UKC

Just discovered lunchtime special is no longer special after a price increase of £1,25 to £5. I think MCC will be getting more use as for an extra 50p we can spend the day there. We usually alternate between Stockport and MCC. Even Bury Climbing Centre despite its limitations is looking a better bet as it is within walking distance for me.

In reply to Peter MN: I thought it was common practice to pay for the lunchtime tab and stay til well after six or til the arms can climb no more.
From experience the staff never seem to say anything...

In reply to goldmember: just like it is common practice to rip off security tags and walk out of shops wearing a new pair of jeans?

In reply to willoates: I am only pointing out what I have seen other peeple (mainly students) doing at a few climbing walls over the years. Your comparison is a daft, over-reaction

It's Only 3.75 isn't it? ? ?

In reply to goldmember: its not atall...
you'd pay what, 6, 7 quid for the full session from lunch through til six?
(will can correct this)
thats a pair of primark jeans. staying for more than youve payed is taking what theyre selling and not paying for it.
also, some (most) of us students arent the stealing, scrimping top roping crag hogging, smelly oiks you belive us to be.

oh, and your opinion is horseshit.

In reply to goldmember: In that case i appologise, i guess it was the "experience" bit that threw me.

It depends how many times you do it and the price of the jeans

In reply to Steeve: to be fair steve, you do smell...

In reply to Steeve:

I stand corrected...

In reply to goldmember: yeah you do

In reply to goldmember:

Yer standard procedure. Most places are just happy that we paid at all.

They know the ones who came in at lunch. They're not stupid they know people stay in longer than they are meant too. They also know that if asked we will be removing our asses from their premises as quick as they like.

By the way I was joking about the paying at all comment.

In reply to Thomaslynch:

Nope - not since Jan 1. As OP says, it's now up to £5 for 2 hours. Same 2 hour session is still £3.50 at MCC, or £3.70 at Rock Over, so plenty of choice locally.

Cheers
Andy

In reply to Andy Cairns:

Hi Andy

Yes it is a steep rise but after evaluating all the fees we found that we were loosing out on this one, sorry.

All the best

Dave Douglas
Awesome Walls Climbing Centres Ltd
Liverpool/Stockport/Stoke/???????

http://www.awesomewalls.co.uk

In reply to Andy Cairns:

Strange did yesterday's thread get pulled? I thought Dave would be along to explain. I thought walls put this sort of offer on because it encouraged usage at a quiet time so it is better to let people come in for cheap rather than have an empty wall. So it seems strange to say that the wall loses money, but your wall, your choice. See you at MCC!

In reply to D Douglas: Stockport/Liverpool:
>after evaluating all the fees we found that we were loosing out on this one

As some one who uses the 'Hour of Power' in my office lunch time justifying the short time with the reduced cost, I dont understand your statement, could you please elaborate ?

Looks like a change of routine will be required.

In reply to D Douglas: Stockport/Liverpool:

Hi Dave

Thanks for the reply, but I do find it a bit baffling. The wall is open anyway, and staff are there, I don't see how people paying £3.75 to come in is a "loss". On the other hand, I would have thought people NOT paying £5.00 to come in, and going somewhere else instead, IS a loss?

I did talk to the guys on the desk about it on Wednesday, and said that I thought that raising the general price by 50p was fine, and that if the lunchtime price had stayed at 50% of the general price (ie gone up to £4.00) I'd have had no problem with it. However I do think that £5 is poor value for 2 hours, particularly with the alternatives available.

I'll still look forward to evening sessions at Stockport, though, just won't be coming along once or twice a week at lunchtime.

Cheers
Andy

In reply to Peter MN:

we have so many other walls in the area @ a good lunch time rate, unless you work in S/Pt its hardly any trouble to go to the others is it?

In reply to nbonnett:

I agree, the other walls do offer a "lunchtime special". For an extra 50p on Stockports special price we can have a day at the MCC off peak rate.

In reply to Peter MN: Bo Lox!!!! Thats my lunch times knackerd then, I can only get away from work for an hour max. No way I'm paying £4.50 (Stoke Awesome) unless I plan to go that evening £7.50 Day pass so 2 sessions The Year pass is looking a more attractive now (Money SUCKS)

In reply to D Douglas: Stockport/Liverpool:
I also don't understand this one. If a third of the people who used to go at this time stop going (which may happen judging from this thread) then you will lose out won't you? There isn't really a marginal cost to an extra person going is there?
James

In reply to James Oswald:
Look on the bright side - I went there today at lunchtime (I could afford the full 2 hours lunch break and was desperate) and the place was virtually empty. No 12 o'clock queue and no route/problem congestion at all!

Who is losing out now.Looks like I/we will be using other walls for our weekly alternative to MCC.That's six of us every week;loss of revenue for AW Stockport will be £210 per annum;not taking into account bouldering sessions.This is the last straw for me after being ripped of on the free climb ticket.Still on a more positive note it will help the smaller walls keep going.

If I pay that price can they clean their bouldering wall?

In reply to Peter MN:

Another one here. Used to visit about twice a week through lunch, but haven't been since I found out about the price hike.

I find Broughton fills the gap quit nicely at £4.70 anytime of the day.

In reply to Peter MN:
I am amazed that climbing wall owners do not offer a £4 for an hours bouldering deal.There are plenty of situations where I have just enough time for an hours session at th elocal wall, but do not go becuase of the £7/£8 cost.

You would think they could come up with a system of monitoring those who had just paid for an hour.

In reply to neilh:

I don't understand why they increased the lunch time rate all of a sudden without telling anyone.It seems a weird way of having a price increase or is it just me that wonders if there's something else going on.

A few weeks notice would have soften the blow and we could all have started whinging earlier.!!!

In reply to D Douglas: Stockport/Liverpool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QR9QP0Rjsc&NR=1

In reply to All:


No one likes a price increase more than me whether it’s in the pub or in your local gym!

£3.75 was fantastic value for money, before this it was standard rate at £7.50 whatever time of day you climbed.

With recent hikes in VAT, insurance and all other associated outgoings we had to make some hard decisions and the lunchtime pass was the weakest link.

We will miss all our customers that now say they will boycott us because of this price increase.

We are not a money grabbing organization that wants to squeeze every last penny out of our customers. Look at our blogs to see what’s been happening over the last few years-

http://www.awesomewalls.co.uk/BlogLiverpool2.html
http://www.awesomewalls.co.uk/BlogStockport2.html
http://www.awesomewalls.co.uk/BlogStoke.html

We’ve never sat still, always setting, building, re-organising and trying to better ourselves at every opportunity.

2011 looks like another busy year with a new dedicated dry tooling area in Liverpool, Lead and top-roping walls in Stoke, revamp of the bouldering in Stockport and another possible wall opening in the UK.

Also please don’t forget that you earn loyalty points on everything that you spend at Awesome Walls Climbing Centres.

Please feel free to email me direct if you would like to discuss this further or catch me for a chat next time you’re in.

All the best for 2011.

Dave Douglas
Managing Director
Awesome Walls Climbing Centres
Liverpool/Stockport/Stoke/???????
http://www.awesomewalls.co.uk

David Peters - Very funny!

In reply to D Douglas:

That's the problem you money grabbing scab!

Jokes

I dunno what your all moaning about. It's still far far far cheaper than anything south of watford

In reply to D Douglas: Stockport/Liverpool: Still does not compute ? Only a fool would pay £7-8 for an hour for climbing, so you are effectivly saying that you dont want any lunchtime trade. In these 'hard times' turning away customers does not seem to make any logical sense, surely £3-75 in your pocket is more valuable than £0.

In reply to David Peters:
True. If anything it would make more sense lowering the price to get as many people as possible. Once the centre is open your costs don't increase with extra people so it is better to get as many in as possible. Rather than having a few that, by the looks of things, will be paying forthe privilege of climbing on their Todd!

In reply to D Douglas: Stockport/Liverpool:


Hi Dave, tell us more! I asked about this in Stoke Awesome last Tuesday but none of them knew anything about it. Where are these going?, doesn't seem to be any room in the current building.

In reply to D Douglas:
>
Dave

I feel that boycott is the wrong term as I have no problem paying for day use as I have in the past. However your "lunchtime special" no longer offers value for money especially when compared to the MCC and they will be having our custom on a lunchtime.

Cheers
Peter

In reply to D Douglas: Stockport/Liverpool:

Boycott? That's a particularly strong and negative way of putting it, and I think it's a pity if you feel that way about it. It usually implies taking a positive action because of some strong principles and I certainly don't think I'm doing that! I said in my earlier post that I'd still be happy to come along to Stockport for evening sessions, but that I simply thought there were equally convenient and enjoyable alternatives available at lunchtime for a significantly lower cost.

I'd have much preferred it if you had given us all the good, positive reasons why you still think the Awesome Walls lunchtime session is good value at a "bargain price" (as it still says on the website)

Cheers
Andy

In reply to Peter MN: I think we are going to see some really steep price rises over the next couple of years.Many walls rely on money from schools, youth groups,probation service etc.Income that will disappear as the Tories continue to crucify the public services.And looks like another bale out for the city scum may also be on the cards.Remember, Cameron and Osbornes Christmas present to the Irish Bankers:10 billion of UK taxpayers money.Poor destitute bondholders:people like the Rothschilds for example.

In reply to Andy Cairns:

Hi Andy

I will change the wording on the web site soon.

Thanks

Dave D.

In reply to D Douglas:

Stockport/Liverpool:

Hi Dave

I see your web site still shows your lunchtime special as "a bargain price"

I think a real bargain is lunchtime 2 hours plus a free hot drink for £3.50 as at Manchester Climbing Centre.

Cheers
Peter