New Superstore and Ticket Office (opens Tue 5 Feb)

[andyr1963]

The use of the iconic gates as the site for the new Club shop with a new 'fit for purpose' ticket office alongside and adjoining the principal entrance to the redeveloped Grandstand was rightly lauded as inspired. Using a modular form of construction was meant to deliver the finished building quicker and quite possibly more economically than a traditional form of construction. We are now six months on from commencement and still, despite reassurances as to delivery, the Club Shop and Ticket Office are still not ready for use with two home games ahead in the next few days.

For some the delays in delivery are not an issue - 'Is there a rush?'. One hopes that the same thinking will not be prevalent when the substantive works to the Grandstand are in full swing. Obviously, the Club Shop still remains open and there are other opportunities on match day at least to buy merchandise from mobile units inside and outside of the stadium. However, the existing Club Shop and Ticket office facilities remain a continuing embarrassment to a Club looking to substantially improve its 'customer offer'. It should have been the top priority of the Club to provide the planned vastly improved facilities as soon as they possibly could.

For those not able to park in the HHP car park on match or non-match days days a walk to the Ticket Office and back is around 250m longer than to the new planned facility. If you have to park in the large adjacent car park you can probably double that, at least. Most importantly, if you are a POTD casual visitor and not conversant with online ticketing you can't just 'roll up' as in the old days you have to go to the ticket office to get a match day ticket. If you are unaware, as many are, that you cannot pay at the turnstile you have to walk from the particular turnstile entrance to the ticket office, queue and then return to an appropriate turnstile. From the midpoint of the Devonport that is around round trip of 450m, the mid-point of the Lyndhurst it is a round trip of around 700m and the Barn Park Family corner it is around 800m there and back. Imagine doing that with young children.

So if the new ticket office was open then walking distances to it on match day and non-match day would be very significantly improved from the available parking and public transport locations. Not only that the much improved facilities would be available for use those in wheelchairs (there is a specific lower ticket office window for that purpose). As far as the new Ticket Office is concerned there is an urgent need to address the issue if the Club are serious about improving the customer offer. The same applies to the Club Shop which surely would benefit from an initial surge of interest and curiosity.

For new customers, particularly, the first point of contact with the Club is the most important and most memorable. We have a fantastic team in the Ticket Office and Club Shop and they deserve to be within the best working environment possible to maximise Club revenue - after all that wasn't that what the improvement to the facilities was all about from the outset?

Great post.

There is no rush to open new shop, it is just another time slip. Who cares?

 

[IJN]

You and few others Andy? :greensmile:

Again I ask, what IS the rush?

Has anyone been put out by this occurrence?

 

[The Grumpy Loyal]

You and few others Andy? :greensmile:

Again I ask, what IS the rush?

Has anyone been put out by this occurrence?

So presumably Ian, if the equivalent fitting out of the main stand were to mirror this debacle and take three times longer than planned - finishing some time in 2021, you'd be saying the same - "what's the rush?"

Sometimes when things are patently crap, even you are allowed to call it.

 

[IJN]

I'm 'allowed' to say what I want, have no fear of that. Anyone who knows me well (thankfully you don't) will know I'm not known for holding back.

As I say, there's obviously been a problem with the shop and ticket office, if it's down to fault, somebody has screwed up, whether that be Argyle's side or the contractor's side, we'll probably never know, but do we HAVE to? Should we know? Do we have a right to? I'd say 'no' but no doubt there are those of you that will want to know who's to blame. I'd bet that you and the gang you never have anything to do with (yeah right) want Jon Back to be the problem. Reading some of the comments on Herald Online, Free Chat etc, it's obvious the NAGS have got their latest target in sight. It's sad it really is.

As for the Grandstand refurb or shall we call it 'a lick of paint', say it is not finished until February 2020 (as an example) what can we do about it? Nothing, totally nothing, would it be intentional do you think? Are people trying to get things wrong? No of course they are not.

It's a very sad fact that some or you people, are the very people that have caused some of the delays. Ringing, E mailing and writing in to PCC to announce that certain things haven't been done correctly, jeez people even e mailed in to complain that the temporary changing rooms didn't have the planning permission necessary!! Incredible as it seems, these are people that claim to be fans.

So, if I think the team on the field is crap, I'll say it and have done, if I think the staff at PAFC are totally incompetent (like you and your cronies seem to think) I'd say that as well. As it happens I do believe that the staff at Argyle are doing as good a job as they possibly can, with the constraints that most companies work under these days, and I also believe that the cowardly manner which some of you guys attack the staff is reprehensible. There's a gang of people that need to look at themselves good and hard, but they won't, they never will they are so perfect they are beyond reproach.

Let me flip it back to you, what IF my date is correct, what would you, Graham and the likes of Richard Blight do about it? Moan more? Say 'I told you so', 'Write to your MP' or demand that Jon Back is sacked by Simon Hallett? - Answer that if you're allowed.

Me, I'd be fed up, having to sit over there, when I could be in the nice new area with my pals, feeling a bit little embarrassed perhaps that the promised ETA was missed. That would be all though. Nothing more.

Answer another question as well if you're allowed, when all this is finished, what the hell will you guys moan about then? Have you got a pipeline of gripes? You've done the insufficient parking, you're still on the drainage and obviously you have the shop and ticket office well take care of, the new facility will be a massive one but AFTER that????? You'll be knackered, the lot of you.

 

[The Grumpy Loyal]

Blimey. And you tell Graham to 'chill out'.

 

[IJN]

I didn't suggest Graham chill out because he was verbose, that always has been his style, I suggested it as he seemed to highly sprung about the incredible importance of finishing Shop #2 and Ticket Office #2 'on time'.

Are you going to answers my questions or is that it?

 

[Heathrow Green]

Blimey. And you tell Graham to 'chill out'.

You didn’t answer Ian’s questions though.

 

[IJN]

He'll be checking back to discuss as to what he can and can't say. :thumbup:

 

[The Grumpy Loyal]

I didn't suggest Graham chill out because he was verbose, that always has been his style, I suggested it as he seemed to highly sprung about the incredible importance of finishing Shop #2 and Ticket Office #2 'on time'.

Are you going to answers my questions or is that it?

You've made so many sweeping generalisations, collective accusations and laughable untruths, I'd be here all night putting you straight - and you still wouldn't get it.

This will raise your blood pressure even more, but much to your chagrin I'm extremely happy with a lot that is happening at Home Park, courtesy of Halletts proactive decision making, and I've said so.

The other day you tried to attribute your 'lick of paint' comment to me. Any luck quoting me on that one?

As for the rest, your paranoia really is getting the better of you. The only person that ever seems to give airtime to Facebook and OnlineHerald, is you!

 

[IJN]

My blood pressure is fine thanks, very fit for an old git.

The 'lick of paint' wasn't yours, you avoided that one, rather cleverly may I say, but by God, you've insinuated that for quite a while now. 'Not really happening' etc etc.

But back to my questions old boy.

1) What will you moan about next? You surely have one lined up.

2) What IF the date is February 2020. What will be YOUR action or reaction?

 

[IJN]

We can even pretend you didn't check back. :greensmile:

 

[The Grumpy Loyal]

My blood pressure is fine thanks, very fit for an old git.

The 'lick of paint' wasn't yours, you avoided that one, rather cleverly may I say, but by God, you've insinuated that for quite a while now. 'Not really happening' etc etc.

But back to my questions old boy.

1) What will you moan about next? You surely have one lined up.

2) What IF the date is February 2020. What will be YOUR action or reaction?

I'll simply continue to call things out when they are clearly and obviously crap/poo/amateur/embarrassing. The same as I'll recognise when strides are taken to demonstrate ambition and make us more professional across the board - and again kudos to Hallett because he has actioned some significant positive changes already.

 

[Quizmike]

You and few others Andy? :greensmile:

Again I ask, what IS the rush?

Has anyone been put out by this occurrence?

So presumably Ian, if the equivalent fitting out of the main stand were to mirror this debacle and take three times longer than planned - finishing some time in 2021, you'd be saying the same - "what's the rush?"

Sometimes when things are patently crap, even you are allowed to call it.

What evidence is there that this might happen?

 

[IJN]

I'll simply continue to call things out when they are clearly and obviously crap/sh1te/amateur/embarrassing. The same as I'll recognise when strides are taken to demonstrate ambition and make us more professional across the board - and again kudos to Hallett because he has actioned some significant positive changes already.

I'll give your 'adulation' of SH to last until about June/July.

By then I fully expect you to revert to type.

You're not if nothing else consistent.

 

[The Grumpy Loyal]

You and few others Andy? :greensmile:

Again I ask, what IS the rush?

Has anyone been put out by this occurrence?

So presumably Ian, if the equivalent fitting out of the main stand were to mirror this debacle and take three times longer than planned - finishing some time in 2021, you'd be saying the same - "what's the rush?"

Sometimes when things are patently crap, even you are allowed to call it.

What evidence is there that this might happen?

Eh? I'm not saying it might. It was used as an example to ask Ian if he'd use the same "what's the rush" question if the same level of delay (three times longer, at least, than planned) were replicated in the main revamp.