CTC Membership Services

Anything relating to the clubs associated with Cycling UK
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thirdcrank
Posts: 36764
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: CTC Membership Services

Post by thirdcrank »

Just to be completely thread-to-needle, my own feeling, mentioned somewhere above, is that successful organisations treat their members' / customers' feedback as being very important (be it described as complaints or something else.) They ignore it at their peril.

There are all sorts of reasons why people who feel things could be done differently don't complain, especially in the sense of registering formally at a high level. One of these might well be not wanting to be characterised as disloyal.
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Simon L6
Posts: 1382
Joined: 4 Jan 2007, 12:43pm

Re: CTC Membership Services

Post by Simon L6 »

We've got to bear in mind that the only time people went looking for members who had difficulties renewing was when Karen and I blitzed the forums and received (in my case) 20 e-mails a week. We then packaged these as complaints and harried the membership department and the CTC national office for results. The Executive Director (yes, I know) is correct in saying that complaints generated by forums have declined. What he doesn't think too much about is why they declined....
Karen Sutton
Posts: 608
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 11:18pm
Location: Greater Manchester

Re: CTC Membership Services

Post by Karen Sutton »

The number of complaints I hear has declined. But that is probably because I am unable to go on club rides at present. That was traditionally when I got to hear about membership issues. If I actually asked our members then there would probably be more. It is our AGM this week and I may ask the meeting for a show of hands of those who have had problems over the last year.

I do know of 3 members in our group who have had problems recently. They did not bring it to my attention however, I brought it to theirs, as I noticed they had disappeared off the database. They did not know about it until I contacted them. .

As I mentioned earlier, at the Council meeting on 24th October I met the new CTC Councillor for our area. She had a problem with her membership card being incorrect. Since then she has contacted Membership Services and it was sorted out straight away. This will of course not be recorded as a complaint as it has not gone through the formal process. Does that mean it is not a problem?
glueman
Posts: 4354
Joined: 16 Mar 2007, 1:22pm

Re: CTC Membership Services

Post by glueman »

The way I got a problem sorted was to collar someone on the CTC stand at York, be my charming self and exchange details. The lady concerned was most sympathetic and it was sorted by return post. Until then I appeared to be asking the wrong question, a near terminal case of computer says no. Magically, computer said yes once I was able to explain the absurdity of the situation in person.
McPaw
Posts: 4
Joined: 3 Jul 2009, 2:43am

Re: CTC Membership Services

Post by McPaw »

Jeeze I'm glad I read this thread, now I know why I haven't had my new membership card that was due in September. Ah well never mind at least my internet banking works fine and I can cancel my direct debit with confidence.

I only joined in 2007 and had to wait months for my welcome pack and membership card, 2008 renewal was fine but now 2009 and they've screwed it up again. That's not good and as I believe MickF intimated people like me will just leave without bothering with the hassle of making an official complaint.
Regulator
Posts: 523
Joined: 27 Jan 2007, 10:13am

Re: CTC Membership Services

Post by Regulator »

McPaw wrote:Jeeze I'm glad I read this thread, now I know why I haven't had my new membership card that was due in September. Ah well never mind at least my internet banking works fine and I can cancel my direct debit with confidence.

I only joined in 2007 and had to wait months for my welcome pack and membership card, 2008 renewal was fine but now 2009 and they've screwed it up again. That's not good and as I believe MickF intimated people like me will just leave without bothering with the hassle of making an official complaint.



Please make an official complaint - otherwise we'll get told there isn't a problem.
Jamesy
Posts: 98
Joined: 15 Dec 2007, 7:00pm
Location: E. England

Re: CTC Membership Services

Post by Jamesy »

McPaw wrote:Jeeze I'm glad I read this thread, now I know why I haven't had my new membership card that was due in September. Ah well never mind at least my internet banking works fine and I can cancel my direct debit with confidence.

I only joined in 2007 and had to wait months for my welcome pack and membership card, 2008 renewal was fine but now 2009 and they've screwed it up again. That's not good and as I believe MickF intimated people like me will just leave without bothering with the hassle of making an official complaint.


I gave up complaining. Foul-ups in 2007 and again in 2009. How many chances do they expect?
I have found the people who work for the CTC very helpful, but those who make the decisions need a lesson in customer service.
"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest". Robert G. Ingersoll
McPaw
Posts: 4
Joined: 3 Jul 2009, 2:43am

Re: CTC Membership Services

Post by McPaw »

Regulator I've sent a complaint into the memberships now, hope this helps your cause. I'm still outa here though, good luck.
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Simon L6
Posts: 1382
Joined: 4 Jan 2007, 12:43pm

Re: CTC Membership Services

Post by Simon L6 »

more news from the coalfront and it's not good. It's actually very bad. People who joined online this summer and autumn haven't been assigned to a member group - we're not sure for how long, and we're not sure whether it's all member groups, but the problem looks to be substantial - as in many hundreds.

Which means that groups haven't been getting in touch with new members.

What makes this very odd indeed is that this was known to a few people prior to the last council meeting, but not mentioned at the Council meeting when membership was discussed/swept underneath the carpet. So we've had an annual report that misled the members and Council having the wool pulled over their eyes. It's time for somebody to carry the can for this.
Karen Sutton
Posts: 608
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 11:18pm
Location: Greater Manchester

Re: CTC Membership Services

Post by Karen Sutton »

Simon L6 wrote:more news from the coalfront and it's not good. It's actually very bad. People who joined online this summer and autumn haven't been assigned to a member group - we're not sure for how long, and we're not sure whether it's all member groups, but the problem looks to be substantial - as in many hundreds.

Which means that groups haven't been getting in touch with new members.

What makes this very odd indeed is that this was known to a few people prior to the last council meeting, but not mentioned at the Council meeting when membership was discussed/swept underneath the carpet. So we've had an annual report that misled the members and Council having the wool pulled over their eyes. It's time for somebody to carry the can for this.


I'm extremely annoyed about this issue. Especially as it has been kept quiet since September. I could have caught up with some of the backlog since then.

I received a member list for our group last week with approximately 80 addresses on it which have not appeared on any previously received list. I say 80 addresses, as some addresses are for several members.

I spoke with the IT guy from National Office to query this on Friday 6th November, having received a much corrected end of year list on 3rd November. He said it was people who joined online from March to September who have not been assigned to a member group list, in other words new members joining throughout the spring and summer, which unfortunately coincides with the time when the larger percentage of new members appear.

As I write to new members this means that I have the choice now to either not bother writing to them due to the time elapsed since they joined, or I write to them explaining that I have only just received their details from National Office (which is entirely the truth). I intend to go further back on my checks than March, as I have an idea that this may have started earlier than that.

I was told that National Office only became aware of this in September. The list I received last week had been "patched" in order that these new members appeared. Apparently the list I received in October had not been "patched".

However, in the Summer I had to contact National Office about a new Member in our Group who did not appear on my list. I was told that he was on the main database but that there was a problem with those joining online via "Wiggle" not appearing on the Member Group lists. If IT had checked this thoroughly it may be they would have found that the glitch applied to all members joining online, not just via Wiggle. So there was a flag waved then, and it was an issue they were aware of at the time.

I have been assured that lists sent out to other groups in October were patched and perhaps only breakaway Member Groups, who used to be part of a larger group (DA?) were not sent a patched list in October for their year end. Hopefully National Office will send patched lists to any other Groups who fall into this category. Any Mrembership Registrars whose group falls iunto this category should perhaps ensure they receive a patched list.
Karen Sutton
Posts: 608
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 11:18pm
Location: Greater Manchester

Re: CTC Membership Services

Post by Karen Sutton »

An update on my previous post. I have had a look back to 1st January this year and found two members on last week's list who have just appeared for the first time. They were not on lists received in April, June, July or September. So this goes back further than March.
Karen Sutton
Posts: 608
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 11:18pm
Location: Greater Manchester

Re: CTC Membership Services

Post by Karen Sutton »

I'd like to thank Greg (Regulator) for his prompt contact with all CTC Member Groups to alert them to the latest issues. A shame that National Office didn't do it first.
Regulator
Posts: 523
Joined: 27 Jan 2007, 10:13am

Re: CTC Membership Services

Post by Regulator »

Karen Sutton wrote:I'd like to thank Greg (Regulator) for his prompt contact with all CTC Member Groups to alert them to the latest issues. A shame that National Office didn't do it first.



I can't take all the credit Karen - if you hadn't alerted me to this then I wouldn't have known. Certainly, councillors have not been told about the joining online by National Office and I shall be asking why.

Unfortunately, Manchester's experience is not isolated. The majority of groups I have heard from so far (about 30%) have had the same issues you did, affecting hundreds of members.
Karen Sutton
Posts: 608
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 11:18pm
Location: Greater Manchester

Re: CTC Membership Services

Post by Karen Sutton »

Regulator wrote:
Karen Sutton wrote:I'd like to thank Greg (Regulator) for his prompt contact with all CTC Member Groups to alert them to the latest issues. A shame that National Office didn't do it first.



I can't take all the credit Karen - if you hadn't alerted me to this then I wouldn't have known. Certainly, councillors have not been told about the joining online by National Office and I shall be asking why.

Unfortunately, Manchester's experience is not isolated. The majority of groups I have heard from so far (about 30%) have had the same issues you did, affecting hundreds of members.


I was told it only applied to Groups who had new postcode areas, or new groups who were just receiving their member lists since last Autumn.
Regulator
Posts: 523
Joined: 27 Jan 2007, 10:13am

Re: CTC Membership Services

Post by Regulator »

Karen Sutton wrote:
I was told it only applied to Groups who had new postcode areas, or new groups who were just receiving their member lists since last Autumn.



I find that difficult to believe in light of the responses received so far from member groups.
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