Good Sam Club card...how long?

To All,

Thank you all for your great comment and suggestions. At this time since the OP's questions and concerns have been addressed this thread will be closed. Thank you again for all your time and participation.

Mark F
Marcus' Rapid Response Team
goodsamcs@goodsamfamily.com

fla-gypsy wrote:

wbwood wrote:

fla-gypsy wrote:

wbwood wrote:
Then you have to add the fees of the supplies....you still have to cards made up. Then you have to have the capability of printing all the materials that go along with the card for those who sign up online and by phone. Then you have to deal with postage. So you are at around $100,000 just for the machinery to imprint the cards...then you need printing equipment, paper, envelopes, etc. It's not a small undertaking. Then you have to hire people and supply benefits to handle all this.

But if you can figure it out to be a cheaper way where the cost is not passed on to the customers more so than it is now, please send your proposal to Marcus. Maybe he will give you something for it. But I would think that if there is an easier, cost effective and efficient way, that he would be doing it now.

Old think

Old think? You gotta remember that most of the RVers are older. Many won't even make reservations online, they would rather pick up a phone and use a printed campground directory.

I am not young by any definition of the word but I can see how newer technologies and ideas can improve our lives. Making a freakin card is not new by any stretch. We have been making employee and gate access cards with encoded data at the workplace for years.

As do we, but the technology that we use is not less than $1000. The software alone to add acess and monitor is well over $30,000 by itself and that is one location. Blank access cards are expensive. I know at one time, it was costing in the upward range of $8-10 per card to replace them when a new one had to be made due to breakage or being lost. Not that CW would need this same technology, it is not cheap by any means. Especially when you are adding the additional magnetic card that needs to be programmed and then you have a massive database system that needs to keep up with what is current or not. Not just a simple $1000 per store and you are done. Much more complicated. Like I said, if there is a way to make the process quicker, easier and more cost efficient, I have every bit of confidence in Marcus that he will do what he thinks will add more cha ching to his pocket.

wbwood wrote:

fla-gypsy wrote:

wbwood wrote:
Then you have to add the fees of the supplies....you still have to cards made up. Then you have to have the capability of printing all the materials that go along with the card for those who sign up online and by phone. Then you have to deal with postage. So you are at around $100,000 just for the machinery to imprint the cards...then you need printing equipment, paper, envelopes, etc. It's not a small undertaking. Then you have to hire people and supply benefits to handle all this.

But if you can figure it out to be a cheaper way where the cost is not passed on to the customers more so than it is now, please send your proposal to Marcus. Maybe he will give you something for it. But I would think that if there is an easier, cost effective and efficient way, that he would be doing it now.

Old think

Old think? You gotta remember that most of the RVers are older. Many won't even make reservations online, they would rather pick up a phone and use a printed campground directory.

I am not young by any definition of the word but I can see how newer technologies and ideas can improve our lives. Making a freakin card is not new by any stretch. We have been making employee and gate access cards with encoded data at the workplace for years.

fla-gypsy wrote:

wbwood wrote:
Then you have to add the fees of the supplies....you still have to cards made up. Then you have to have the capability of printing all the materials that go along with the card for those who sign up online and by phone. Then you have to deal with postage. So you are at around $100,000 just for the machinery to imprint the cards...then you need printing equipment, paper, envelopes, etc. It's not a small undertaking. Then you have to hire people and supply benefits to handle all this.

But if you can figure it out to be a cheaper way where the cost is not passed on to the customers more so than it is now, please send your proposal to Marcus. Maybe he will give you something for it. But I would think that if there is an easier, cost effective and efficient way, that he would be doing it now.

Old think

Old think? You gotta remember that most of the RVers are older. Many won't even make reservations online, they would rather pick up a phone and use a printed campground directory.

wbwood wrote:
Then you have to add the fees of the supplies....you still have to cards made up. Then you have to have the capability of printing all the materials that go along with the card for those who sign up online and by phone. Then you have to deal with postage. So you are at around $100,000 just for the machinery to imprint the cards...then you need printing equipment, paper, envelopes, etc. It's not a small undertaking. Then you have to hire people and supply benefits to handle all this.

But if you can figure it out to be a cheaper way where the cost is not passed on to the customers more so than it is now, please send your proposal to Marcus. Maybe he will give you something for it. But I would think that if there is an easier, cost effective and efficient way, that he would be doing it now.

Old think

Then you have to add the fees of the supplies....you still have to cards made up. Then you have to have the capability of printing all the materials that go along with the card for those who sign up online and by phone. Then you have to deal with postage. So you are at around $100,000 just for the machinery to imprint the cards...then you need printing equipment, paper, envelopes, etc. It's not a small undertaking. Then you have to hire people and supply benefits to handle all this.

But if you can figure it out to be a cheaper way where the cost is not passed on to the customers more so than it is now, please send your proposal to Marcus. Maybe he will give you something for it. But I would think that if there is an easier, cost effective and efficient way, that he would be doing it now.

wbwood wrote:

fla-gypsy wrote:

wbwood wrote:

fla-gypsy wrote:

GoodSamFamily wrote:
Hi dezl_dr,

On average, it takes approx. 3-4 weeks for membership cards to arrive via standard mail from the USPS. Note that the cards arrive in a plain white envelope that says “membership cards enclosed.” We’re looking into the delay in your membership cards as it has been past the 4 week time frame. We will get this resolved for you.

In the meantime, know that you can print a temporary membership card online. And, Good Sam parks can look you up in the system to confirm that your membership is active. I will PM you your membership # just in case you didn’t receive the email with that information.

Sincerely,
Good Sam Club Team

3-4 weeks is shameful! The equipment and systems to make and track them on the spot is easily attainable. Come on guys! Join the 21st century

My understanding is that they don't do it inhouse. They go through a printer for it. I imagine the cost of over 100 of those machines (for each store) along with the training, maintenance and upkeep outweighs what a printer (who already has the machine to do it) charges. The issue is not so much the machine, but how they mail them out.

I would disagree, these type of cardmakers with magnetic encoder can be purchased for less than you think. Using it can as simple as inputting the information into a database and hitting print.

Please tell us how much they are.

<$1k per machine retail off the shelf which is a pittance to an outfit as big as GS/CW which could easily get a big discount on a 100+ machines buying direct from the maker. That would be offset by what they are paying in contract fees (possibly a savings) to the current provider. Heck they could suspend junk mail one day and pay for every machine at every location. The value in improved customer service would easily make this a worthwhile investment. We are 13+ years into the 21st century now. A high school kid with a smart phone could figure out how to run one without instructions in a few minutes. This is really not hard to do. Inputting the info and making the card should be a 5 minute process. Not a 3-4 week torture test for the recipient.

fla-gypsy wrote:

wbwood wrote:

fla-gypsy wrote:

GoodSamFamily wrote:
Hi dezl_dr,

On average, it takes approx. 3-4 weeks for membership cards to arrive via standard mail from the USPS. Note that the cards arrive in a plain white envelope that says “membership cards enclosed.” We’re looking into the delay in your membership cards as it has been past the 4 week time frame. We will get this resolved for you.

In the meantime, know that you can print a temporary membership card online. And, Good Sam parks can look you up in the system to confirm that your membership is active. I will PM you your membership # just in case you didn’t receive the email with that information.

Sincerely,
Good Sam Club Team

3-4 weeks is shameful! The equipment and systems to make and track them on the spot is easily attainable. Come on guys! Join the 21st century

My understanding is that they don't do it inhouse. They go through a printer for it. I imagine the cost of over 100 of those machines (for each store) along with the training, maintenance and upkeep outweighs what a printer (who already has the machine to do it) charges. The issue is not so much the machine, but how they mail them out.

I would disagree, these type of cardmakers with magnetic encoder can be purchased for less than you think. Using it can as simple as inputting the information into a database and hitting print.

Please tell us how much they are.

wbwood wrote:

fla-gypsy wrote:

GoodSamFamily wrote:
Hi dezl_dr,

On average, it takes approx. 3-4 weeks for membership cards to arrive via standard mail from the USPS. Note that the cards arrive in a plain white envelope that says “membership cards enclosed.” We’re looking into the delay in your membership cards as it has been past the 4 week time frame. We will get this resolved for you.

In the meantime, know that you can print a temporary membership card online. And, Good Sam parks can look you up in the system to confirm that your membership is active. I will PM you your membership # just in case you didn’t receive the email with that information.

Sincerely,
Good Sam Club Team

3-4 weeks is shameful! The equipment and systems to make and track them on the spot is easily attainable. Come on guys! Join the 21st century

My understanding is that they don't do it inhouse. They go through a printer for it. I imagine the cost of over 100 of those machines (for each store) along with the training, maintenance and upkeep outweighs what a printer (who already has the machine to do it) charges. The issue is not so much the machine, but how they mail them out.

I would disagree, these type of cardmakers with magnetic encoder can be purchased for less than you think. Using it can as simple as inputting the information into a database and hitting print.

fla-gypsy wrote:

GoodSamFamily wrote:
Hi dezl_dr,

On average, it takes approx. 3-4 weeks for membership cards to arrive via standard mail from the USPS. Note that the cards arrive in a plain white envelope that says “membership cards enclosed.” We’re looking into the delay in your membership cards as it has been past the 4 week time frame. We will get this resolved for you.

In the meantime, know that you can print a temporary membership card online. And, Good Sam parks can look you up in the system to confirm that your membership is active. I will PM you your membership # just in case you didn’t receive the email with that information.

Sincerely,
Good Sam Club Team

3-4 weeks is shameful! The equipment and systems to make and track them on the spot is easily attainable. Come on guys! Join the 21st century

My understanding is that they don't do it inhouse. They go through a printer for it. I imagine the cost of over 100 of those machines (for each store) along with the training, maintenance and upkeep outweighs what a printer (who already has the machine to do it) charges. The issue is not so much the machine, but how they mail them out.