Captain Colonial Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I have , but why tell people what they can't look at , why not let them evaluate the benefits by looking at them Err...I am clearly telling them what some of the benefits are in that thread that they can't see at the moment. Those benefits change on.a regular basis and I will update the thread as necessary, plus it's pinned at the top. Short of holding their hands and walking them round the boards and club website, or sticking them up at gunpoint and making them join, what do you suggest can realistically be done to help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibby Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Think of it a bit like a peep show, you can't see what's behind the curtain until you pay your pound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurksalot Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 Err...I am clearly telling them what some of the benefits are in that thread that they can't see at the moment. Those benefits change on.a regular basis and I will update the thread as necessary, plus it's pinned at the top. Short of holding their hands and walking them round the boards and club website, or sticking them up at gunpoint and making them join, what do you suggest can realistically be done to help? :laugh: By all means have a thread offering the benefits , great idea , but why prevent non-members from seeing the benefits in the first place reallistically , the fewer obstacles to join the club the better , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Lurksalot, If the companies making the offers required proof of membership for those taking up their discounts it would be perfectly feasible to let non-members see the details. However they will give the discount to anyone who says they are a member of the club without proof. That's why it cannot be shown to non-members assuming we want to entice people to join in order to reap the benefits, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 :laugh: By all means have a thread offering the benefits , great idea , but why prevent non-members from seeing the benefits in the first place reallistically , the fewer obstacles to join the club the better , What Norman said above this plus for the password reason I already explained. The pinned post I made in the Membership section is never going to be what makes people join, but it is an enticement and part of a great value for money package that is already well explained in the About section and the WSCC web pages themselves. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back! It reminds me of the story of what P T Barnum (of The Greatest Show On Earth circus fame, of course) did. At the very end of the big top tent and exhibition of wonders, he put up a sign that read, "This Way To The Great Egress". Naturally, not everyone knew "egress" was another word for "exit" - they'd go through it, find themselves outside, and if they wanted back in, they'd have to go all the way around to the front and pay again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurksalot Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 Lurksalot, If the companies making the offers required proof of membership for those taking up their discounts it would be perfectly feasible to let non-members see the details. However they will give the discount to anyone who says they are a member of the club without proof. That's why it cannot be shown to non-members assuming we want to entice people to join in order to reap the benefits, Thank you Norman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurksalot Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 Now I understand the reasons for the secret forum ,in that it will prevent non-members from pilfering the deals on offer by preventing them access to the offers. The issue then happens, that having organised this level of security …...... …....... if a friend of mine wanted something that the club got a discount on I would give him the details. somewhat defeating the whole point of the security . A very simple way around this would be to utilise the PM system , which is only available to members , so that the originator could request PMs for the promo codes. This would effectively provide a number of advantages 1 , there would be no need for secrecy , passwords and hidden forums 2 All the detail of offers could be seen by non members to evaluate their relevance 3 bulk buys that might benefit from the added price leverage from the inclusion of non members 4 the promo codes could be traceable to the member requesting them 5 the promo codes could be traceable to purchases if necessary, 5 It would be easy to identify when codes were passed to non members. I would doubt that some of the detail would be of great significance , but it does offer a good level of control and security if it were deemed necessary . Members only deals are a good hook to get more people to sign up ....... yes , but if they can see the bait on the hook , it may offer some more encouragement Disadvantages are open to debate ….........which kind of brings me back to post number 1 :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Interesting, but nowhere near "very simple". Quite the opposite, in fact. Who generates all those separate codes? Who administers them? How are they generated? What is the cost of the resources necessary to do this? "Simple" it isn't to have multiple codes as a system, I'm afraid, and the cost of it would probably negate the discounts being passed on. If I put more info in the thread in the Membership area than I already did, non-members could call the suppliers and say they saw the offer on the boards and ask for the discount. Members get more benefits than non-members, and anyone who knows about clubs understands this. As I said, special offers do not make people join a club by themselves, but knowing they exist stimulates interest. And what no one has mentioned is that there already IS an area where club sponsors can advertise their special offers to members and non-members, called WSCC Sponsors - Info & News - Special Offers. I think it's an excellent addition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibby Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 There's also an AO section that regular members can't see into but you don't see anyone whinging about not being let it. It's like drunkenly asking the doorman on a nightclub door - I don't want to pay but let me in to see what it's like so I can make my mind up whether I want to pay to get in or not. No chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurksalot Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 As you asked, I will try to help Who generates all those separate codes? whoever raises the offer , and lets be honest , a PM to the originator to ask for the code , might get a reply of ‘ don’t worry just tell them you’re a member’ It kind of already seems to be working like that Who administers them? How are they generated? That would depend on the importance placed on the level of secure use, for aeroscreens you might just use as above , but for insurance discounts I am sure there would need to be a level of traceabilty , maybe a simple combination of name and address might work . after all a false declaration might need to be checked up by the company offering the deal . What is the cost of the resources necessary to do this? If the club do not feel the need to post out membership cards any longer then there must be a bit of a time and cost saving there "Simple" it isn't to have multiple codes as a system,. to quote myself "I would doubt that some of the detail would be of great significance , but it does offer a good level of control and security if it were deemed necessary" If it doesn’t need the full lockdown treatment it wouldn’t get it And what no one has mentioned is that there already IS an area where club sponsors can advertise their special offers to members and non-members, called WSCC Sponsors - Info & News - Special Offers. So why re-invent the wheel , and then hide it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 The problem with codes is that the vast majority of suppliers won't do it for 2 reasons. 1) to much resource required and 2) they're not bothered if they sell to a non-member, they are there to sell. I was only stating the obvious when I said I would tell a friend. I don't have any friends so it was academic. However it is a problem. Let me put it this way. If non-members had all the benefits of the the club what would be the point of paying the membership fee. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 I'm sorry Lurksalot, but we will have to agree to disagree. There's no point getting into a debate about this, but in my long-term experience, for the quantities we are talking about, the resources in terms of time, administration, policing, and cost needed to do what you're suggesting is prohibitive, and many suppliers would be unwilling to go through all that to accommodate it. That hidden members only area offering special member only discounts is not going be the primary reason anyone joins this club, nor is it a deal breaker for forum users - no one is going to stop using the boards and throw a strop because they can't access an area they either don't know about because it's invisible or because it offers discounts to which they are not entitled. Being a club member has many benefits, and that is just a small one. However, I am not the font of all knowledge, and if you personally would like to create, develop, roll out and adminster a system that would do the things which your looking for, and do it as a volunteer and without remuneration simply for the betterment of the club, then I would encourage you as much as possible, as I'm sure would others in here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 I think the area should be visible to all but only allow members in. I think one of the points Lurksalot is making is why hide the fact that there is a members discount area if non-members aren't aware they need to join to gain access. Bit like a shop having a sale with no signs on the window. Why not have a benefits page on display when a non-member logs on. Explaining the club track and sprint days, the discounts arranged for members, the magazine, club merchandise (what have I forgotten).... Ah..... Benefits of Membership Membership of the W.S.C.C. allows entry to the many Regional and National social & track based events at a reduced cost. W.S.C.C. organised track days at a much reduced cost to all club members - you won't find better value for money track days anywhere else. A copy of the quarterly club magazine entitled "Westfield World", giving helpful advice, articles, queries, free members advertisements etc. Access to exclusive club merchandise; T-shirts, sweatshirts, badges, stickers etc. all bearing the club logo. Technical assistance, build information and those helpful telephone contact numbers are usually available on a local level for your help and assistance. Access to the Club stands at major kit car shows and several classic car shows. Discounts available on insurance and accessories from many of our Speed Series sponsors, available to all W.S.C.C. members, not just competition drivers. Access to The W.S.C.C. Speed Series at various sprint and hillclimb circuits. Competition events are fully recognised by The Motorsports Association. Use of the Club Website www.wscc.co.uk which includes a message boardroom and technical forum with assistance from your fellow club members and experienced specialists together with a members only parts / cars for sale / wanted. Free access to all W.S.C.C. members. Plus anything else that members think appropriate. Contact details of your nearest W.S.C.C. Area Organiser will be forwarded upon joining the club, please make every effort to contact your A.O. and arrange to attend a local club meet. And all for less than 53 pence a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 I think the area should be visible to all but only allow members in. I think one of the points Lurksalot is making is why hide the fact that there is a members discount area if non-members aren't aware they need to join to gain access. Bit like a shop having a sale with no signs on the window. I refer the Right Honourable Gentleman for Froggyland to my answer given previously in the House in Post 11, Paragraph 1 of this thread as to the unfortunate difficulties and complications in implementing this idea, namely: "Not for me to say, but let me illustrate the problem a bit. To make the area visible to non-members but accessible to members only (protected) would require that area have password protection to access it. This would be a single password, not a different one for every member. Now try to get every member to keep that single password an absolute secret from good friends and others who are non-members, and then stop that password leaking outside the boardrooms. You'd have to change the password every week, maybe every day sometimes, then find a way to inform every member of the password change..." I hope this answers his query. As for the Right Honourable Gentleman cutting and pasting the relevant benefit information from the Membership Page of the WSCC website, I thank him for his contribution and am much obliged to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Scott, I've no idea of the structure of the site and the coding. However when I wrote my system (it was so good I did it twice) I had the ability to display all the "menu" options but only allow access to those who had the privilege. I would have thought the menu could be printed on the screen but only members allowed access. If the software employed doesn't allow this then it's a non-starter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.