Re-post because I left the email address in a link which one redditor pointed out. Thank you, and that was not my intetion at all. I just want advice. I DO NOT BELIEVE IN DOXXING AND I WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGISE FOR THAT PROFUSELY.
I am 23f and work for my University's Student Union – this is NOT the University itself, and would like to make that very clear that the University themselves have nothing to do with my problem.
In order to be a “Student Staff Member” at the SU, you of course have to be registered as a student at the university. This will be important later.
Outside of my university studies, I also run my own Events business. It's really small (100-150 tickets per event) and started it last year as a part of a University project. This year the person who I worked with in this university project decided that we should do it together independantly. I thought it was a great idea. Last year, we used the venue at the SU for this project, and this year, since I'm still a student, we thought we would do the same, as we were much more likely to get backing from the University themselves if we used a venue associated with them.
I emailed in February asking for prices (venue hire, bar staff, security, liscencing etc) and floated the idea of a meeting. I didn't get a response. I tried again in early Arpil, this time to a different email account, and again got no response. I waited 2 weeks, and tried again. Guess what? No response.
I then emailed the “Feedback” email address with the following email, edited only to protect the anonymity of those involved:
” Hi there,
This is not an enjoyable email to write, and I'm very sorry that it's come to this.
Myself and my business partner last year used your venue, REDACTED, to host our successful event “THE NAME OF OUR EVENT”. We worked closely with the SU to put this event on and we were overall successful in returning a profit for both parties. We emailed THE PREVIOUS EVENTS MANAGER directly and heard back within just a few days. She followed up with a meeting and was overall extremely helpful and professional throughout the process.
This year, I would've loved to use THE VENUE again, but despite multiple efforts spanning across several months to contact the Events Manager, REDACTED, I have proved unsuccessful. Therefore I am sorry to say that I have decided to take my business elsewhere, as I must get on with planning and creating my event, which I can't do without a venue.
I first emailed THE CURRENT EVENTS MANAGER on the 14th February 2023 from my university student account (REDACTED) only to be met with no reply. Being the post Christmas rush, I gave her the benefit of the doubt and re-emailed I am 23f and work for my University's Student Union – this is NOT the University itself, and would like to make that very clear that the University themselves have nothing to do with my problem.
In order to be a “Student Staff Member” at the SU, you of course have to be registered as a student at the university. This will be important later.
Outside of my university studies, I also run my own Events business. It's really small (100-150 tickets per event) and started it last year as a part of a University project. This year the person who I worked with in this university project decided that we should do it together independantly. I thought it was a great idea. Last year, we used the venue at the SU for this project, and this year, since I'm still a student, we thought we would do the same, as we were much more likely to get backing from the University themselves if we used a venue associated with them.
I emailed in February asking for prices (venue hire, bar staff, security, liscencing etc) and floated the idea of a meeting. I didn't get a response. I tried again in early Arpil, this time to a different email account, and again got no response. I waited 2 weeks, and tried again. Guess what? No response.
I then emailed the “Feedback” email address for the SU with the following email, edited only to protect the anonymity of those involved:
” Hi there,
This is not an enjoyable email to write, and I'm very sorry that it's come to this.
Myself and my business partner last year used your venue, REDACTED, to host our successful event “THE NAME OF OUR EVENT”. We worked closely with the SU to put this event on and we were overall successful in returning a profit for both parties. We emailed THE PREVIOUS EVENTS MANAGER directly and heard back within just a few days. She followed up with a meeting and was overall extremely helpful and professional throughout the process.
This year, I would've loved to use THE VENUE again, but despite multiple efforts spanning across several months to contact the Events Manager, REDACTED, I have proved unsuccessful. Therefore I am sorry to say that I have decided to take my business elsewhere, as I must get on with planning and creating my event, which I can't do without a venue.
I first emailed THE CURRENT EVENTS MANAGER on the 14th February 2023 from my university student account (REDACTED) only to be met with no reply. Being the post Christmas rush, I gave her the benefit of the doubt and re-emailed HIRE EMAIL ADDRESS ON THEIR WEBSITE from this email account (MY BUSINESS ACCOUNT) on the 6th April 2023. This was again to no avail, but I thought perhaps I had emailed the incorrect email address, or that inbox was not manned. I then followed this up on 12th April 2023, again from this email address, to THE CURRENT EVENTS MANAGER directly, and again got no reply.
It has now been nearly 2 weeks since I emailed, and I am so disappointed to say that I simply cannot in good conscience continue to plan, market, approach artists or continue without a venue and therefore I will be taking my business elsewhere.
The reason I felt it was important to be brought up is because I am very aware of the financial situation at the SU. Outside of my business venture, I am a student-staff member at the SU which is why I was particularly keen to use your venue.
I am surprised and saddened that I have offered my business as a paying client and I have not even had any semblance of an attempt to reply to any of my emails.
Of course, I am not here to tell you how to run your business, but if clients such as myself are being ignored and rejected I do not think that is a successful business strategy.
Please see attached screenshots of my various attempts to get in touch with THE CURRENT EVENTS MANAGER and included on those screenshots are times and dates.
Again, I would like to apologise for this email as this is not at all how I had hoped things would go, but I truly believe I would be doing your business a disservice by not raising this issue.
Thank you and all the best,
OP”
Today I got this response:
“Hello OP,
I understand that you submitted the below to our venue hire email, but it has been forwarded to this email address for a response.
You have clearly identified yourself as a student staff member in the below email. However, I need to highlight that it is completely inappropriate and unprofessional for you to raise your complaint in this manner.
The correct course of action would have been for you to raise this with your Line Manager directly, or alternatively the HR Department.
I have cc’ed the HR Department email into this, who will be in touch with you in due course.
Kind regards,
THE SU“
In this email this person also CC'd the CEO of the SU, and I've been told to prepare for a serious meeting. I've typed up my resignation already.
I have worked at this place for 2 years, and I have CONSTANTLY been told to be aware of the “personal/professional boundary” and therefore went down the appropriate channels as though I did not work there. I told them I was a Student Staff member in that email because I thought it was in their best interest that they know that PAYING CLIENTS such as myself are being ignored – especially through the PROFESSIONAL CHANNELS THAT ARE IN PLACE. I was truly working with the information available to me. Here's a quote from their website:
“
Our Vision
An organisation representing, supporting, and providing opportunities for students so that they can reach their full potential..
Our Mission
We will be an independent, democratic, membership organisation, working in partnership with the University of REDACTED to ensure that our members' voices are heard, amplified and acted upon.
We will be an important part of shaping and developing our students' academic, social, sporting and working life by providing services, advice , support and representation to all that need it, so that our students can be work ready when they graduate.
Our Values
We promise that the way that we do things will live up to the values which students have told us we should operate by.
Our Objectives and Aims
The Education Act 1994 sets out the powers and responsibilities of Students' Unions and we must operate within these parameters. The objectives of the University of REDACTED Students' Union (SU) are the advancement of education at the University of REDACTED (UoR) for the public benefit by:
- promoting the interests and welfare of our members during their course of study, as well as offering representation, support and advice;
- being the recognised representative channel between our members and UoR and any other external bodies; and
- providing social, cultural, sporting and recreational activities and forums, for discussions and debate, for the personal development of its members.”
All I wanted was a reply.
Please help!