Online enteries

[harratts]

Thanks Dee.

A very comprehensive and informative reply.

Steve

[paddlerparent]

We have just changed the way we are collecting payments for competitions.

Going forwards, you will still need to enter your card details to have your entry accepted, but we will not charge your card until shortly before the competition.

Your card expiry date will need to be after the charge date, but remember that you can use credit or debit cards.

I have entered races that are paid for & 1 race that is not paid for - would it be possible in future to add a 'Paid' and 'Payment pending' (or something similar) to the 'My entries page'?


.

[Dee]

Remind me in a few months time!
Not trying to be difficult just there is quite a long list for "minor" upgrades and, some are probably more needed than others.

[djberriman]

Well I just entered a race, took less than 2 mins and I can see myself on the entry list, no more worrying my entry has not got there, no more emails hassling the organiser. What is this wonderful new world we have entered?

BIG THUMBS UP TO DEE!

I've also set up a race as an organiser and have to say its simple and the benefits look huge. May be a bit of fiddling getting the data into simply slalom for a while until its automated and printing cards but that is more than made up for with not having to reply to paddler enquiries, the entry fees being correct and all the details been correct. Not to mention entry lists, waiting lists and start lists all DONE.

I'm planning on creating a mail merge template to print cards (3 per page on A4 - single sided) which I'll make available.

[harratts]

Just noticed that my entries for the Llandysul double Div. 1 event (sent in via cards as they were done before the event was available to enter on-line) have been added to the list of entries received which are being displayed on the on-line system for that event.

Fantastic and a very big thank you to the Llandysul race organisers for doing this as it certainly puts you mind at rest to know that the entries have been recieved and that you have slots at the event.

Let's hope that all event organisers are willing to offer the same high level of customer service in the change over phase we currently find ourselves in.

Steve

[davebrads]

The only outstanding div 1 is the Llandysul div 1 event in the autumn

And my HPP div 1/2 in October! I'll get it sorted soon, promise

[Dee]

I did say "to my knowledge ".
It is fairly straightforward but I'll need
Club name
Organiser name and email
Treasurer name and email
And club account number and sort code

The real trick is to be ready before your postal details go up on Nick's site and/or the year book is issued. Otherwise you end up with a heap of manual entries to process.

[djberriman]

Re - post entries, I am sure all organisers who are using the online system will be doing this, that is one of the major advantages, all entries in one place, no need to produce an entry received list, start list - waiting lists catered for etc. All I will do on events I am taking entries for is add any postal entries as and when they are received. A whole massive headache of admin, spreadsheets, lists etc removed, not to mention all the emails from paddlers checking entries etc.

[Dee]

Just a reminder

The system still doesn't handle the multi-class discounts - these don't apply at div 1 and above and I think are discretionary at other levels.

I can look at this if it becomes a major issue, but it won't be in the very near term - I'm still unclear as to how many this is going to to apply to and it will add a lot more complexity than you might think not so much on charging but on refunds. (paddler enters k1, 3 days later enters c1 (gets discount), three days later cancels k1; and with C2s complexity increases).

Is anyone able to provide any stats as to whether we are talking about a few or lots per competition? - I've never seen more than a few (except at div 4 which is currently out of scope)

In the meantime - I think that the easiest option is for organisers to manually mark with an rtc code any that they wish to refund the discount amount to.

[ruthsy]

I think we need some clarity and an agreed process. I have two children in div2 for both k1 and c1. When entering by post I have never not applied the multi class discount. The online system is easy to simple and easy to use. I have no problem with collecting a refund from control at the race but if you consider we will enter over 10 races this year I can not stand in excess of £60 for the convenience of online.
I am sure there are others that this will effect.

[Dee]

I understand that this may be a big issue for a few, however I've really tried to focus on the problems that affect the majority of paddlers that would like to enter on line, at this stage. This doesn't mean that the minority do not matter just that I can only do so much at at time. With the best will in the world I am not super-human and as I said above this would add a lot of complications and with that the potential for errors.

As a starting point, I really would like to know how many people this actually effects and of those how many would like to enter online. I still think the numbers will be relatively small as the discounts only apply if you are in div 2 or below, but I have seen no statistics.

I also need someone to confirm whether or not the discount is mandatory or discretionary - if we start to code this complication then we need to consider this.

Realistically, if we do implement multi-class discount it will probably need to be for next year - I think doing so half way through the year will cause complications for organisers. So, maybe at the end of the season I can look at how many would have been eligible for multiclass discount and go from there.

In the meantime you are still able to enter by post - not ideal, but on the other hand we have managed this way for years. Obviously I am not one to encourage postal entries but I do know that the system cannot yet cater for everyone (non-ranked paddlers being the most noticable excluded group).

[ruthsy]

Thanks Dee
I searched on the canoe slalom UK site and it says "Multi-class Entries - At Division 2 and below a discount of £3 will be offered for second and subsequent individual entries at an event by the same competitor. A single discount may be earned or claimed for each boat. Only one competitor of a C2 Crew can claim discount for their individual event. "
The use of "will" suggests that the discount is mandatory ( as opposed to may). As I have said I am more than happy to collect a refund from control at the race as long as entry secretaries are happy with this. Perhaps Symonds Yat and Washburn can confirm -I think they are the only slaloms, other than Shepperton, below Div 2 on the system at present.

[djberriman]

I may be able to work out some stats from the database leave it with me.

As an organiser I would say a lot of MCD's were wrongly calculated last year at Howsham so we were either collecting extra money or refunding anyway. Whilst not ideal the +ive's of online entry for the organiser outweigh this one negative.

Just means one thing to do when all entries are in and create an RTC for MCD's. No problem refunding over payments. We deal with MCD on the day anyway when paddlers decide to paddle an extra class (when there is room).

Let me just say things often seem very simple but from my experience from doing the ranking database I can confirm what Dee says is true and this is not a simple issue to resolve. C2's in particular cause a nightmare as one paddler gets the MCD so you can potentially get all sorts of issues.

And of course paddlers can always enter by post if they want to claim the MCD immediately. I guess it needs a note on the entry system to warn people though.

One thing I would like to see on the admin system is to be able to enter an under/over payment so I don't have to keep a seperate list which automatically sets the £ RTC flag.

Maybe Ken could add an MCD report for SS, it would help organisers do their return although it would not be exact if there is a Div 4 as part of the event.

[Dee]

One thing I would like to see on the admin system is to be able to enter an under/over payment so I don't have to keep a seperate list which automatically sets the £ RTC flag.

I'm slightly confused by this - I'm just not sure what you are asking for? There is an rtc capability on the system?


In terms of the multi class discount the system does highlight when a paddler is in two classes which should help identify where the discount is due. (And plan order of racing to avoid clashes)

[djberriman]

I'd like a box where I can enter an amount they owe or are owed which if completed automatically sets the RTC flag £.

That way I don't have to keep a seperate list.

Mainly for postal entries but also of course MCD.



Duncan