Sunday Services and the future, your thoughts please

Sunday Services and the future, your thoughts please

Author
Discussion

Agent57

1,631 posts

153 months

Monday 17th March 2014
quotequote all
I think the Sunday Services are great.

Do Ford have a heritage centre that could host?

What about Bentley?

Keep up the good work.

Tyre Tread

10,525 posts

215 months

Monday 17th March 2014
quotequote all
Agree with all of the measures suggested.

Anyone caught bringing PH into disrepute by dangerous inconsiderate driving at the venues should be banned from all future events. It will only take one mishap for SS to be discontinued.

I agree that if people arrive too early they should be turned away as it has the potential to cause real difficulties with traffic management. People will quickly learn to manage their arival times.

Oh, and you forgot to say everyone must bring cake and biscuits (or empinadas)for the marshals. wink

TimLambert7

642 posts

124 months

Tuesday 18th March 2014
quotequote all
Davevx220 said:
How about a minimum post count to get on the list?

And how about 24hrs before the date you have to re confirm your attendance otherwise your deleted?



One thing is for sure whatever is decided don't make it too complicated as it takes enough organisation already.
I have a very low post count due to only recently joining but I've been reading Pistonheads for years and signed up and attended the recent Sunday Service with no incident - I even booked track time and removed myself from the 500.

I think the 24hrs confirmation could work, people are bound to sign up weeks before and forget.

ps01

218 posts

204 months

Tuesday 18th March 2014
quotequote all
I think linking the event to a track day is a great idea. Would be good to do another one or two similar to silverstone at different tracks...?

SS is a great event and thanks to the organisers for all the effort in running them. I would be happy to make the suggested charitable contribution.

ps loved the brooklands and porsche silverstone SS venues as well.

Paul.


eybic

9,212 posts

173 months

Tuesday 18th March 2014
quotequote all
We will be bringing something in soon whereby if people sign up then don't attend repeatedly, they will not be able to sign up for a while.


kezsan

78 posts

151 months

Tuesday 18th March 2014
quotequote all
There are lots of suggestions but picking the right one is very difficult, it's either a technical solution that alienates people who aren't bothered with techy phones etc or it discourages new members. Equally you don't want to turn these into a policed thing but they are so good and for free and that attracts huge numbers of signups so there needs to be some way to filter that down to the people who are really passionate about actually going not just the thought of going. They are kind of a victim of their own success but they are only successful thanks to PH members attending so you can't piss them off and the sunday service mornings are one of the more enjoyable things in life too.

I think the charity donation is a great idea. But not forced so would something like this work;

Paid entry
Pay a small, non refundable Charity Donation then you are confirmed on the list. Penalties for no shows apply

Free entry
Apply for free, this then accounts for the rest of the list, apply early etc but you have to click an confirmation links to keep your place in the list as the event approaches, if you miss it (told in advance when to expect it, reasonable time period allowed + final warning of course) then you go to the back of the queue. Penalties for no shows apply (conditional on when you entered the list though. Could be quite hard)

One of the other things is can there be an automated email/sms sent out when people get into the 500 (or whatever the number is) people who were 700 ended up well in the 500 by midnight Saturday but never knew. Perhaps they should have checked and I do sway towards that pov but an automated email is free and easy to do and they would have known. Can't penalise people who got in at midnight and didn't know though.

Penalties
You get a points for a cancellation very close to the start of the event or more points for a no show without notice. x Points = a 1 SS ban or an increased charity fee for the next attendance! Obv st happens in life sometimes so must be someway of chatting with PH too.

Finally a way of checking, I was there a smidge (1 min or so) before 9 (sorry PH !smile ) but I just showed my PHsmiley, no one asked my username or ticked me off a list.

Could be a bit of trial and error over the next few and see what works and what doesn't. Good luck though, and they are great and people have a lot of fun.

eybic

9,212 posts

173 months

Tuesday 18th March 2014
quotequote all
Silverstone was slightly different to normal as they were happy for all to come and didn't want to risk queues building up so let everyone in (someone for a driving experience ended up parked with us too and wondered what he was doing there biggrin ) however, other venues will be a lot stricter due to parking limitations. I wish we knew before but I was told we were limited to 500 spaces.

Jagmanv12

1,573 posts

163 months

Tuesday 18th March 2014
quotequote all
eybic said:
We will be bringing something in soon whereby if people sign up then don't attend repeatedly, they will not be able to sign up for a while.
Is that they leave their name on the list and don't attend? If so fair enough but if they delete themselves from the list there should be no penalties. Family problems, illness, car trouble, etc can affect anybody in the days before the event.

eybic

9,212 posts

173 months

Tuesday 18th March 2014
quotequote all
Jagmanv12 said:
Is that they leave their name on the list and don't attend? If so fair enough but if they delete themselves from the list there should be no penalties. Family problems, illness, car trouble, etc can affect anybody in the days before the event.
Yes, we have no issue with people removing themselves from the list, it's the ones that don't that ruin it for others as someone else would love to take their space.

TimLambert7

642 posts

124 months

Tuesday 18th March 2014
quotequote all
I think a simple £3 or £5 mandatory charitable donation upon signing up would really make people think about whether or not they can attend. It's not such a large sum of money that people would be pissed off and it's going to charity anyway.

I suppose the only tricky bit would be convincing people to remove themselves from the list once they've paid but can't attend.

With 500 cars attending it would be a decent sizeable donation as well and I like the idea of letting the host nominate a charity.





T-Rev

109 posts

277 months

Friday 21st March 2014
quotequote all
It is very interesting there are only 112 posts on this topic since Garlic posted it on 16 Dec'13??? Well done to all that have responded to date. However, clearly there are a 'very' large number of PHers out there that do attend the SS meets and have yet to 'have their say'! Might I respectfully suggest an email survey, such as survey monkey (it's free) to all PHers (personal email with link to survey), with each topic covered and specific options (up to 5) to select within each? Make it very quick and easy to complete and you may get many more responses which you can measure more easily.

I fully support any accountability measures, provided they do not prove too onerous to your hosts, volunteers and PHers alike.

For me, I have attended a number of events (down South) over the past few years as and when I can. As the events are now so very popular, I struggle to sign up in time to get a place - which does put me off and I am sure there are many more like me! Perhaps they should no longer be free...
Why not make a minimum charitable donation compulsory in advance (e.g. £5 or £10 per car) for all that sign up as a part of the sign up process on-line (you have to pay up front). Collecting voluntary donations on the day could prove to be a nightmare and may even cause delays?
If you do not turn up or drop out, you forfeit your donation - no refunds.
A lot of money could be raised for a very good cause.
Car details must also be provided prior to the event incl. registration.
Details are logged on arrival (electronic check in).
This could overcome most of the accountability issues and removing the free element will encourage more responsibility from attendees.
Bad driving - one hit and banned for 12 months, not just that year.
The timing issue is probably the most annoying part of the events - so many people seem to arrive earlier and earlier at subsequent events, which causes problems for those of us that do plan to arrive on time or just before the event starts, due to having to queue for ages! As such, all early arrivals should be turned away prior to say 15 mins before the start time, without exception - be very strict.

Whatever you decide to do, I am sure the vast majority of PHers will support you. These events are great, especially for those less fortunate than some of us who do not own a nice car, they get a chance to see our cars up close and personal. I have had many a chat with an enthusiast wanting to know more about my car and they really appreciate you giving them your time. Long may these events continue.

oilit

2,618 posts

177 months

Friday 4th April 2014
quotequote all
Never been to a SS event, but just tried to sign up for the Morgan one - its local and I have a soft spot that needs itching for an aeromax ! - But I probably have more chance of landing on the moon given how long the wait list is!

Anybody driving inappropriately should be banned - period.

Donation - sounds like a great idea.

confirmation email to all those on the list where they have a click through they have to click to confirm attendance - if they dont then they are removed and the waitlist moves up. Send said email out 48 hrs before, then at the 24 hr mark the email goes out to the next waitlister and they have to click to confirm attendance. Its actually quite simple to do.

Early arrival - if people arrive early, then the first xx have to get out and help with the setup. The rest get turned away until opening time.

I find in life if you set the rules clearly and fairly where there are rewards/consequences for compliance/non compliance most people make the right decision shootyes

roystinho

3,767 posts

174 months

Friday 4th April 2014
quotequote all
This is a bit of a personal one, but I'd quite like a bit more notice than 2 weeks. I work on Sundays but can easily get someone else to do it if I tell them in enough time.

Would have loved to go to the Morgan factory, but no one is free now so can't make it frown

isherdholi

42 posts

193 months

Sunday 13th April 2014
quotequote all
I agree to all of the points in the opening post

rswift

1,179 posts

174 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
I thoroughly enjoyed the Morgan Factory visit, thank you to all for organising.

I arrived quite late, and there was no check on the gate...so if you were looking to see who turned up I would be a "no show"

I think the Paypal/charity donation is an excellent idea. You could still do the conventional sign up/drop out thing....and then maybe the week before require a £3 or £5 donation. Anyone not paid up 24 hours before the event is off the list, leaving a chance for the reserve list to move up. I'd be happy to pay a fiver, and thats probably £10k a year to a charity....a bit more if you use gift aid.

Re bad/showy driving, shouldn't be tolerated, no excuse. Not what PH is about.

Re Future events, the guys who did the tour that I was on yesterday was saying we should try and get an invite to Aston Martin at Newport Pagnell. Apparently they do "invite only factory" tours, they had been and said it was well worth the journey. Apparently they do most of the restoration stuff there. I think we were all well behaved at Gaydon on the last Aston Martin SS, so might be wort a polite ask ?

Either way, thank you for yesterday. A wonderful day out.



giger

732 posts

193 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
• Accountability
How would people feel about an electronic checking off system at the gate
Like it – tablets for marshals to check people in on the gate?
How about 2 strikes and you are out? One no show (name down, did not attend) means you get an email warning, two is a ban for 12 months. Harsh but only fair for those that have missed out.

• Accountability - part two
I think reg number capture on sign up will instantly make people feel more accountable.

• Sunday Service Charity
A very good idea. However, some will be able to afford to pay a higher price, and others won’t. You wouldn’t want the cost to alienate people – how about £2 or £3 upon signup (or within 48/72 hrs after) + collection buckets on site to top up the charity fund. With the number of cars in attendance, even £2 over the course of the year is sizeable. Those that can afford to pay extra can then donate as much cash as they like on-site. Not sure how you would manage sign-up fees for those on the reserve list though that get late entry.
To be honest thought the fact it is free is amazing and unique, and it will be sad to lose that.

• Timing
Upon signing up, PH’s should be agreeing to T&Cs of the event – one of these should be to respect the opening times. If it is likely that you will arrive early, you should stop en-route, and re-commence your journey accordingly.

loudlashadjuster

5,083 posts

183 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
Only just seen this thread. FWIW...

Accountability
I've attended a few SS and thought they were very well organised and a great day out.

However, I'll hold my hand up and say that I signed up for a SS in the past that I didn't then attend. Not intentional but I forgot to put it in my calendar when I signed up, was busy that weekend so wasn't on PH etc. In fairness I've removed myself from the list quite a few times when I've known I wasn't going to make it, usually at least a few days beforehand.

No excuse for forgetting, but a couple of small changes would make it a lot easier for people to remember.

1) Mandatory reg plate on signup, changeable up to 24 hours before as has been said.
2) Send an email on sign-up that includes a CalDAV/iCalendar appointment. Helps prevent numpties like me forgetting about them.
3) In the emails you send in the days before the event, reminding people to remove themselves from the list if they can no longer go, a custom link that removes you from the list with one click from any device would lower the barrier to doing so considerably.

Obviously you'll still get the determined idiot or super forgetful, but a saction scheme should put paid to repeated transgression.

If it continues to be a problem then an email 48 hours before with a 'click in next 24 hours to confirm attendance on pain of being removed' link would trim a few people off the list I'm sure.

Charity
Who could object if it's done without any pressure/expecation?

PayPal etc. buttons on signup with suggested donation amounts, plus a donation bucket next to the bacon sarnies should cover it. Can't imagine who wouldn't chuck at least a quid or two in.

Maybe the cost of any pax rides could be increased by a couple of quid?

Or a mandatory donation of 0.1% of the attending car's Glass's value? wink


Timing
My problem is the opposite, getting there too late! But I have to say I wasn't truly aware that a very early turn up might be a big problem. Just ram this home in the initial SS article and any emails and turn folk away that are more than 10 minutes early.

Craikeybaby

10,369 posts

224 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
loudlashadjuster said:
Only just seen this thread. FWIW...

Accountability
I've attended a few SS and thought they were very well organised and a great day out.

However, I'll hold my hand up and say that I signed up for a SS in the past that I didn't then attend. Not intentional but I forgot to put it in my calendar when I signed up, was busy that weekend so wasn't on PH etc. In fairness I've removed myself from the list quite a few times when I've known I wasn't going to make it, usually at least a few days beforehand.

No excuse for forgetting, but a couple of small changes would make it a lot easier for people to remember.

1) Mandatory reg plate on signup, changeable up to 24 hours before as has been said.
2) Send an email on sign-up that includes a CalDAV/iCalendar appointment. Helps prevent numpties like me forgetting about them.
3) In the emails you send in the days before the event, reminding people to remove themselves from the list if they can no longer go, a custom link that removes you from the list with one click from any device would lower the barrier to doing so considerably.

Obviously you'll still get the determined idiot or super forgetful, but a saction scheme should put paid to repeated transgression.

If it continues to be a problem then an email 48 hours before with a 'click in next 24 hours to confirm attendance on pain of being removed' link would trim a few people off the list I'm sure.
1) is a tricky one, for example, on Saturday afternoon I had a puncture in the car I would have taken and didn't want to drive all the way to Malvern with the spacesaver fitted, so took a different car. I imaging that there will also be PHers who only decide on which car to take at the last minute - not wanting to take their 7/211/Atom etc out if it is raining.

2) and especially 3) are brilliant ideas and should be easy for PH to implement!

Craikeybaby

10,369 posts

224 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
Another idea which should be fairly simple is an email alert when you get promoted from the reserve list, ideally containing the email joining instructions, if they have already been sent out and the direct link to remove yourself from the list.

rix

2,777 posts

189 months

Saturday 5th July 2014
quotequote all
Any if this stuff being implemented then?