HIYA

Just signed up to that self service video store in broomhill, student central!

Wot does any1 think about it, its supposedly under new management, does anybody know y?

its seems a good idea, but im still not sure.

I wanted to join that 24 hour video shop, but I always get there too late in the day :(

It's okay, and cheaper than blockbuster, and 24 hours! But the range of films isn't all that great, although according to one of my friends, there's some great late night movies. Never rented any of those myself though!

I don't personally have a membership, but a flatmate does, and we've used it fairly frequently, even at 3/4 in the morning before!

Who goes in at 5.26am to rent a film? I can't see the point in a 24 hour self video shop myself.

Originally posted by Jon
Who goes in at 5.26am to rent a film? I can't see the point in a 24 hour self video shop myself.

I guess you wouldn't be able to see the point of Internet banking then either? We live in a 24 hour society where services have to be customer-centric to compete and ultimately survive.

Originally posted by JonJParr
I guess you wouldn't be able to see the point of Internet banking then either? We live in a 24 hour society where services have to be customer-centric to compete and ultimately survive.

And who cares whether people will ever use it at 5.26am or not. It's automatic so there aren't any staff there except during regular business hours, to allow member signups. Why not open 24 hours if you have the technology to do it? I've often walked home after a night out and wished I had a movie to rent, or we've been having a party where it's got late and we've wanted a movie... we pop to the 24 hour place in Broomhill.

I'm a member myself (and I'm from Rotherham).

I try to avoid Blockbusters as I've had a few bad times with customer service etc. So for me its Mailbox Movies (great for the TV series etc) and 24 Self Video for the newer stuff.

The letter that came with the "New Management" takeover did state that they are going to increase the choice and the amount of copies for the newest movies.

As for why there is new management, I cant help feel that there just isn't enough custom at the moment.

And as for why you need to have 24 hour opening, how often have you got a vid from the local shop (not a proper rental place, just part of the local store) and remembered that it needs taking back but its now closed.


Just for the people who don't know the 24 Self Video method, I will explain.

When you make yourself a member you will get a Membership Card (nothing new here :D )
When the Shop is "Closed" you can use the card to open the door. (swipe on side of door)
You select your DVDs by using a computer terminal.
Once selected, put your card in the DVD delivery machine and the DVD will apear.
To return the DVD its just the oposite of the previous point.
DVDs are paid for on a prepaid system (like your mobile). Your card can be topped up either when the shop is manned or the terminals have Note slots (like the change machines in arcades).


Although the company is part of a large chain (very big in the USA and europe) each store is franchised by local people. So give it ago.

Prices are also cheap as they operate a cheaper the sooner you return.
Returned within - Older Titles - New Realease
6 hours - 99p - £1.99
12 hours - £1.99 - £2.49
24 hours - £2.99 - £2.99

They have also stated a "2 for 2 days" offer but I havent looked into it yet.

They also run "so much free" offers when you top up whilst the shop is staffed. Something along the lines of Pay £10 and £13 pound is credited. etc.



Edit: Just like to say I have nothing to do with 24 Self Video or the franchisees.

99p for a video any time of night sounds good - have to check it out sometime :)

I found out that the head office copr in the UK, had bought the shop back over the previous owners who lived in spain, they sold it back to them, the same guy who has been there since it opened in sept 2003 still works there, he has been the manager, and has run the shop on his own for nearly 2 yrs now, so all credit goes to him, as i heard the owners, were complete tossers, although he just overseas the operation now as a area manager for sheffield.

Im quite pleased i signed up now, its really cool, and over 2000's members cant be wrong!

I called in the first weekend it was open cos Mum and I were up that way doing some shopping, I wanted to sign up but Mum said it was too far to travel from Stannington to take stuff back :(

Originally posted by doxyboy
the same guy who has been there since it opened in sept 2003 still works there,

If I'm thinking of the same guy, he seems OK to me.

I found one of there DVDs on the window sill of there shop. Gave him a call (number inside shop) and returned it the next time I was passing whilst it was manned (Not by this guy).

The next time I logged into the terminal I got a message saying thanks and an extra £5 on my account..

Just been to return a couple of DVDs we borrowed, but the door entry system isn't working. The annoying thing is there are only a few hours per day when you can contact staff, so we may find we have been charged extra nights. :( If so, I will be re-joining one of the regular staffed video shops.

Patchy:

Had a problem like this about 6 weeks ago. It seemed that if you pushed the door then used the entry card it would open. The next time we visisted it was working OK again.

The other thing to do is email them sheffield.broomhill@24selfvideo.co.uk (at least this will give a time earlier than when you go back to deliver)

I once used the number that is advertised in the shop (not much good if you cant get in, but does anybody have this number stored in their mobile? ), was definately later than 9pm and it was answered by the the guy that runs the place (not the owners).

I beleive its still the same guy that runs it now under the new management and he's always seemed a decent bloke. My story was slightly different as I was helping them out. I came out of the shop to find somebody had left a disc on the window sill. called him and he asked if i could drop it in when the staff was on. Said I might not be able to get at these times until the following weekend. Said no probs. He couldn't thank me enough. I dropped it in when a different member of staff was on who didn't know anything about it but again couldn't thank me enough. The next time I logged onto my account a message appeared thanking me again and also that £5 had been added to my account.

I have joined up now. Great idea which works well, especially with me living only two minutes away :)
My first couple of films were free, and the service was great.

Originally posted by JonJParr
I guess you wouldn't be able to see the point of Internet banking then either? We live in a 24 hour society where services have to be customer-centric to compete and ultimately survive.

I a few years time we will all be laughing at people with this kind of attitude. It sounds as daft to me as "lunch is for wimps" as they used to say 20 years ago when they were convinced the ideas they had then were the future. My favourite quote was from 10 years ago where an executive of a large internet company was explaining that their chief exec was 25 and that there is no point having anyone over 30 in senior positions in IT because they aren't visionary enough. They have gone bust now of course.

We don't live in a 24 hour society because people generally need 1/3 of that to sleep. Of course students will stay up all night and change the world as they have always done but that doesn't mean it is a 24 hour society. Big shops open 24 hours because they can spread their car parking over that period otherwise they would need larger car parks for the same income, its that simple.

We don't live in a 24 hour society because people generally need 1/3 of that to sleep. Of course students will stay up all night and change the world as they have always done but that doesn't mean it is a 24 hour society. Big shops open 24 hours because they can spread their car parking over that period otherwise they would need larger car parks for the same income, its that simple. [/B][/QUOTE]


It doesn't mean that everybody takes their 6-8 hours sleep at the same time.

Having previously worked as a Night security manager I can categorically state that there are people coming and going at all hours of the night.

This doesn't just mean students or revellers, there are an army of night workers out there, including some office cleaning staff that used to start at 4 am, hospital workers, railways staff, emergency services, shop staff, call centre workers etc.

Perhaps picking a dvd up at 6 am on the way home gives these workers more convenience than staying up and about until 9 or 10 am and renting from a regular shop?

We are very much a 24 hour society.

Richard

RichardBiker, almost all of those types of staff you mention are only working on a night because of the perceived need. Shop workers for example only need to work at night if people go shopping at night. There may also be the odd person that needs to answer phones in a call centre in the middle of the night but mostly this is bacause people have got it into their head that they "need" to call their bank at 3am. Cleaners usually make an early start rather than being night workers.

If you start with the assumption that a night security guard needs to be able to shop at 3am then you have man the shop. The shop workers then also need to do stuff at unusal hours. Next thing you know everywhere is open at all hours and workers are expected to do night shifts in jobs that traditionaly didn't need night workers.

Originally posted by KenH

If you start with the assumption that a night security guard needs to be able to shop at 3am then you have man the shop. The shop workers then also need to do stuff at unusal hours. Next thing you know everywhere is open at all hours and workers are expected to do night shifts in jobs that traditionaly didn't need night workers.


It must be economically viable for businesses to make themselves and their services available 24-7 because they wouldn't do it to lose money.

And many people that do night work, choose to because they are not 'day' people.

Night supermarket shopping is used extensively by asians for instance, perhaps because during other hours they are fully occupied with their own family business.