Empty Serviced Pitches
We're currently on a 10 night stay on a club, members only site, when we booked we wanted a service pitch but two nights (Saturdays) of our stay were unavailable so we booked a standard pitch. The large majority of the service pitches here have stood empty apart from the weekends, meaning that the club are losing out on the extra revenue that people like us would have provided, it's bloody frustrating. Surely a minimum stay would prevent this. Once set up, I didn't fancy moving twice!
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All campers have equal chance to book for as many or as few nights as they want, subject to the overall allowable max length of stay. There’s not even any compulsion to hook up to the services on a service pitch just as it's not compulsory to erect an awning on an awning pitch.
Introduce minimum night stays and it’ll be the thin end of the wedge as it can be very restricting - like C&CC. Remember that whilst a minimum stay might give an advantage to some, like you DM59, it will disadvantage others.
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The Club have always worked on the basis that every member has an equal chance of booking pitches. There could still be a bit of a hangover from the time when many members booked a serviced pitch to make sure they got a hardstanding, obviously not necessary now with the new booking system. Also whilst people may not hook up to the services that doesn't mean they don't appreciate water and waste being close at hand to save going to a service point. Agree with TW that it would be a retrograde step to introduce minimum lengths of stay. I don't know how long ago you booked your pitch but if it is important to get a serviced pitch perhaps you need to book earlier if that is possible?
David
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+1
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Possibly the pitches were booked last year when the last non deposit bookings went through. I can't remember the cut off point but the deposit system will probably ease the situation although booking early is still the best option.
Quite a few non CAMC sites use minimum stays but that doesn't help people who need stop overs and short breaks. So the OP's suggestion won't help all site users.
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"Just book as early as you can."
That’s the way to do it and it disadvantages nobody 👍🏻
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Saturday night is usually bound to be busier than any other and while it looks as if everyone is just booking one one night I would think that is not the case.
There will be those starting those holidays, having perhaps worked the Friday, and then leaving the following Saturday or Sunday or making a long weekend, and of course those wanting a weekend away book weekends, either way Saturday will be busy.
There have been numerous threads about weekend booking 'stopping' others, not true of course any more than long stayers stopping weekenders, but maybe it's because people are working during the week and want weekends. Contrary to popular belief the club isn't all retired folk.
To do as the OP suggests will disadvantage those who book weekends. Why should they be? we all pay the same membership fee so first come first served is the best way.
And of course it's not certain that the club is losing money as it's not certain if there are enough people going to come during the working week to offset any losses if changes were made?
Not shooting anyone down btw, just a different viewpoint.
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The OP wrote:
The large majority of the service pitches here have stood empty apart from the weekends, meaning that the club are losing out on the extra revenue that people like us would have provided
This is a pretty bold assumption. You have not considered the loss of revenue from those who would have booked for the weekend, but now won't because of the minimum stay. Taking White Water as an example I can see that a ten day stay starting tonight on a serviced pitch would be £290.60. A two night stay for Friday and Saturday would be £63.40. You only need to lose five of those weekend bookings to exceed the extra revenue from your ten might stay. Moreover, this ignores those weekenders who might have stayed Sunday as well (but the relevance of that then depends on how many nights your minimum stay is), plus there are bound to be some odd shorter bookings for the week nights. Of course, I realise there could be more than one multi-night, late booking that is otherwise lost than just your own because of weekenders having taken pitches, but even so, it seems to me very doubtful that there would be any loss of income with the status quo. If rather than not book at all, you, and any of the others like you, merely drop to a non-serviced pitch, a loss of revenue is highly unlikely.
As others have said, you need to book early; or you can look daily for cancelations which is what I tend to do a lot. It is really surprising how often things change, especially near to the required dates.
Late edit: Written before seeing Corners' post. Also, I just realised those figures are for one person only, but the principle remains.
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And yours was more detailed anyway GJ
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I wrote above:
or you can look daily for cancelations which is what I tend to do a lot. It is really surprising how often things change, especially near to the required dates.
I had forgotten about deposits
, so perhaps late cancellations (spelt correctly this time) will now be less frequent. I bet there will still be some though. 0 -
I think you might be confusing reserving a specific individual pitch, ie number 4 (which people were not in favour of) with reserving a pitch type, for example grass v HS?
Reserving a pitch type was always in favour and wanted by many if not everyone. Before it was either SP or HS and grass, now one can book their choice from any of the three, along with awning or not.
The reservation of SP type hasn't changed.
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The no deposit bookings could still be there. From June onwards might see a change. I forgot that too.
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the club are taking the Mick with all these various pitches charging different rates for grass,hard standing then two different types of super pitch .have just had a few days at a commercial site in Northumbria all the pitches have their own water and draining point £22 per night including electric for two people plus free WiFi
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Hope you are going to add it to the Small Private Site post that is a "sticky" at the top of this section kassies, so that others can benefit from your recommendation.
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Many of the commercial sites I have stayed at offer a variety of pitches at different prices so I don't think it is that unusual. It was the members request to be able to book a hardstanding pitch that has extended pitch choice, no bad thing many would say? We have just come back from Swiss Farm at Henley on Thames, a fully serviced pitch including TV connection and good quality WiFi coast £37.50 a night just a bit more than a non serviced pitch on the club site nextdoor. Swiss Farm also have a swimming pool, a site shop and a rather nice cafe. Probably you would expect to pay a bit more in that area? Without knowing the site you stayed on it is very difficult to make any comparisons but £22 a night does seem good value and a cheaper than a lot of CL's!
Davis
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We always try to book a service pitch but often have to have a standard pitch if nights are unavailable. However, I don’t think we’ve been to a site where we couldn’t have had a service pitch and, I agree, it’s so frustrating.
Likewise, why do people book a service pitch and don’t connect the waste and water up to the mains?
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"Likewise, why do people book a service pitch and don’t connect the waste and water up to the mains?"
Because they choose to do things differently, I guess. They may not connect but having a SP means they don’t have to trundle heavy water containers around the site so they still benefit from having a SP.
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People may book a serviced pitch so they have the water and waste nearby. Although I connect up the waste water to the drain I don't leave the mains connected as I only fill when needed. Perhaps the difference between caravans and motorhomes?
David
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This would be discriminatory, and unfair to those in work
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Why do you think those in work do not also want to tour when they can ?
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A lot of private sites now have minimum stays also C&CC but being able to book one night is probably the last bastion of hope for CAMC otherwise the competitors are probably now offering better prices for what you get eg top quality washroom facilities.
However if CAMC service pitches are standing empty apart from weekends it probably indicates prices are too high?
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Because it may have been all that was available at the time of booking and as I was only there for one night, I didn't bother to connect anything up. Last October I booked for 2 nights at Hebden Bridge, the first night on grass, which I would have preferred, but the second night they only had a SP available. The next day, I moved onto the SP, just across from where I was on the grass pitch and a couple in a caravan moved from a (different) SP to the grass pitch where I had been. Like myself, that was all that was available when they booked.
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CAMC is a business as such they don’t deal in commercial suicide, what they do is maximise income. If something proves unpopular(fails to generate income) they switch ideas. I don’t think they care much for requests🤔
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A very ordinary site we went to 20 years ago had double water taps with screw threaded ends, and a simple shared soak away drain in the back corner of every pair of pitches. Yes, every pair. It seemed very normal and nothing unusual, and not worth writing about, but now I have learned that places like that are called Serviced Pitches and are very sought after and cost extra.
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