the biggest constraint to the membership growing is the capacity of KP. People need to get away from thinking that "I'll become a member of the club because I'll get a seat to each and every game" and start to the think that "I'll become a member because it will help the club be competitive and I want to feel like I've contributed to the clubs success."

Until we are able to do that we will never get to the member numbers Carter and Cook are looking at. The days of memberships only being about entry to games has past an we need to accept that.

Bigger membership numbers mean better TV slots, more sponsors and priority when looking for funding.

More members mean better TV spots? No , appeal to the vast majority of neutrals , playing a good style and being successful is what will ensure the best TV spots for us. We will never be able to compete with mem.nums to some clubs , Pies etc will always be able to outrank us on that score.

Just how much would people pay for this membership that is almost charity? I doubt it would be much.

 

[Boxhead_31]

More members mean better TV spots? No , appeal to the vast majority of neutrals , playing a good style and being successful is what will ensure the best TV spots for us. We will never be able to compete with mem.nums to some clubs , Pies etc will always be able to outrank us on that score.

Just how much would people pay for this membership that is almost charity? I doubt it would be much.

North play a good style of football but still get buried on Sunday slots or Saturday arvo whilst Carlton get Friday and Saturday nights why? Membership numbers would be the main thing, broadcasters want to get their product to what they see being the biggest group and teams with small membership numbers are always going to get placed in the worst time slots no matter how attractively they play the game.

Mid 90's the Pies Hawks had a very modest tally of members what have they done to get to where they are? They have made supporters believe that the club really needs them to be successful and they have signed up in staggering numbers and have benefited from this with sponsor dollars, government donations and AFL funds.

Do you think everyone that has signed up to be Collingwood, Hawthorn, Real Madrid, Barcelona Man U expect to get into every single game? Looking at a membership like a charity donation is the thinking we need to rid ourselves of, look at it as funding the success of the football team playing a part of the success of the side

 

[Art Vandelay_]

In its current format, the GFC digital membership offers nothing that the AFL International offers me. It is EXACTLY the same thing rebadged. And as I currently have remaining time rolling over form last year I have not taken the GFC DM.

I have however renewed my current membership level and added the kids to it.

If there was something to be gained by going thru the club - better access and VFL coverage - Id be there faster than a fat kid on a cupcake.

And id be happy to pay more for it.

The concern is that if the club takes over my live feed subscription then THEY are the responsible party for my technical difficulties. And at 2 am I want them fixed and fixed now. Curently they are pretty good at having real time ( within 15 mins) tech responses ( it is a 3rd party vendor not the AFL).

I can't see the club being able to support it honestly.

GO Catters

Just a query. I watch cricket over the summer and watch the Shield regularly, I watch it on the Cricket Victoria website yet it is a Cricket Australia supplied feed. When the feed experiences difficulties it is CA that fix it not CV, so from reading up on the afl access for international members in the case of the GFC and Collingwood, Collingwood offer afl live subscription which would be operated by the afl? and when following the links the GFC option takes me here: http://watchafl.afl.com.au/

So correct me if I'm wrong but it doesn't appear as though the clubs have control over the feed, but instead get a cut of the money. Therefore wouldn't it be the same guys who respond to the tech difficulties?

 

[catempire]

Just a query. I watch cricket over the summer and watch the Shield regularly, I watch it on the Cricket Victoria website yet it is a Cricket Australia supplied feed. When the feed experiences difficulties it is CA that fix it not CV, so from reading up on the afl access for international members in the case of the GFC and Collingwood, Collingwood offer afl live subscription which would be operated by the afl? and when following the links the GFC option takes me here: http://watchafl.afl.com.au/

So correct me if I'm wrong but it doesn't appear as though the clubs have control over the feed, but instead get a cut of the money. Therefore wouldn't it be the same guys who respond to the tech difficulties?

Correct as far as I can tell NSFB. I have purchased the GFC digital membership and received an email that said it gives you access to the AFL Live app. I got a code to enter in to the app to give me access. The email goes on to say if you have technical difficulties refer to the Telstra FAQ or contact the club. But presumably if you contacted the club they would refer you on to Telstra if the problem was about accessing the live feed through the app.

 

[Turbocat]

North play a good style of football but still get buried on Sunday slots or Saturday arvo whilst Carlton get Friday and Saturday nights why? Membership numbers would be the main thing, broadcasters want to get their product to what they see being the biggest group and teams with small membership numbers are always going to get placed in the worst time slots no matter how attractively they play the game.

Mid 90's the Pies Hawks had a very modest tally of members what have they done to get to where they are? They have made supporters believe that the club really needs them to be successful and they have signed up in staggering numbers and have benefited from this with sponsor dollars, government donations and AFL funds.

Do you think everyone that has signed up to be Collingwood, Hawthorn, Real Madrid, Barcelona Man U expect to get into every single game? Looking at a membership like a charity donation is the thinking we need to rid ourselves of, look at it as funding the success of the football team playing a part of the success of the side

Personally I contribute more than enough to the well being of the club , have for years yet to do it for something not tangible seems unlikely to me. If yo want something for nothing.., tell me what it is if not charity. Guardianship? Parental?

North still have no ultra vibe. I wonder what their ratings were like in the Carey days? If people watch , the ratings will drive the push for timeslot not membership. Anyway I think we have sidestracked the thread enough.

 

[you pick one]

Personally I contribute more than enough to the well being of the club , have for years yet to do it for something not tangible seems unlikely to me. If yo want something for nothing.., tell me what it is if not charity. Guardianship? Parental?

North still have no ultra vibe. I wonder what their ratings were like in the Carey days? If people watch , the ratings will drive the push for timeslot not membership. Anyway I think we have sidestracked the thread enough.

I could put up a bit more than I am currently but f--k it's difficult to give your hard earned for no tangible gain as you say,and given I won't get to see the Cats at all this year up here not even the NAB game which will be further North I feel some what abandoned by the AFL and the Cats so they can go f--k them selves as far as my monetary support goes this year.I'll use the dough to maybe fly down for a game and catch up with some mates.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

This isn't specifically a gripe with how we're communicated with. More to do with membership services.

Early December I left my bank card on a shop counter whilst Xmas shopping. Did the right thing and cancelled the card. I then promptly notified the club of my new card number.

On two separate occasions they contacted me in December saying my payment has bounced (both times because they had failed to record my new card number) both times they processed the new card and said payment cleared.

Today I get a phone call saying those payments had again bounced (even though they told me it hadn't.) a quick check of my account details and sure enough no payment had gone through.

The girl checks and sure enough the new bank card was again not entered.

Unaware of this, I had changed from a bank card to credit card yesterday. So with no active card until my new card arrives she tells me we need your last 2 months payment now or we'll have to allocate your seat to someone else. In the end I had to get tough and let her know if it wasn't for their constant stuff ups, I would have made 2 payments already, on time.

I would have been ropable if their mistakes cost me my seat.

 

[FredLeDeux]

This isn't specifically a gripe with how we're communicated with. More to do with membership services.

Early December I left my bank card on a shop counter whilst Xmas shopping. Did the right thing and cancelled the card. I then promptly notified the club of my new card number.

On two separate occasions they contacted me in December saying my payment has bounced (both times because they had failed to record my new card number) both times they processed the new card and said payment cleared.

Today I get a phone call saying those payments had again bounced (even though they told me it hadn't.) a quick check of my account details and sure enough no payment had gone through.

The girl checks and sure enough the new bank card was again not entered.

Unaware of this, I had changed from a bank card to credit card yesterday. So with no active card until my new card arrives she tells me we need your last 2 months payment now or we'll have to allocate your seat to someone else. In the end I had to get tough and let her know if it wasn't for their constant stuff ups, I would have made 2 payments already, on time.

I would have been ropable if their mistakes cost me my seat.

Did they give you the standard "Sorry sir, we don't have any record of that conversation"?

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Did they give you the standard "Sorry sir, we don't have any record of that conversation"?

Nah I got "jeez I don't know what went wrong there, never happened before".....

Except the previous 2 times.

 

[Rainfall]

Nah I got "jeez I don't know what went wrong there, never happened before".....

Except the previous 2 times.

not technology literate is why

 

[Willo_]

This isn't specifically a gripe with how we're communicated with. More to do with membership services.

Early December I left my bank card on a shop counter whilst Xmas shopping. Did the right thing and cancelled the card. I then promptly notified the club of my new card number.

On two separate occasions they contacted me in December saying my payment has bounced (both times because they had failed to record my new card number) both times they processed the new card and said payment cleared.

Today I get a phone call saying those payments had again bounced (even though they told me it hadn't.) a quick check of my account details and sure enough no payment had gone through.

The girl checks and sure enough the new bank card was again not entered.

Unaware of this, I had changed from a bank card to credit card yesterday. So with no active card until my new card arrives she tells me we need your last 2 months payment now or we'll have to allocate your seat to someone else. In the end I had to get tough and let her know if it wasn't for their constant stuff ups, I would have made 2 payments already, on time.

I would have been ropable if their mistakes cost me my seat.

You had to get tough just now?
I would have cracked the shits after the first time!

And on a completely opposite end of the spectrum my credit debit card got compromised and money taken from my account, cancelled the card etc.. rang the club and told them and they were really good. Happy to accept the payment late when the new card arrived. Went into the club the other day and it was all fixed up and good to go... (that said I am yet to have a payment come out automatically as I updated it 2 days ago... so she may have stuffed it up)

Can you just change your payment source online?

 

[Art Vandelay_]

You had to get tough just now?
I would have cracked the shits after the first time!

And on a completely opposite end of the spectrum my credit debit card got compromised and money taken from my account, cancelled the card etc.. rang the club and told them and they were really good. Happy to accept the payment late when the new card arrived. Went into the club the other day and it was all fixed up and good to go... (that said I am yet to have a payment come out automatically as I updated it 2 days ago... so she may have stuffed it up)

Can you just change your payment source online?

I checked the card and it was the new one. Frustrating.

Bendigo bank is the best, had over $700 stolen from my card. It was one of those fake eftpos machines that was unwittingly installed in a shop. It scans your card number, expiry and cvv then when you enter the pin. Money gets stolen.

Bendigo Bank, no questions asked, sign 1 form. Money back within 48 hours + interest revenue lost. Been with the Bendigo for about 10 years now.

 

[aCunningPlan]

It would seem the biggest constraint to the membership growing is the capacity of KP. People need to get away from thinking that "I'll become a member of the club because I'll get a seat to each and every game" and start to the think that "I'll become a member because it will help the club be competitive and I want to feel like I've contributed to the clubs success."

Until we are able to do that we will never get to the member numbers Carter and Cook are looking at. The days of memberships only being about entry to games has past an we need to accept that.

Bigger membership numbers mean better TV slots, more sponsors and priority when looking for funding.

I'll agree with that, growing up in remote South Australia I'd always get a non-match day Essendon membership just to feel part of the team and get some team goodies even though I had no hope of attending matches. I think it was also Dad's way of compensating for the fact I pestered him to take me to Melbourne and never did. That being said it would be more difficult to get that sort of attitude growing in Geelong itself considering the ground is right on their doorstep. But I completely see what you are gunning for.

Just on a side note, I have found myself going on the Ballarat Geelong supporters bus to games at the Cattery and in Melbourne at least seven times last year since my partner and her family are obsessed Cats. I've ended up getting a Cats jumper and polo, and an AFL membership since my partner is an AFL full member and Cats member. Now I'm just wondering if I swap my AFL Membership to Geelong support will that entitle me to any sort of discount on getting a Geelong membership like Essendon offers?Looking at the Geelong membership site I haven't seen a clear answer. I've found the AFL membership easily covers all I want to see the Bombers but does nothing for going to Geelong which I seem to do more of now. The joys of falling for a Cats fanatic I guess. Oh and I've also bought a Bulldogs membership since they will play the odd game here in Ballarat in a few years time too...I just love footy, and the whole saga with Essendon has me in a state of hedging my bets at the moment, I loved them but there is a line.

 

[Ninty]

Should get Ninty to ask the Moon Dog... pretty sure he knows him....

Ninty can you ask him if he would consider being part of a Q&A for BF?

sorry mate, only just saw this. I haven't seen him since he moved house haha. #moondogged!

 

[Smedts_2]

Generally pretty happy with GFC comms (I don't really expect the club to proactively tell me things about the players, etc, just provide a credible vision for me to hang on to and a decent website) - however, every year I'm a little peeved about the Membership Seating arrangements and comms in relation to that.

ABout 2 months after I applied, just got my seat confirmed, in what was about my fifth preference area. Have no idea whether I was allocated gold or platinum seats or how much I have been charged.

Need to improve this for the 2016 season.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Generally pretty happy with GFC comms (I don't really expect the club to proactively tell me things about the players, etc, just provide a credible vision for me to hang on to and a decent website) - however, every year I'm a little peeved about the Membership Seating arrangements and comms in relation to that.

ABout 2 months after I applied, just got my seat confirmed, in what was about my fifth preference area. Have no idea whether I was allocated gold or platinum seats or how much I have been charged.

Need to improve this for the 2016 season.

Did you have seats beforehand? and when exactly did they get confirmed?

 

[Smedts_2]

Did you have seats beforehand? and when exactly did they get confirmed?

Yes (but we changed them), and a couple of hours ago.

 

[Willo_]

Yes (but we changed them), and a couple of hours ago.

The whole process of moving seats seems far too difficult. The form is nothing short of ridiculous, and it just seems so much harder than it needs to be. Have a mate who signed up and wanted to sit with me but it was become such a pain I just gave him my seat number, he went in and said what have you got near this... him and his old man got seats 3 away from me... close enough we decided

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Yes (but we changed them), and a couple of hours ago.

All I know as I have posted about earlier in this thread. Is that Wednesday week ago was the day where new seat allocations and I'd assume seat changes occurred.

 

[Isaac Norm Smith]

Generally pretty happy with GFC comms (I don't really expect the club to proactively tell me things about the players, etc, just provide a credible vision for me to hang on to and a decent website) - however, every year I'm a little peeved about the Membership Seating arrangements and comms in relation to that.

ABout 2 months after I applied, just got my seat confirmed, in what was about my fifth preference area. Have no idea whether I was allocated gold or platinum seats or how much I have been charged.

Need to improve this for the 2016 season.

Yeah I also just had confirmation that my seat change application had been processed. The email said I have seats in the Hickey Stand, Bay A4. They didn't say whether it was gold or Platinum. I checked on internet banking and they must be platinum as we originally payed for our gold seats and we have been charged an extra $100 or so. I still don't even know what level they are on in the Hickey as the seating map is confusing

 

[JUBJUB]

Yeah I also just had confirmation that my seat change application had been processed. The email said I have seats in the Hickey Stand, Bay A4. They didn't say whether it was gold or Platinum. I checked on internet banking and they must be platinum as we originally payed for our gold seats and we have been charged an extra $100 or so. I still don't even know what level they are on in the Hickey as the seating map is confusing

Hickey Stand is easy to tell.A is the bottom level,B is the upper level.You're in the 4th Bay from the Gary Ablett Terrace side,probably 1 bay from dead centre of the ground.That'would be bloody good seats.