A Different Scenario!
Sat on a very nice site tonight, and pondering on how different the booking system and arrivals are to a Club Site. Only booked last night, don’t know the site at all other than location, and we were busy up to 5.45pm, so that was the time we arrived.
On booking, I paid for our first nights stay, and after a very informative chat with the Manager, she allocated us a pitch number she thought would suit us. So that was it, didn’t matter what time we arrived, up to 10pm. No queueing, no driving around, but we could change pitch next day if we wanted to. As it happened, we arrived before reception closed, popped in for an ice cream, and agreed chosen pitch was perfect for us. So we decided to pay for the rest of our stay. (Interestingly, a chap who followed us in paid for the rest of his stay, a week, as he was going home in morning, so obviously no chasing for payment).
Now the upside of this appears to be a much more customer orientated shower block cleaning time. 11-1pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and 1-3pm Monday’s to Fridays. There is a family loo and shower room open while the main areas are being cleaned.
Taking that first night payment seems to do away with all the queuing, the riding around with van in tow, the having to go back to let reception know where you are. And you can arrive a lot later. Relies of course on visitor taking up the allocated pitch, but we did our homework regarding which pitches got shade in afternoon, which didn’t, which were quiet, which were suitable for a MH (flat, as some have a very slight incline). As such, the site is a lot quieter with less passing of outfits searching for that elusive ‘best pitch’. After one visit of course, the layout is known, so a favoured pitch is bookable if free.
A different model, but with, as far as we can see, a good few benefits.
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Once a year or so we go with some friends to a site not too far from home. If you arrive late there are instructions on the notice board for pitching. Go back and pay the next day.
Toilets and showers don’t close for cleaning.
Why are commercial sites so laid back whilst club sites are full of rules.
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We had a similar experience at Carnon Downs (AS), near Truro a couple of weeks ago. Booked in February, having selected our pitch from photographs, a very good site map on line and a discussion with a very friendly manager/owner as to what our requirements were. Paid a £40 deposit for two weeks.
On arrival, we were met with a friendly greeting and given instructions as to how to get to our pitch and told we could pitch in whatever manner suited us. A complete absence of rules and regulations - just a much appreciated warm welcome after a long journey.
The pitches were huge and really nicely laid out without the slightest hint of regimentation. The toilet block had individual rooms with shower, toilet and basin and were always spotless.
Interestingly despite there being no speed limit signs at all on the site - and the only speed bumps were around the reception area, there was no evidence of anyone moving around the site at more than 5mph or so.
It really did feel as if the customer was important and everything was done to make our stay as enjoyable as possible. Probably why this particular site is so popular.
"Atmosphere" is something which is difficult to define, but they certainly seem to have got it right at Carnon Downs.
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Interesting comments about private sites that are not part of (( as both UK clubs are) large organisations that I am sure would love to not have"rules?and allow their staff to be a lot more flexible than they are but then working time directives and numerous other legislation, as with all large organisations tends to tie their hands of what can be done
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My post isn’t a criticism of Clubs in any way, merely an observation that this place uses a different approach. It’s one that has benefits for us, and it’s somewhere we would come again.
AD, appreciate what you are saying. I booked the night before departure because this is the East Coast of Yorkshire, it’s warm and sunny here, and some of the schools have already broken up for the Summer, so I thought it might be busier than it actually is. Plus it’s the weekend. And not knowing the site, I wanted to know what the dog walk was like. So I made my decision to stay at the time of talking to the Manager, and paying that first night meant that we wouldn’t have to call into reception unless we wanted to, even arriving up to 10pm we would know where to pitch up. Next time we are out this way, unless it’s the height of Summer, I think we could just roll up. Although ‘reserving’ a chosen individual pitch, like you sometimes do is possibly best.
Facility blocks are very nice, similar to Club with loos, showers, some privacy cubicles. Warm, spotlessly clean. But very convenient cleaning times, far better than the 10am closure on some Club Sites. There’s no need to, staff don’t need to be at reception all the time because the majority of folks arrive and pitch up, having already paid for that first night and knowing what pitch is booked. So no queuing, no blocking of entrance or exit roads, traffic flows smoothly. No outfits or frantic humans wandering around wondering which pitch to have. Friends and family of course pitch together. Lots doing that here, but it’s no issue whatsoever, all very quiet and respectful.
Not certain, but I think it’s noon off, and noon on WN.
I have no idea of Staff rotas JV, but it does seem to me that best use of staff time is being made. But I should think that the site Manager won’t be cutting the grass, and possibly might not be the one cleaning the loos. But it’s a different model as you say. She has been her since 1996, so clearly happy in her role, and very proud of how well the site operates. We are paying not far short of 50% less here than we would be at the Club’s Bridlington Site. With a children’s play area, a huge games field, nice little indoor games and TV room, all separate from the main pitching area, so it’s quiet and peaceful. Lots of walks and fishing ponds direct from site as well.
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No, I didn’t take it that way AD. Our first choice of place to stay in this area was fully booked, it’s an AO CL, with separate 20 pitch private site, lovely place, great price. The other two nice CLs we use are North of Brid, and we are only having a couple of nights, got our break sorted in terms of what we want to do.
I recalled staying here 36 years ago, in our tiny camper van, so fully expected it to be an astronomical price and very busy. But pleasantly surprised to find we are in a ‘shoulder season’ and £22 for a couple of nights isn’t expensive, we are in a gorgeous little village and very close to Burton Agnes where we intend spending most of the day. Plenty of fairly local folks here, but a good few from further afield as well. It obviously does caravan storage as well, like many small sites around here do.
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We did consider Thorpe Hall for our trip earlier in the year but wanted to be closer to Bridlington itself. We actually booked the CL you recommended but then cancelled a couple of months or so before when we weren't sure if we'd be able to go or not because of Dad's illness. Booked the club site knowing we'd be able to cancel if the worst came to the worst. As it turned out the club site was fine, though expensive - wish we'd known about the CL just round the corner though (High Breame) which would have been a great alternative.
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This is good for South of Brid M, I doubt we will head any further North. Burton Agnes today, then head home via Burton Constable and Beverley tomorrow. Nice little short break😁
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yes, very familiar, AD....
but I agree, any site that doesn't get you to commit (and pay) day one gets a thumbs up here.
of course, some sites do ask for full payment on arrival or earlier, the pull of the site/area determines if the cake is worth the candle...
if more sites adopted even the small changes TDA recounts, it would make on spec uk touring much easier and would perhaps encourage us further...
at present, I'm not prepared to build a tour that dictates I plan which sites on which days over a long period as this tends to constrict us somewhat.
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We have just come back from three weeks away. 1 CL, 1 Commercial site and 3 Club Sites. The CL wanted a credit card number in advance, the commercial site wanted a £50 deposit and the balance a week before arrival and we all know that the Club wanted. We go along with such variations because we want to stay at those particular sites. Whilst we do sometimes only book about a week ahead I can't really see any advantage in what the OP has posted unless you wish to retain some flexibility on length of stay which we tend not to in this Country. When we have been abroad we tend not to plan so much but that has more to do with the long distances we are covering and the fact that we are away a lot longer in one go that we are in UK. Our trips in the UK tend to be more organised in how long we stay where. Perhaps the OP is lucky in that at a moment notice they can be off. Unfortunately our diary tends to get in the way of that sort of flexibility and in truth I suspect we are not spur of the moment people!!!
David
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On all the different ways to pay, we still have to announce ourselves on arrival, so no matter what system that's creating a pinch point.
This site we are on now needed a deposit for the barrier card, we still had to wait whilst the person in front narrated their life story!
We had paid 6 weeks in advance in full and pre picked our pitch too via their booking system, but still qued.
The issue that all sites suffer from is the set arrival time by most of us is treated as a target.
I dont think many sites could operate without knowing a departure date, a person can always ask to extend, we have several times with only one site saying they couldn't facilitate because fully booked.
The actual online CMC booking system is as if they have deliberately tried to ruin the internet! It's an analogue booking system made digital.
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The actual online CMC booking system is as if they have deliberately tried to ruin the internet! It's an analogue booking system made digital.
what an intriguing thing to say, what eveidence do you have to support this, it is quick, easy to use (enter dates and sites) and really no different to other on line booking systems, like I said perhaps post some examples?
We had paid 6 weeks in advance in full
And that is a good thing compared to the club? Would you have lost all that if you cancelled?
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I find the online booking system to be one of the best things about the club’s website. That’s strange given the shortcomings of other parts of the site but it’s simple and works for me. 👍🏻
Given the choice of using this club's online booking system or C&CC's, this one wins every time in my opinion.
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Today I booked a pitch on a site just by clicking on an interactive satellite view of the pitches. I could click on a pitch and if it was available the price and type of pitch came up and then I made a payment. Web sites vary so much but I've no complaints either with both clubs and their booking systems.
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We are lucky DK, nowadays we much prefer to just do what we feel like doing, when we can do it. We’ve even taken to booking cottages late (ie day before!😲) to get some discount. We are still rather spontaneous tourers, change our minds about location, length of stay, arrival day, and because we can be flexible about our needs, it works for us. Only if we know something will book up (primarily cottages at certain times of year) do we book ahead, or if we are going with someone else, or going to an event.
W&M, if there’s no one in reception, details of your pitch are posted on notice board, there’s no need to call into reception. We didn’t book online, so don’t know if you are allocated a pitch via online booking or not, but guessing you are. No high tech security either, but someone lives onsite, and I suspect comings and goings are remotely supervised.
It was the payment for just the first night that I thought a reasonable idea. It acts as commitment, covers a no show, and appears to free up reception more than must pay as you arrive. From a visitor point of view, you can arrive a lot later, but actually get onto a pitch rather be stuck in LNA. We were still on site at noon today, there was no queuing to get in, just an orderly coming and going of outfits. As I said earlier, it appears that you can pay on departure, as we were there when a visitor did this (assuming of course his first night was paid for).
I doubt it is a unique model, but for a quite large site (78 pitches) appears to work well.
No idea what happens with a no show, but might ask tomorrow if can be transferred to a later date. It’s been interesting from our point of view, and we shall certainly come back here, as the site itself is well run and a decent priced option for a few nights.
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really no different to other on line booking systems
Seriously?
We were very good friends with site owners of a regular site we used.
Their non internet booking system was A3 sheets of squared paper, one for each month, a system widely used.
Remind you of anything?
The CMC booking process, not the T&C's, is properly poor.
So much potential not used.
I'm not giving examples, you will only complain about prices or some other aspect not related to the process.
What I will say is they all pretty much ask for arrival date, caravan size, occupants number of nights staying, etc.
But then you either have a map of the site to pre choose a pitch, simply click on it, or a list of various pitch options, with descriptions, for example :- Grass, size of pitch or Hard standing, size of pitch, you then pick one of those types.
That is the internet being used rather than simply sticking up virtual sheets of squared paper and making do.
Progress, bit like my car. Its sat nav is Google earth, I suppose we dont really need sat nav, we should make do with paper.
Just saying 🤖
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I agree the Club’s online booking system is good. It’s easy and quick, but at the other end of actual delivery there is often a queue. Will be interesting to see what if any changes might come about via the new improvements mentioned for later in the year.
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Remind you of anything? sorry no it does not at all
equally sorry but the rest of your post that doesn't answer anything, especially about ruining the internet or being analogue? What was that about?
You list some booking of pitches but as the club does not offer that why should the booking process offer that? You make it sound as if it is the booking process that won't allow such a booking (of pitches) but in reality it is simply doing what the club wants and doing it very well.
Booking of pitches is a completely different aspect and not related to the actual booking process which you have complained about.
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"The CMC booking process, not the T&C's, is properly poor. "
Nope, couldn’t disagree more. It is fit and healthy and doing very well indeed.
It might well have the potential to do more but that is a different issue. The booking system, as I said earlier, is extremely good.
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Ability to be able to book hard standing would suit me but in realty, in the last 15 years and probably over 250 various club site visits I have never failed to obtain a hard standing. I would not relish actual numbered pitch bookings however
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Agree, it’s probably the fact that touring is much more popular now, so sites don’t want early arrivals sitting around waiting for folks to leave.
This is where a small MH comes into its own as far as we are concerned. Our travel days are very much “doing days” as we don’t have to drop off the van before visiting somewhere. We like to arrive as late as possible sometimes, and maybe chill out until noon on last day, as it takes us minutes to park up at home.
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But what about how the information is presented to the user?
This oblong box for awning or another for non, is it tick another for service? , it's all very battleships, and analogue.
There are far more intuitive systems out there which who knows, people may like more!
Out of all the different systems of booking I've used over the years, the CMC is the most clunky and the one I least like.
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"Now the upside of this appears to be a much more customer orientated shower block cleaning time. 11-1pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and 1-3pm Monday’s to Fridays. There is a family loo and shower room open while the main areas are being cleaned."
like many we use in other places, the commercial site we were on this week has no set 'closed for cleaning' time....they are cleaned without closing them, throughout the day....and what lovely (and clean) showers they were, too..
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Our seasonal pitch opens up the disabled toilets whilst cleaning.
Customer focused.
No holding it in!
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