Was it just me?

[HeLMie]

Today after receiving my membership pack i realised the actual membership card was not in the pack. So then began my search for that initial North Melbourne membership information pack which of course after hours of looking it was in.

I was positive last year they sent out another one with the actual pack so didn't really think twice about the ones i already got, luckily i didn't throw them out.

Problem was easily solved though, i signed up for the troo roo for life so hopefully no confusion in the future.

Whilst on Memberships is it common to get one membership pack and not another which should be sent to the same house?

 

[My North]

membership card should be in the pack, unless they sending it later.

 

[Sandgroper35]

Firstly, that is strange because I got 2 membership cards - one with the renewal form, one with the membership pack

On the second issue, I buy 3 different tpyes of membership and they all come at different times so I'd suspect they get sent out on that basis.

 

[Manbearpig]

If you were a member last year, they send out the same type of membership card in November with the renewal pack, before you pay for it. Once you pay for it, it becomes activated.

If you change the membership type, they will send you a new card and tell you to throw out the old one.

 

[robaba]

If you were a member last year, they send out the same type of membership card in November with the renewal pack, before you pay for it. Once you pay for it, it becomes activated.

If you change the membership type, they will send you a new card and tell you to throw out the old one.

Wrong. I applied for same membership type in Dec and got a new card in February after paying for it

 

[sross]

Wrong. I applied for same membership type in Dec and got a new card in February after paying for it

Same here.

 

[chuks]

lol, sounds like another membership stuff up from the club.

one only needs to look at this thread to see why our membership numbers are so low.

if we want to be a 'professional' club as Scott says, it's not good enough that these mistakes keep happening. big reason why we struggle to sign people up imo.

 

[Sandgroper35]

lol, sounds like another membership stuff up from the club.

one only needs to look at this thread to see why our membership numbers are so low.

if we want to be a 'professional' club as Scott says, it's not good enough that these mistakes keep happening. big reason why we struggle to sign people up imo.

The reality is that we are a suburban club trying to run a national business without the finances to do so. We simply don't have enough staff to process and distribute the memberships in an efficient manner. There is nothing more to it. Contrast this to West Coast - they run a much more complex membership program yet I've never heard any of their supporters complain about having their membership stuffed up. I've seen first hand how many people they have working for them though and I can't say I'm surprised that it would run like a well oiled machine. You need money to make money.

 

[Bigeasy]

Beats me why the club doesn't get a mailhouse on board as a sponsor and in return they look after our memberships, mail outs etc. The mailhouse gets national exposure and we get a free membership collation and postage service. They have sophistcated equipment that handle this sort of stuff day in and day out and they are quick and accurate. I know I use a couple for our work.

 

[speedy]

It seems every year we have threads on problems with membership renewals? I've been a member since 94 and never had a problem once. I don't know, maybe I'm easily pleased? As long as I eventually get my membership card and have access to all the games that I am entitled too, I'm happy.

 

[robaba]

Seems like there is a fair bit of unnecessary whingeing going on here about membership stuff ups.
I have never had a real problem aside from things not happening straight away, but then I don't eat fast food much anymore and don't expect instant results all the time.
You never hear about thing going right, only when there is a stuff up.
Overall I think everything works out well if you do it over the phone or in person. The website for membership sales needs a lot of work.

 

[hundini]

I must be one of the lucky ones (member for past 10+ years) as I don't feel the necessity to raise complaints.
Sure the membership cards take a while to get to me, but meh.

However I do appreciate the opinions of those who feel annoyed.

It is about systems and structure and I am confident the new administration will build an improved and efficient membership structure to compliment the new era NMFC.

 

[GoNorth]

I have been a member for 30+ years and also have never had a problem with my membership or reserved seat.

The only small problem I have had recently was having to chase up a Pet membership (which was easily fixed following contact with the Membership Department).

So, there are no complaints from me!

 

[HeLMie]

Not complaining fellas. They've just changed something since last year that took me by surprise!

 

[blackshadow]

Not complaining fellas. They've just changed something since last year that took me by surprise!

Welcome to the NEW ERA

 

[shintemaster]

Seems like there is a fair bit of unnecessary whingeing going on here about membership stuff ups.

It's not unnecessary and is rarely simple whinging. This stuff matters to people so it should and if I don't miss my guess it does matter to those in charge of our club. For every member that will pay up even if the club took their right leg there are probably 100 that will consider whether it is worth the effort after getting minor issues. That is reality and we are supplying a service.

You never hear about thing going right, only when there is a stuff up.

Rarely, that's human nature though, we should expect these things to go right almost 100% of the time. This site isn't supposed to be a big back slapping forum for the club, it's a very good chance to see what the supporters think and what issues are affecting them. There would be thousands of North supporters out there that have never even bothered to post on Bigfooty, let alone give feedback about service... they will however be giving that feedback to their friends, family or colleagues and quite possibly walking away.

The website for membership sales needs a lot of work.

Agree 100% and this is an issue I've raised before. It needs to be flexible, usable and simple. It also ideally should be able to cater for any combination of memberships, seating etc.

 

[The Zebra]

It seems every year we have threads on problems with membership renewals? I've been a member since 94 and never had a problem once. I don't know, maybe I'm easily pleased? As long as I eventually get my membership card and have access to all the games that I am entitled too, I'm happy.

Same. Actually, my experience has been the opposite. I have recruited a fair few members and to make it easier for them i usually arrange every thing - I have called and emailed the membership dept plenty of times asking for seat changes, 10 different payments options with 10 different credit cards and email addresses, etc - and I have never had one problem. They have been great.


I guess we are the lucky ones.

 

[Kangalicious]

To those who've had years of memberships with no problems - that's the experience everyone should have. But unfortunately that just isn't the case. My kids are 10 and 12, and I can honestly say that we've only had about two years where membership has been straightforward. The rest have not. Issues have sometimes been small, sometimes been large, but there's usually something. Ironically, the biggest issues have involved increasing membership - joining a more expensive category, moving to level 2 seats, sponsoring a player, bringing another member on board. For a club that needs the cash, it doesn't make spending more money terribly easy.

If I didn't love the club as much as I do, I'd have given up by now.

 

[shintemaster]

To those who've had years of memberships with no problems - that's the experience everyone should have. But unfortunately that just isn't the case. My kids are 10 and 12, and I can honestly say that we've only had about two years where membership has been straightforward. The rest have not. Issues have sometimes been small, sometimes been large, but there's usually something. Ironically, the biggest issues have involved increasing membership - joining a more expensive category, moving to level 2 seats, sponsoring a player, bringing another member on board. For a club that needs the cash, it doesn't make spending more money terribly easy.

If I didn't love the club as much as I do, I'd have given up by now.

I'd echo this, my biggest headaches have been when trying to adjust the number of people I sit with in our reserved seats. Almost without fail it is frustrating and ends up invariably done incorrectly. It really makes it annoying to try and get new people to cough up $450+ and be such a pain in the a*se for me...

 

[HeLMie]

haha massive dramas.

After receiving my membership packs a couple of days later i receive a card from the NMFC stating I'm the missign peice and to sign up for 2010. It was most interesting!

 

[The Zebra]

I'd echo this, my biggest headaches have been when trying to adjust the number of people I sit with in our reserved seats. Almost without fail it is frustrating and ends up invariably done incorrectly. It really makes it annoying to try and get new people to cough up $450+ and be such a pain in the a*se for me...

Very strange. I have changed seats/people 3 times now (so I am the annoying one really), each time dealt with a different person and each time I have not had one problem.

I just send them an email outlining everything i want, give them time to sort out my options with out me waiting on the phone, they get back to me and done - and I ask for a confirmation email.

It has really been like clock work from my experience.

 

[shintemaster]

Very strange. I have changed seats/people 3 times now (so I am the annoying one really), each time dealt with a different person and each time I have not had one problem.

I just send them an email outlining everything i want, give them time to sort out my options with out me waiting on the phone, they get back to me and done - and I ask for a confirmation email.

It has really been like clock work from my experience.

Bastard.

No joke, I've tried plenty of different ways, I'm always extremely careful to be specific about sitting together and I still have problems. I'm not 100% but I received my membership in the mail today and I'm fairly sure that I'm already in a different aisle altogether to at least one of the 4 other people I'll be sitting with. I just don't understand how that can be hard. Names on one sheet = sit together.

Edit: Yep, once again I'm apparently organising and paying for 5 memberships together so that I can sit 4 aisles away. The frustrations are many:
1 - I put off organising this as long as possible (and longer every year!) because it is ALWAYS a misery
2 - Every year the reserved seats I have get worse because by the time I receive the membership, find out they're wrong and am calling them about it we're right on the eve of the season meaning that they can't accommodate a group of 5+ together in a good spot. Over the last decade I've gradually managed to go from almost the perfect seat to something far from...
3 - Every year I go out of my way to be absolutely clear with the club what I want, and it's not that complicated. 5 non related adults sitting together. Every year I have to argue and waste my time over how to fix this situation
4 - Every year I use the forms that the club gives me in order to be as clear as possible. If those forms aren't capable of making this process clear to the staff then why the F are they being used
5 - I am not exaggerating when I say that if this was any other company, organisation, association or whatever I would have walked away - probably about right now after opening this fr*ggin letter
6 - Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

 

[The Zebra]

ha ha - ok shinte, I believe you!

I don't know the difference between you and me (apart from my rugged good looks, enviable sporting ability and superior intellect of course), but if it means anything, I have never used a form for this kind of change in seats/addition of people.

Always an email that spells out what i want like I am talking to a child - inclusive of examples. And always a request for a return email from them explaining to me what I want.

I hate forms.

 

[shintemaster]

I hate forms.

Me too. I don't do it out of love...

It's just depressing when I know 3 months in advance that it will happen, despite explaining it multiple times as clearly as possible.

I'm officially putting signing up new people for memberships on my Nemesis list as follows

Death from Above
Memberships
RoyalBlue

 

[The Zebra]

Me too. I don't do it out of love...

It's just depressing when I know 3 months in advance that it will happen, despite explaining it multiple times as clearly as possible.

I'm officially putting signing up new people for memberships on my Nemesis list as follows

Death from Above
Memberships
RoyalBlue

Who's she?