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RSPB very rarely check membership cards (1 Viewer)

IAN JAMES THOMPSON

IAN JAMES THOMPSON

Well-known member
I've been to a number of RSPB reserves and the RSPB have never checked my membership card. The RSPB seem to rely on non-members honesty to pay an admission at reserve that do charge an admission fee. Compare that to the National Trust and the Wildfowl Trust who both check membership cards very strictly. If a member has forgotten there membership card, that member has to pay the admission charge at a National Trust property and the Wildfowl Trust scans members, membership cards for free admission. I must say I'm very disappointed by the RSPB over this policy. I think that the RSPB should change there policy on checking RSPB Membership cards immediately instead of trusting non-members of paying an admission charge at those reserves where there is an entrance fee.
Ian.
 
As someone who occasionally forgets my card, I am glad that the RSPB staff take my word that i'm a member!! I think there is an argument to make entry into reserves free for everyone, it would certainly encourage more people to visit ,become interested in nature and then maybe join!!
 
Original PaulE said:
As someone who occasionally forgets my card, I am glad that the RSPB staff take my word that i'm a member!! I think there is an argument to make entry into reserves free for everyone, it would certainly encourage more people to visit ,become interested in nature and then maybe join!!
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How would reserves sustain themselves if they didn't charge an entrance fee or membership? Non- members should be charged an entrance fee, otherwise what's the point of being a member?
 
My understanding is that the RSPB changed its policy some years ago as asking to see cards and not allowing entrance in the absence without a fee simply caused too much friction. I believe that the numbers of non-members who 'tried it on' was pretty small so it was considered on balance better to take a 'liberal' view in the expectation that experiencing the reserve would persuade people to join.
 
John Cantelo said:
My understanding is that the RSPB changed its policy some years ago as asking to see cards and not allowing entrance in the absence without a fee simply caused too much friction. I believe that the numbers of non-members who 'tried it on' was pretty small so it was considered on balance better to take a 'liberal' view in the expectation that experiencing the reserve would persuade people to join.
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Do you think people "that try it on" are in anyway interested in joining at a later date? I don't think so , they try it on because they get in free !
 
andm said:
Do you think people "that try it on" are in anyway interested in joining at a later date? I don't think so , they try it on because they get in free !
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It didn't seem to be a problem when I used to work occasionally at the RSPB Dungeness reserve ....
 
At over a million members the RSPB can better sustain such 'loses' than the WWT with 200,000 members. The greater prize isn't taking a few quid on the day but converting people to members who may contribute a four figure sum over their lifetime.
 
I've just returned from a birdwatching week long holiday on the Isle of Arran with my RSPB Local Group. Before we got on the ferry to the Isle of Arran, the RSPB Group spent 2 nights on the Scottish Mainland staying in a hotel. On our one full day on the mainland, my local RSPB Group visited RSPB reserve Lochwinnoch which supposedly has an admission charge. But the RSPB staff and volunteers never checked our membership cards, of which I was quite shocked. There where two RSPB non-members who had joined our RSPB Group to come on this holiday. But they both where at least honest enough to admit that they where not RSPB members. I was really shocked at the RSPB staff and volunteers at not checking our membership cards. But at least I insisted on showing my card. How much money must the RSPB be loosing at reserves with a charge with this attitude.
Ian.
 
See above post - many casually interested parties may be turned off an organisation who appears to first want to strip you of your money. I can't remember the last time I visited a WWT reserve as that's how the front desk makes me feel, with all the gift aid pleas etc
 
Phil Andrews said:
At over a million members the RSPB can better sustain such 'loses' than the WWT with 200,000 members. The greater prize isn't taking a few quid on the day but converting people to members who may contribute a four figure sum over their lifetime.
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Perhaps if the RSPB made the effort to gain the extra few guid, they wouldn't have to keep bombarding existing members for extra donations for appeals, of which I might add I have donated to in the past, non members should pay on the day simple as that,
 
andm said:
Perhaps if the RSPB made the effort to gain the extra few guid, they wouldn't have to keep bombarding existing members for extra donations for appeals, of which I might add I have donated to in the past, non members should pay on the day simple as that,
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100% agree!!
Ian.
 
Phil Andrews said:
See above post - many casually interested parties may be turned off an organisation who appears to first want to strip you of your money. I can't remember the last time I visited a WWT reserve as that's how the front desk makes me feel, with all the gift aid pleas etc
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The National Trust are a far bigger organisation than the RSPB with millions of more members and they charge a lot more money for an entrance fee for non-members and they do check your membership card. So if the National Trust can do that, so the RSPB should do the same.
Ian.
 
Personally I believe RSPB staff are better off spending their time engaging with visitors, managing habitat or engaging with landowners / governments that taking a few quid here and there.
 
IAN JAMES THOMPSON said:
100% agree!!
Ian.
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The trouble is, Ian, that any proposal phrased in an authoritarian way, any demand made in an authoritarian way, and any plea to make things more reasonable phrased in an authoritarian way just make me more determined to make things difficult for the would-be authoritarian.

Of course, my resistance to such would-be authoritarians is non-confrontational, because usually they will otherwise respond passive-aggressively, claiming their view is of course 'reasonable' and mine insignificant. By being non-confrontational, one can expose linear and literal thinking as inadequate, thus frustrating and annoying the would-be authoritarian in ways that remain mysterious to such people.

32 years in the Forces provided me with the perfect training-ground for developing successful non-confrontational strategies to combat would-be authoritarians, and now I've been retired for almost a quarter-century, I am sure that Official Secrets Act no longer applies in this matter and so I've decided to reveal all!;););)
MJB
 
The WWT has very few sites most of which have duck "zoos", they are heavily fenced to protect the captive wildfowl. As such they can easily police entry and check membership/ take payment. WWT also promote their sites as day-out attractions, with play equipment, canoe safaris etc and want to attract paying visitors.

RSPB has many sites, most of which have no facilities or staff, those that do have staff and facilities do not have the fencing and security to police any membership checking/payment. If you don't want to pay you can simply walk in another way. Caerlaverock WWT, which has no duck zoo, is the same if you don't want to show your card you can just walk in through the unlocked gate.

If you want to be more thorough in checking membership/taking payment then you need to make your facilities able to deliver that. The added cost of throwing fences round and diverting public footpaths is going to soak up any increase in revenue, so if you don't need to do it to protect your wildfowl collection then why would you.
 
Jos Stratford said:
What a surprise, yet another thread by Ian Thompson nitpicking at the RSPB over some triviality.
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I will criticise any organisation, such as the RSPB as they do deserve to be criticised, as other organisations that I know both smaller and larger than the RSPB and all other organisations that I know check Members cards, except the RSPB and sadly I have to say that, as an RSPB Life Member.
Ian.
 
Mono said:
The WWT has very few sites most of which have duck "zoos", they are heavily fenced to protect the captive wildfowl. As such they can easily police entry and check membership/ take payment. WWT also promote their sites as day-out attractions, with play equipment, canoe safaris etc and want to attract paying visitors.

RSPB has many sites, most of which have no facilities or staff, those that do have staff and facilities do not have the fencing and security to police any membership checking/payment. If you don't want to pay you can simply walk in another way. Caerlaverock WWT, which has no duck zoo, is the same if you don't want to show your card you can just walk in through the unlocked gate.

If you want to be more thorough in checking membership/taking payment then you need to make your facilities able to deliver that. The added cost of throwing fences round and diverting public footpaths is going to soak up any increase in revenue, so if you don't need to do it to protect your wildfowl collection then why would you.
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It's very simple have volunteers check membership cards in some of the bird hides. And before anyone says it can't be done, well the RSPB used to do this as there was an entrance charge on lots more RSPB reserves during the 1960's and 1970's despite not having as much money back then. And before anyone says it's not very community spirit or not very welcoming, well it's far better than the RSPB loosing money on non-members entrance fees.
Ian.
 
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