The Mail Bag
I never thought I'd get tired of Z Cars......
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......but today I did. My kingdom for a derby ticket.
Dial 0871 663 1878... Option 1. 5 seconds of Z-Cars.... then an advert...... 5 seconds of Z-Cars... then a message.... 5 seconds of Z-Cars.... apology.... and repeat....
I hold the receiver a little away from my ear so that the shrill tones of the theme tune that usually sends a shiver down my spine do not pierce my ear drum.... and wait.... is it the lady on the other end there to grant me my entrance to the derby for £36 English pounds? No it's not... it's that guy again trying to make me buy something else or apologise for not picking up.... oh how I wish he would.
A little under 1.5 hours I spent on an 0871 number today trying to get through to a person so that they would enable my season card before someone else takes my place after tomorrow. Do the maths at 10p a minute.... or probably more on my mobile. I hoping I'm not getting one of those mentally scarring images of Z-Cars in a similar way that the guy out of Clockwork Orange gets violent reactions to classical music after they force him to watch violent movies in order to cure him of his evil ways.
So a different tack I take. I'll try the on-line ticketing system. Customer number? What the hell is that? Oh I need to call up to get it. What's the number.........0871 663 1878!!! ARRRGGGHHH.
Hang on, have I been through this before in my life? Yes, I must have, it brings back bad memories. I may have registered in the past, I'll use the forgotten password feature.... surely that will allow me to enter my e.mail and get a lovely e.mail detailing how I can reset my password and get into the online shop and enable my season ticket for a week Wednesday.
Forgotten password page please..... what do you require for me to reset my password? A fucking customer number. I work for a web company. Please, Everton marketing / web gurus, if you need pointers on how to alienate users don't come to me... you've already ticked all the right boxes. I'm out of here. Browser closed.
Tell you what, I'll just get them tomorrow before the Arsenal game. I'm working till 5:30 ? that should leave me plenty of time. Box office closing time... 6pm.
Looks like I won't be getting my seat for the Derby next week. Everton, sort it out, you are a supposed global brand and a season ticket holder can't event get through to the club to pay them good money to see a game. Don't get me wrong, I've had a bad day but I love being a Blue, I love going to every game and all the cup games and Uefa Cup games, but the amount of times this club makes life so difficult in getting tickets for these games is beyond belief! Next season that Auto Cup tick-box is getting a tick by it.
Oh and one last thing: Everton, if you feel like charging me the same price for a pint tomorrow that my fellow blues pay in the Park End, then that will make my day; otherwise, I'll be bringing a hip flask and that's just not cool.
Kevin Walker, Posted 27/01/2009 at 18:15:37
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how about,
Rafa give us a rant,
Rafa Rafa give us a rant!
Had all the same problems. Instead of waiting for a Box Office Rep to pick it up. Dial through to the lounges or the corporate section. They can transfer you internally. Don’t tell anyone though.
Also check your season ticket ? you will see if you look that it has your personal customer number on it.
But as you say, it is easier to blame someone else.
Preferably, you could just hold and not be charged a freekin? fortune. What would they bring in each year on people being on hold all that time... a few grand? Behave Everton.
Got the text through saying to follow this link, which I did and then it just keeps saying FAILED.
This may just be a problem with my phone, anyone more tech savvy than me got any suggestions?
OK, the customer number is on the season card, but the password is less crackable than the one the prime minister has to push the nuclear button and correct me if I am wrong there isn't an option to change from what I can see!
Would you accept this from anybody else?
EFC are the crappest administrative organisation I?ve ever heard of ? after BT ? why put up with it?
Try using the tinternet, never a problem, no waiting and it costs nothing.
I am continually amazed that posts like this end up on the site, it is exactly the same every time there is a big game, there is nothing new here just another reason to bitch and moan about the club.
Shit happens dude.
However, the link to buying tickets was either not working properly or my details were not recognised. Therefore, despite hours of trying, I was forced into using the phone lines and I am less than happy at spending more time and money than is necessary for such a simple transaction.
James, the fact that it happens at all clubs doesn?t make it right. I can pay for many goods and services without the hassle involved buying tickets for the blues. God knows what buying a ticket by text is like.
If we all sit back and accept bad service without complaining, it's never ever going to improve.
Or maybe I am just a lucky purchaser then?
In your retort to Tony Williams you failed to explain the difficulty you had in finding your customer number for your call, when you apparently knew where it was all the time. The need to supply this is fairly obvious. No?
For those who call 08--- numbers from mobiles I also suggest you check out the following website:
http://www.saynoto0870.com/search.php
You enter the 08--- number and it tells you the real landline equivalent. Can make these calls almost free in some cases.
Perhaps it depends on which IP you use as to the reliability of the service.
I also think that the OS Ticket service could be improved by having a more user friendly interface when passwords etc fail to work.
COYB let’s win tonight!
So I thought about it and tried the phone. After 10 minutes at work listening to stop start Z cars, I gave up. At lunchtime, I tried again and after about 30 minutes eventually got through. So that’s one hell of a labour of love!
I then thought about how I would have been able to order two tickets (my own and my son’s) on the e-ticketing system had I persisted. Can you order two tickets on one customer reference or do you have to buy separately twice?
Anyway, I got there in the end and just put it down to exceptional circumstances. I’m still not clear however how I break the deadly embrace re my e-ticketing account. Can’t log on, can’t get my password, can’t re-register!
I must also say that the service from Everton when ordering away tickets over the phone has been exceptionally good.
I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt therefore, recognising that it must have been incredibly frustrating for those who took longer than me to get through - if at all!
What a disgrace.
I can only go on my own experience and I have never had a problem. Not to defend EFC, as I know there are issues but isn’t the proximate cause of the problem the fact that you couldn’t remember your password? It may have been plain sailing had you remembered it, not EFC’s fault that (I do agree though it’s not exactly user friendly when trying to re-register, it happened to me also when I was renewing my season ticket but I eventually found my password)
Your right about BT and I should know i work as a contractor for them but the Blues run them a close second.
My company sponsored the match ball against the villa last season. They got the name of the company wrong on the framed photo, we had to ask for our photo’s to be taken which is part of the deal, should have been with Dave Hickson before the game but by then it was too late he had left so we settled on Duncan Mckenzie after the game after asking again. Didn’t announce the company name before the game over the public address system, failed to seat the party (10) together in the Alex young suite seats in the ground even though we’re season ticket holders, put my business partner and his kids with some villa fans, they were someones guests, they were pissed, trying to cause fights and were spitting on people, frightened his kids so much they went back down stairs and watched the game in the lounge.
The stewards threatened to throw out Evertonians who were complaining about them in the main stand, one steward getting police officers to warn the Evertonians. When villa made it 2-2 late on they caused so much animosity, V signs, wankers gestures, telling all to f*** off that they were asked to go down stairs by the stewards where they were given more booze.
We asked for one penlite with the Everton crest (not available in the shop) because one wasn’t working, never got it, the person we asked never came back. It took weeks and phone calls galore before we got a replacement framed signed programme with the right company name.
Needless to say, we are no longer season ticket (4) holders, i pay per game now and sit where the mood takes me with my son and my business partner and his son just don’t go anymore.
Very sad affair.
What a fucking disgrace. The people organising this ( if you can call it organisation ) should be sacked. Maybe EFC don’t pay the on-the-ground employees enough to get quality employees, but then again when this happened in April BK was quite happy to pay that fat lummox Wyness £400k a year to oversee it all.
You should write to Kenwright telling him exactly waht you have told us and then see what he does about it.
If you do, let us all know what happens.
FFS You have all missed the chance to have a free go at GORDON BROWN.
Whats he doing on an Everton site when he supports Raith Rovers or Partick Thistle whoever.
Gordon - come on fella sort the economy out never mind Evertons ticket centre.
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1 Posted 28/01/2009 at 04:16:09
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Whichever company is screening the calls is making a fortune and I bet not a penny is going into the coffers of EFC.
Anyway here is a song to sing next Wednesday
.Run Rafa ? Run Rafa ? Run! Run! Run!
Don?t give up work after Goodison
We?ll get by with Dignity and Style
So run Rafa ?Run Rafa ? Run! Run! Run