UKC

Suppose a wall opens and offers concessions to armed forces, police, fire brigade, would it bother you? Would you feel it unfair? How about if you are a teacher or a nurse or in a less well paid job?

Just wondering like.

In reply to waterbaby:

As a consumer, you have a choice and if you do not like what an establishment is doing then you tke your custom/money elsewhere.

The establishment then has a choice depending on how their proffits are affected in relation to the consessions and how much is going through the till.

Everybody has choices.

In reply to waterbaby:

I would feel fine. Almost happy as by paying full price every time and being in-eligible for the concessed rate, I would be reminded that I'm not in the armed forces, a fireman or a police officer.

I (that's me - only me, ME) don't want to be any of those things and I love my job and am glad I didn't feel the desire to follow those or any other career path other than the one i did.

In reply to waterbaby:

The better you get the cheaper it should become, surely the small crimps and pinches of a 7c are cheaper to equip than the jugs found on a 5+?

In reply to andic:
Ah but the number of customers using a 5 is far greater than the handful climbing in the elite grades. Do they work out more expensive per ascent.

In reply to waterbaby:

I'm with you on this. They get paid pretty well for jobs that interest them. They weren't forced to join up. They like what they do. They are fortunate.
They should pay the same rate as everyone else.

In reply to waterbaby:

It's just a marketing methodology if say the Edge offered a MOD90 discount all the forces guys would go there over the foundry, works etc. It makes sense to try to attract bussines from a group of active and young types the forces are an easily identified demographic for outdoors shops etc why not walls?

In reply to Kevster:

Perhaps but then again if you are climbing at an elite grade you will be making more visits per week, and will have paid your dues on the lower grade climbs earlier in your development.....

In reply to digby:

The wall doesn't have to give us a discount. You appear to consider that it is our fault that they do.

Perhaps they see an advantage to having us there(commercial or otherwise), or perhaps they appreciate the parts of the job that aren't measured in financial reward or job satisfaction.

In reply to waterbaby:

I'd say that it was a marketing strategy. There are plenty of jobs that are as worthy as the police and fire brigade but it's down to whether or not the wall perceives any benefit from offering them a discount.

In reply to waterbaby: What about the Ambulance Service? They risk there lives a lot more than the Fire Service do . And the AA? They're the 4th emergency service according to their adverts! :-D. I for one believe Armed Forces should be classed as concessions for everywhere!

In reply to waterbaby:

our local wall offers discounts for services and nhs, but it's the same discount you get if you're BMC.

This works out fine for me as working for a global quarrying company think I'd be hard pressed to get a discount else!

In reply to waterbaby:

Ok. For what it's worth, when I read about these concessions my initial thoughts were that, yes, armed forces, I can understand that but I read the rest of the list and felt quite annoyed. Seems to me they've picked male dominated professions. Also seems to me that historically the Police force got (I say got because I realise this is changing) lots of perks, where as, as a Nurse in a predominantly female profession, we rarely get any.

It just raised my heckles and yes, I have a choice, as someone helpfully pointed out!
Won't stop me throwing my toys out of the pram though!

In reply to walkey1990:

Well, quite. It would seem though that the ambulance service personnel will just exercise their choice to go elsewhere

In reply to waterbaby:
Yeh I'd be a little miffed. At the end of the day, why should they get discount? They choose to do the job they do

Emergency services getting concessions wouldn't bother me. On the other hand I don't think the armed forces should get (or expect) price differences.

In reply to Removed User:

This is all getting interesting, are you being deliberately controversial? I don't like the fact that nurses are not on the list I gave, but on the other hand, were do you draw the line and why should they differentiate in this way?

I'm aware it's not a popular point of view. I didn't explain because it'll just cause an argument/derailment.

In reply to Removed User:

Fair enough, don't blame you, it is only a forum after all.

In reply to Removed User:

A mate of mine always asks for a forces discount, in needle sports a quite few years ago he asked and they ummed and ahhed finally offering 5% he reputedly told them to keep it and walked out. He can be a prat

Last time I was up there with him he was after a pair of trangos and the staff were as always excellent and they had all the half sizes etc. I was dreading a repeat performance after the staff's good faith, anyway the inquiry came and I held my breath, they offered him 10 or 15% which he was happy with. I was particularly pleased because he had been bellyaching about his feet (plastics!) all day and if he had not got some new boots I think I'd have strangled him.

In reply to waterbaby:

Have you actually asked if you can get a concession?

In reply to off-duty:

It's a new wall that I only discovered on this forum on Friday night. I looked at their Web page, looked at prices etc. I haven't asked, because I haven't been but their list is very clear. Should I ever go, I will be asking, if only to point out the unfairness of it

I might even sulk when they say 'No.'

Although, the thought of climbing along side lots of firemen, uniform or not, might perk me up!

In reply to waterbaby:

Don't really care, they're a business and it's up to them.

Neil

In reply to waterbaby:

Wouldn't bother me at all.

I get discount for being a BMC member at most walls I've been to, is that discrminating against non members?

Some students probably have more disposable income than many full time workers - they still get discount though.

Si

In reply to SCC:

I'm not a student, but I help fund one through university, and I think the word SOME is correct.

When we did a budget/cash flow forecast for the year it was clear that he was going to spend half his disposable income on climbing (That is after the basics of housing, and food)