Membership Cancellation

[Tom Lynch]

Hey folks,

I want to talk about a difficult topic that isn't very visible to members because they don't get the emails from GoCardless about cancelled Direct Debits.

In the time since we've moved out we've lost 8 members, two of them today.

We need to be realistic, if members keep cancelling then we won't have a chance of affording a space, those two members alone

Anyone got any ideas how to deal with this? We've been negotiating another arch but these two people leaving brings us under the amount we offered, we now have 58 active members.

Thanks

Tom

[Gordon Endersby]

They need more information.
We had that survey the other week and havnt heard anything since.
I wasnt able to attend the pub meet last week and i asked what was happening on the forum i didnt get an answer.

Even though im one of the regulars i dont know what the current state of play is.

Ive tried to organise an event in a hall i have access to  but it was too far for those who replied. Maybe someone else who has access to a hall nearer can organise something and get the members together.

Gordon

[Gordon Endersby]

Have you tried contacting the cancelled members to find out why?

Gordon

[Tom Newsom]

Each one. None of them have replied.

On 27 August 2014 11:09, Gordon Endersby <gordon....@googlemail.com> wrote:

Have you tried contacting the cancelled members to find out why?

Gordon

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[Tom Newsom]

As for communications, it's a tricky situation. After having two potential spaces fall through, I think there's a feeling of not wanting to get anyone's hopes up yet again, and also not to discuss our negotiating position in public.

The current situation is:

We've made our offer to the landlord. He's definitely keen on us, but it's a matter of agreeing on the details of rent, renovation works etc.

We hope to hear back from the landlord today or tomorrow. When we have news - good or bad - we'll let you all know.

[Tom Lynch]

Also people don't get these communications really

Sent from my iPhone

[Gordon Endersby]

We need full contact details for members so we can contact them by other means as well as email. By post or telephone.
So in a case like this we can ask them to give us a bit more time.
Id make the odd call to plead our case.

What are the hit rates on the email newsletter at the moment?

Can we have an update on the website blog to say we have a new property to look at and mention the backup of access storage, maybe not by name but that there is a not so perfect backup that we can use.

Gordon

[Tom Lynch]

This is the thing. Because people were so vocally against it access isn't an option. We can't expect to just string companies along until we find the perfect place.... It may be available still but we should t expect it to be a backup option as effectively we've turned it down twice. 

We aren't announcing the new arch because we don't want to get peoples hopes up again falsely. 

We don't capture peoples personal data other than what is legally required as it is forbidden by the DPA to store data beyond what you require and if they decide to leave it isn't fair to start calling people up and begging. 

Sent from my iPhone

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[Gordon Endersby]

Address and telephone number is reasonable.

I think its perfectly ok to call people up and find out what the problem is.
How else will we find out.

Gordon

[Matthew Copperwaite]

To be honest the reason why is pretty clear, they can't justify the cost of membership without the ability to go to a space. You can't argue with that really.

The people that are left are people who either believe in the philosophy of finding and running a space in south London, or people who have forgotten they have a direct debit. Hopefully the former is the majority.

It would be useful to work out what more we can do to keep the members we do have on-board and motivated. More regular meet ups? Bigger meet ups? Better communications? Anything I'm missing?

Matt

Gordon

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[Tom Newsom]

The hiatus has really been ongoing since June, when the first space deal fell apart. Since then, membership has stayed more or less flat. We gained a handful and we lost a handful.

My sincere belief is that once we have *secured* a new home, we will win those people back, plus the great many more potential members that are out there. SLMS did not hit its membership ceiling at the end of May.

Before June, we were growing at 4 members/week. If we start shrinking at that rate, then I will begin to worry, but there is no sign of that yet.

On 27 August 2014 14:56, Gordon Endersby <gordon....@googlemail.com> wrote:

Gordon

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[Andreas Varotsis]

This sounds about right - I've been considering joining for the last couple of weeks, but it feels silly to invest in a place that I might not even be able to commute to.  Although I guess I probably should take a leap of faith.

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[Tom Lynch]

Where are you based?

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[Andreas Varotsis]

Clapham Junction.  And I've just signed up, because I'm a sucker for a good cause, but I can understand people being a little bit reluctant.

[Tom Newsom]

Cheers Andreas! We won't let you down :)

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[Tom Lynch]

Just a heads up, we've lost three members today and there have been a few promises of new members but no new members in a while.

We (Tommel) could really use the confidence boost, so perhaps a thing for those not involved much right now is to start looking for new members, those that will support the project that is to come.

[Tom Newsom]

When we sign the lease (before the end of this week), we need to go all guns blazing on the publicity front. 

On 22 September 2014 23:20, Tom Lynch <m...@unknowndomain.co.uk> wrote:

Just a heads up, we've lost three members today and there have been a few promises of new members but no new members in a while.

We (Tommel) could really use the confidence boost, so perhaps a thing for those not involved much right now is to start looking for new members, those that will support the project that is to come.

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[Tom Lynch]

Indeed, but for now if people can chase people to sign up that promised they'd sign up.