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Post by Score on Aug 16, 2007 23:21:12 GMT -4
Everyone knows that Dave Flanagan did not do anything to upset the balance in the organization, yet he was fired for another french guy. People around PEI were NOT impressed with that. I am guessing thos 2 factors have turned some fans off. If they had just kept Flanagan and if Yannick would try some new things, it may have turned out better. Tucker wanted time off as his wife was due for a baby shortly as well.. Tucker leaving has nothing to do with ticket sales, and if it did.......something is wrong with those fans iMO. |
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Post by 1barney22 on Aug 17, 2007 1:16:23 GMT -4
He actually did not ask for time off. I know him well and thats not the case....from the horse's mouth so to speak. My point is that he was squeezed out . PEI fans were already unhappy, and this just added salt to the wound. I am not saying that keeping him would make or break the team, and I am not saying keeping Jean was a mistake.....but.....I know what I was hearing in the stands last year, and a lot of people were disillusioned by Jeans coaching. That has to have impacted on ticket sales.
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Post by 1barney22 on Aug 17, 2007 1:25:37 GMT -4
One more thought....obviously letting the fans decide who coaches is ridiculous. Everyone thinks they know what they are talking about when it comes to coaching. I even don't believe that its the marketing thats the prob. PEI'ers just get interested when their teams are winning. When the rocket has a winning season, we will see the rink full again.
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Post by wingman on Aug 17, 2007 7:00:36 GMT -4
One more thought....obviously letting the fans decide who coaches is ridiculous. Everyone thinks they know what they are talking about when it comes to coaching. I even don't believe that its the marketing thats the prob. PEI'ers just get interested when their teams are winning. When the rocket has a winning season, we will see the rink full again. It's not just Islanders that get interested when their teams are winning. If you put this organization in any market and I think they would still have problems at the gate. A couple of years ago attendance was down in Bathurst because the team wasn't winning. Look at Moncton last year their attendance dropped, why, because they didn't have a winning team. I think that some people are being too harsh about PEI being a place where the only way to draw people is to have a winning team because it happens in other places also. A couple of the things that pissed off fans last year were taking down the big screens and taking the away games off the internet. Those were down for financial reasons, but that is still part of marketing. |
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Post by North Shore on Aug 17, 2007 8:14:49 GMT -4
Timing ... Is a major contributor to success in almost any endeavor, including selling tickets.
The organization needs to push their sales dates up. Playoff packs should be set and on sale early. They would make a good Christmas gift for a season ticket holder so get them on the market early. This team waits till the last minute to put them on sale.
If you've been smart in marketing the playoff packs then more effort could be put into early sales of season tickets when the team is coming into the playoffs. Start selling next years season tickets when people's interest is peaking. If the team makes an early play off exit and you have not been pushing season tickets you will have missed some of the best time to sell a season ticket. If you've sold them a season ticket in the run up to the play offs or in the first round the person likely had a play off package which would end up as a credit on next years season ticket.
Promote season tickets all year. Be creative, for example do a draw once a month from the stubs collected from season ticket holders to give away a season ticket for the balance of the season. The winner already has a seat but with the free seat for the rest of the season they will be introducing someone to the Rocket who may well become a supporter.
Again be creative on payment plans. Not everyone has the full price up front but if you took a deposit in March/April and did a pre-authorized payment plan that saw the ticket paid for by September you'd sell more tickets.
Also by getting an early start you may avoid competing with other summer sports for dollars, for example, it's hard to sell a season ticket to someone thinking about paying for their golf membership.
Lastly and more importantly, improve customer service when selling. I felt like I was imposing on the person who answered my call (after I received no reply to my emails) when inquiring about the payoff pack last year.
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Post by dogpound on Aug 17, 2007 9:42:30 GMT -4
Timing ... Is a major contributor to success in almost any endeavor, including selling tickets. The organization needs to push their sales dates up. Playoff packs should be set and on sale early. They would make a good Christmas gift for a season ticket holder so get them on the market early. This team waits till the last minute to put them on sale. If you've been smart in marketing the playoff packs then more effort could be put into early sales of season tickets when the team is coming into the playoffs. Start selling next years season tickets when people's interest is peaking. If the team makes an early play off exit and you have not been pushing season tickets you will have missed some of the best time to sell a season ticket. If you've sold them a season ticket in the run up to the play offs or in the first round the person likely had a play off package which would end up as a credit on next years season ticket. Promote season tickets all year. Be creative, for example do a draw once a month from the stubs collected from season ticket holders to give away a season ticket for the balance of the season. The winner already has a seat but with the free seat for the rest of the season they will be introducing someone to the Rocket who may well become a supporter. Again be creative on payment plans. Not everyone has the full price up front but if you took a deposit in March/April and did a pre-authorized payment plan that saw the ticket paid for by September you'd sell more tickets. Also by getting an early start you may avoid competing with other summer sports for dollars, for example, it's hard to sell a season ticket to someone thinking about paying for their golf membership. Lastly and more importantly, improve customer service when selling. I felt like I was imposing on the person who answered my call (after I received no reply to my emails) when inquiring about the payoff pack last year. That's an excellent post, Rocketfan. Indeed, dealing with the office staff has always been a trying experience, right from the get-go for me. One always feels one is imposing, and it's always hard to get answers. The seating chart which shows you which seats are available for season tickets and which aren't has apparently not been updated since the 05-06 season, or so the lady told me - hard to pick out your seats with an out-of-date chart. Doesn't help either that office staff starting repeatedly misspelling my name on correspondence when I still had season tickets, two years ago - that's one thing that really burns me up. There's a need for more attention to details and a friendlier attitude towards fans. |
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Post by stang07 on Aug 17, 2007 13:23:11 GMT -4
The gig will be up for Serge and Company if they can't come up with a plan to get fans back to the CCC. In the newspaper article he mentioned signing a 5 year deal with the CCC but almost in the same breath said it can't stay this way. In other words it sounded like a "we can't survive with this low of a fan base." This should be an interesting year for the Rocket. I hope that the fans start to come back again but the way they treated Tucker was unfair and this type of thing doesn't sit well with the fans. Speaking of Tucker, remember when Jean was suspended for those games last season?  ? I couldn't believe that Savard decided HE should take over the coaching duties of the team while Tucker was second in command behind the bench. I thought that was in very poor taste. I thought if the coach is suspended the assistant coach takes over... |
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Post by Score on Aug 17, 2007 13:51:16 GMT -4
As mentioned the fans will come if the team competes.
I dont think a new rink has anything to do with it.......fans want a solid product on the ice, and if that happens they'll come out.
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Post by Fusion on Aug 17, 2007 14:18:04 GMT -4
Ch'town needs a new rink, CCC is shit... and is horribly run.
Poor Rocket management is the main reason for the decline in attendance... along with the novelty wearing off. I'd be shocked if they still call PEI home next year if they flounder in the playoffs again this year.
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Post by Score on Aug 17, 2007 14:33:58 GMT -4
Poor Rocket management is the main reason for the decline in attendance... along with the novelty wearing off. I'd be shocked if they still call PEI home next year if they flounder in the playoffs again this year. How can the "novelty" of hockey wear off? I believe that Islanders DO love hockey, but want a team that will compete each night. |
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Post by 1barney22 on Aug 17, 2007 14:42:13 GMT -4
Score...once again you and I are on the same page. This is nothing new. On PEI fans come when teams are winning and don't when they are losing. Thats just the way it has been for as long as I can remember.
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Post by Score on Aug 17, 2007 14:47:57 GMT -4
Score...once again you and I are on the same page. This is nothing new. On PEI fans come when teams are winning and don't when they are losing. Thats just the way it has been for as long as I can remember. Exactly..... When the Abbies had competitive teams the CCC was packed. Not sold out, but close to 3,000 per game. WHEN they were competitive.....like in 1999 and 2003. Rocket ice a competitive team, and the CCC will draw over 3000 per game |
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Post by Penguins23® on Aug 17, 2007 14:56:11 GMT -4
One more thought....obviously letting the fans decide who coaches is ridiculous. Everyone thinks they know what they are talking about when it comes to coaching. I even don't believe that its the marketing thats the prob. PEI'ers just get interested when their teams are winning. When the rocket has a winning season, we will see the rink full again. It's not just Islanders that get interested when their teams are winning. If you put this organization in any market and I think they would still have problems at the gate. A couple of years ago attendance was down in Bathurst because the team wasn't winning. Look at Moncton last year their attendance dropped, why, because they didn't have a winning team. I think that some people are being too harsh about PEI being a place where the only way to draw people is to have a winning team because it happens in other places also. A couple of the things that pissed off fans last year were taking down the big screens and taking the away games off the internet. Those were down for financial reasons, but that is still part of marketing. Ummm yeah season tickets sales went down because a bunch of people bought season tickets the year before for the sole reason of getting Memorial Cup tickets. Some people bought flex tickets and didn't use one. They would give them away or sell them. People in Calgary had Moncton Wildcats season tickets and it wasn't cause the team was good  I do get your point, I'm just pointing something out. |
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Post by Fusion on Aug 17, 2007 16:39:09 GMT -4
Poor Rocket management is the main reason for the decline in attendance... along with the novelty wearing off. I'd be shocked if they still call PEI home next year if they flounder in the playoffs again this year. How can the "novelty" of hockey wear off? I believe that Islanders DO love hockey, but want a team that will compete each night. The novelty of having a Q team. |
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Post by dogpound on Aug 17, 2007 20:01:17 GMT -4
Score...once again you and I are on the same page. This is nothing new. On PEI fans come when teams are winning and don't when they are losing. Thats just the way it has been for as long as I can remember. Exactly..... When the Abbies had competitive teams the CCC was packed. Not sold out, but close to 3,000 per game. WHEN they were competitive.....like in 1999 and 2003. Nonsense - and I think you know it. The Abbies NEVER drew "close to 3,000 per game" - unless you're talking about the Royal Bank Cup, of course. A decent Abbies crowd was always anything over 1,000, year after year. Contrary to what we keep hear repeated again and again, Islanders aren't "great hockey fans". Islanders are 'average' hockey fans, at best. They generally don't support their teams. Enough with the myths! |
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? I couldn't believe that Savard decided HE should take over the coaching duties of the team while Tucker was second in command behind the bench. I thought that was in very poor taste. I thought if the coach is suspended the assistant coach takes over...
I do get your point, I'm just pointing something out.