One of Britain's best kept membership secrets

The Country Gentlemen’s Association has to be one of Britain’s best kept membership secrets.  We are always on the look out for memberships that justify themselves on the basis of the benefits alone.  The range of membership benefits the CGA offers is impressive, and with membership costs of just £54 a year, if you use any of  the benefits then you will recoup the fee pretty quickly.   

Benefits range from  preferential foreign exchange rates, discounts on signets & ciphers, clothing (even Pyjamas!), and jewellery. Members can also get reduced cost  pet and home-sitting, and auctions charges at Bonhams.  For the full list see http://imember.co.uk/organisation/2635.

What we do like is where reciprocal membership gives you a better deal.  For example, the cost of belonging to the Royal Scots Club ranges from £100 to £225 a year, but if you are a member of The Country Gentlemen’s Association you can enjoy the facility to book accommodation and use of the bar and dining room at the Royal Scots for just £54 a year.

Oh, and by the way, CGA membership is not just for men. The CGA welcomes men and women of all ages.

An unexpected cultural reward. Museums and Wine.

Know anyone that likes museums and wine? Share this with them.

Post by IMember.

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Before you switch banks, check the benefits they offer

It's just become easier to switch your current account. Did you know that on average we do it every 26 years?!  There are lots of things to consider when choosing a bank - branch locations, customer service, the products offered and so on.  However, if you're thinking of switching, then don't forget that many current accounts offer all kinds of fringe benefits that are worth thinking about. 

Bank benefits range from free breakdown cover, through to discounted golf days.  In many cases the benefit will outweigh the bank charges you may be paying.

Here are some quick links to check out the most popular banks on iMember. 

	Barclays Premier
	Lloyds TSB Gold
	Lloyds TSB Platinum
	Lloyds TSB Silver
	Lloyds TSB Premier
	Natwest Bank Select Silver
	Natwest Advantage Gold
	Natwest Select Platinum Account
	Bank of Scotland Gold
	Bank of Scotland Platinum
	Bank of Scotland Premier
	Bank of Scotland Silver
	Co-operative Bank Privilege
	Co-operative Bank Privilege Premier
	Yorkshire Bank Signature
	Royal Bank of Scotland Select Platinum
	Royal Bank of Scotland Select Silver
	HSBC Advance
	HSBC Premier
	Nationwide FlexAccount
	Santander Reward
	Halifax

Party member benefits

With the party conference season underway we thought we would compare what rewards and benefits the main political parties offer to their members.   

Declining membership of political parties may be part of a general political malaise, but it does look as if UK parties are not putting much marketing effort into membership recruitment and retention.  At a time when many commercial organisations are trying to treat their customers as members, it seems as if these organisations, which really do have actual members, are offering very little in exchange for a members' loyalty. of course, it is arguable that adherence to the cause should be enough, and it would certainly be a shame if people chose their political affiliation on the basis of what personal fringe benefits they could enjoy. Nevertheless, offering exclusive benefits (and we are not just talking about being able to attend the conferences at a discount), does engender a sense of belonging, and of being valued, that might just help higher levels of retention.

 Anyway,  if you’re not persuaded by the policies and are swayed by the goodies,  here is a list of the goodies you can enjoy from the main political parties in the UK.  We hope this is useful.  You can get more details by following these links:

Conservative Party

Labour Party

Liberal Democrats

UKIP

Wine		Discount on The New Statesman
Golfing with Open Fairways		Note: http://www.labour.org.uk/ does mention recycling mobile phones as well as the Phone Co-op as member benefits, but none of the links actually work.
Cottage Rental
Blackwell Books
Discounted Rates on Hotel Stays		No member benefits offered
Childrens Toys
Mothercare online Discount
Experience Days		No member benefits offered
Legal Advice
Telecoms

Get more information at http://www.imember.co.uk

Westonbirth Arboretum added to iMember

We're always adding new organisations to our benefit checker.

Post by IMember.

Be sociable and share.

How we built the iMember mobile apps

Sel explains it all in this month's edition of Appliness. Read more here: http://www.empress-media.net/appliness/ApplinessSeptember2013.pdf

Winning customer loyalty through membership

Companies and organisations like to put labels on us.  For many we are simply customers.  Sometimes they may be more specific, such as viewers or students.  For others we may be members.

But as members, how involved are we with the organisation we deal with?  In theory the difference between customers and members is that members actually get a say in how an organisation is run.   We may not exercise that right, but whether we belong to a club, our local church, or a rock band, as a member we should have the right to influence how things are run (with the possible exception of the Mile High Club).

When we do belong to something, how active we are as members will differ enormously. Some of us will faithfully attend every AGM, scrutinise the accounts, elect the officers, sit on committees and generally contribute.  Some of us will simply enjoy the benefits.    

Sometimes, membership is just a label. Members of The AA have not had a say in how the association is run since it was de-mutualised in 1999.  Similarly those getting their breakdown cover from The RAC, may think of themselves as members, but they haven’t been since 1978. 

Loyalty from customers was lost when companies stopped being loyal to us.  One answer to this has been that companies are increasingly trying to rediscover some of the values of membership, albeit without any of the actual rights or responsibilities.  

So-called customer loyalty schemes are now moving beyond collecting stamps on cards every time you buy something, to more sophisticated schemes that look to attract us at an emotional level.  Giving consumers a sense of community, something that reflects their identity (giving rewards based on who you are, rather than what you buy), as well as a feeling of exclusiveness. We can expect to see more companies inviting their customers to be members of something, and that is to be welcomed.

http://www.imember.co.uk