Thread: NZDA

Originally Posted by lumberjack

Why's that mate? A few mates and I were talking tonight about whether or not it would be worth joining up.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

They charge extra for new members to join, presumably as a discouragement to joining at all.

Originally Posted by 257weatherby

They charge extra for new members to join, presumably as a discouragement to joining at all.

@257weatherby ; Presumably would be very wrong. To say it is to discourage membership s wrong. It is to discourage larger numbers of "maybe" members clogging up a system when they wont join. Not eberyone who starts the sign up process finishes it. In some cases we found after the first part year, we were getting a lot of new members not renewing when the got the first full year membership bill.

As a committee member to another club, we now also have to charge a joining fee for new members. We also only charge for the part year until renewal time on a monthly basis (IE if 6 months to renewal we only charged 6months membership). We have found over the last few years that we have a lot of people starting the membership process, each one with associated costs to the club as each member goes through the process. Add to this that our membership process is managed by volunteers, there is a lot of time wasted when these members are not serious about joining up. What we found is we were getting a lot of people starting the process, then backing out or sitting there not finishing the process , all the while the clubs was paying the costs of setting them up. We found by charging a membership joining fee, that the ones who were serious about becoming members paid and joined, where the ones who clearly were not really wanting to be members stopped clogging the system up .

Some people also find that membership in our club is not really what they want. We also allow non members to use it as guests or on open nights for a visitor fee which if you want access once or twice a year or occasionally, then it can be a better idea to find another member to take you or to go on our public nights, though these can get very busy,.

There are a lot of places that charge a joining fee, gyms, Clubs (RSA's, Workingmans) Perhaps it is better to consider it a loyalty discount that your second year onwards is less than the first......

Originally Posted by timattalon

@257weatherby ; Presumably would be very wrong. To say it is to discourage membership s wrong. It is to discourage larger numbers of "maybe" members clogging up a system when they wont join. Not eberyone who starts the sign up process finishes it. In some cases we found after the first part year, we were getting a lot of new members not renewing when the got the first full year membership bill.

As a committee member to another club, we now also have to charge a joining fee for new members. We also only charge for the part year until renewal time on a monthly basis (IE if 6 months to renewal we only charged 6months membership). We have found over the last few years that we have a lot of people starting the membership process, each one with associated costs to the club as each member goes through the process. Add to this that our membership process is managed by volunteers, there is a lot of time wasted when these members are not serious about joining up. What we found is we were getting a lot of people starting the process, then backing out or sitting there not finishing the process , all the while the clubs was paying the costs of setting them up. We found by charging a membership joining fee, that the ones who were serious about becoming members paid and joined, where the ones who clearly were not really wanting to be members stopped clogging the system up .

Some people also find that membership in our club is not really what they want. We also allow non members to use it as guests or on open nights for a visitor fee which if you want access once or twice a year or occasionally, then it can be a better idea to find another member to take you or to go on our public nights, though these can get very busy,.

There are a lot of places that charge a joining fee, gyms, Clubs (RSA's, Workingmans) Perhaps it is better to consider it a loyalty discount that your second year onwards is less than the first......

I have no problem with paying the standard yearly sub straight off the bat. I have a big problem with being charged more than that to join in the first place. Charge the same as existing and I would join. Charge more, and I will not.

It is not even about the extra cost here, it is the goddam principle.

Originally Posted by 257weatherby

I have no problem with paying the standard yearly sub straight off the bat. I have a big problem with being charged more than that to join in the first place. Charge the same as existing and I would join. Charge more, and I will not.

It is not even about the extra cost here, it is the goddam principle.

Thats your call. First off, we dont charge the full annual membership "off the bat". We charge pro rata for the months after membership is accepted. SO most will only pay a part year membership plus the joining fee to become members.

But with all the processes we go through every prospective member costs the club set up , time and administration from volunteers, and with most prospective members we had would sign up for the first part year then would not renew once the second year came around. If you have no problem paying the annual fee off the bat then it should not be an issue. We want members who are ongoing and dont just join up for a few months not to renew for the next full year. We have found that if the prospective members are not prepared to pay for the membership joining process, then they are unlikely to continue with long term membership.

If it was worded as a discount for prompt renewal each year afterwards would you be upset? What is the difference between a $60 membership fee and annual membership of $200 per full year or an annual membership of $260 with a $60 discount for early payment available to all current members?