Hard standing booking trial
Comments
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The answer was given way back in the thread - the hard standing pitches got booked, the grass pitches were left unbooked - total revenue dropped.
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Hi guys, it seems lots of you have questions about the results of the hardstanding booking trial.
After running the trial for two seasons, member feedback confirmed that there was no overwhelming benefit to the majority of members to extend it. Therefore, The Club has agreed that the trial is taken no further at this stage, and that the pitches on the five sites involved in the trial will revert to their original state of standard ‘awning’ and ‘non-awning’. Lessons from this trial will prove very useful in determining how to improve the experience for members in the future.
We will be publishing full results of the trial in the November edition of The Caravan Club magazine.
This is the official response so far... No mention of loss of revenue, but we'll see what the November magazine says, or what information I can get in the meantime.
David
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The magazine should be out anytime soon, but why results have to wait for a magazine when there is a perfectly good forum to communicate with, I will never understand.
peedee
My guess is that it's a longer response, perhaps with graphs.etc. ?? It certainly won't stop us discussing it.
David
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The magazine should be out anytime soon, but why results have to wait for a magazine when there is a perfectly good forum to communicate with, I will never understand.
peedee
My guess is that it's a longer response, perhaps with graphs.etc. ?? It certainly won't stop us discussing it.
David
Could do it with a link to a web page or even FB???? I cannot help but think the Club wants to keep the magazine going just for the advertising income. As far as I am concerned its £4 million down the drain.
peedee
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That was not what I heard from Front line staff ,when i asked why it was not being carried on, two reasons given were that members were frustrated at not being able to book extra nights without having to move pitch,because the pitch was booked,and Hardstands being empty as they had a booking in a couple of days
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That was not what I heard from Front line staff ,when i asked why it was not being carried on, two reasons given were that members were frustrated at not being able to book extra nights without having to move pitch,because the pitch was booked,and Hardstands
being empty as they had a booking in a couple of daysBoth of which would point to their popularity and lead to reduced revenue. The reason members had to move to extend a stay was the uptake in booking them specifically. Ergo what many members wanted - to be able to book hard standing. As for them being empty
between bookings I am not surprised. Similar sympton - can't let them because they are in demand and booked after a couple of empty days.Both features were to be expected. I had previously said that it would cause problems.
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That was not what I heard from Front line staff ,when i asked why it was not being carried on, two reasons given were that members were frustrated at not being able to book extra nights without having to move pitch,because the pitch was booked,and Hardstands
being empty as they had a booking in a couple of daysBoth of which would point to their popularity and lead to reduced revenue. The reason members had to move to extend a stay was the uptake in booking them specifically. Ergo what many members wanted - to be able to book hard standing. As for them being empty
between bookings I am not surprised. Similar sympton - can't let them because they are in demand and booked after a couple of empty days.Both features were to be expected. I had previously said that it would cause problems.
...But unless all pitches on all sites are made HS then it will always happen to some extent, it would be interesting to see how the ccc get round it?
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They charge for the different pitch types, I think I've seen more users of non ehu grass pitches on their sites than elsewhere because it's a cheaper option. Likewise the only way to get a hardstanding pitch with the CC is to pay the extra for a serviced
pitch.0 -
That was not what I heard from Front line staff ,when i asked why it was not being carried on, two reasons given were that members were frustrated at not being able to book extra nights without having to move pitch,because the pitch was booked,and Hardstands
being empty as they had a booking in a couple of daysBoth of which would point to their popularity and lead to reduced revenue. The reason members had to move to extend a stay was the uptake in booking them specifically. Ergo what many members wanted - to be able to book hard standing. As for them being empty
between bookings I am not surprised. Similar sympton - can't let them because they are in demand and booked after a couple of empty days.Both features were to be expected. I had previously said that it would cause problems.
...But unless all pitches on all sites are made HS then it will always happen to some extent, it would be interesting to see how the ccc get round it?
The way around it on most sites would be, where planning permits or can be adjusted, to reduce the grass pitches to 10% or less of the total number.
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That was not what I heard from Front line staff ,when i asked why it was not being carried on, two reasons given were that members were frustrated at not being able to book extra nights without having to move pitch,because the pitch was booked,and Hardstands being empty as they had a booking in a couple of days
Both of which would point to their popularity and lead to reduced revenue. The reason members had to move to extend a stay was the uptake in booking them specifically. Ergo what many members wanted - to be able to book hard standing. As for them being empty between bookings I am not surprised. Similar sympton - can't let them because they are in demand and booked after a couple of empty days.
Both features were to be expected. I had previously said that it would cause problems.
...But unless all pitches on all sites are made HS then it will always happen to some extent, it would be interesting to see how the ccc get round it?
The way around it on most sites would be, where planning permits or can be adjusted, to reduce the grass pitches to 10% or less of the total number.
...At over £1000 a hardstand ,cannot see that happening soon
At a quick guess that would be about £100,000 at Ferry meadows + the reduction in revenue by amout ofl lost pitches
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Why do I get the feeling that when the Caravan Club starts a survey/trial/test/etc that the results have already been decided?
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...At over £1000 a hardstand ,cannot see that happening soon
At a quick guess that would be about £100,000 at Ferry meadows + the reduction in revenue by amout ofl lost pitches
When we have been to Ferry Meadows on three occasions in the last 11 years there have been very few vans 'over the road' on the side with more grass pitches. That will have been sometime in May to late July
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...At over £1000 a hardstand ,cannot see that happening soon
At a quick guess that would be about £100,000 at Ferry meadows + the reduction in revenue by amout ofl lost pitches
When we have been to Ferry Meadows on three occasions in the last 11 years there have been very few vans 'over the road' on the side with more grass pitches. That will have been sometime in May to late July
..It only had 41 pitches free last week,and is normally full at any peak times inc mid week
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If we go to Ferry M again, we'll be "over the road" thought it was much greener and nicer that side!
..There are about twenty HS and a Big play area over there
I see its full this w/endFerry Meadows has been our regular "bolt hole" since 1970s,when over there was the only site
It used to close after the firework w/end in Nene Park
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If we go to Ferry M again, we'll be "over the road" thought it was much greener and nicer that side!
..There are about twenty HS and a Big play area over there
I see its full this w/endFerry Meadows has been our regular "bolt hole" since 1970s,when over there was the only site
It used to close after the firework w/end in Nene Park
Is it used for rallys I wonder?
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If we go to Ferry M again, we'll be "over the road" thought it was much greener and nicer that side!
..There are about twenty HS and a Big play area over there
I see its full this w/endFerry Meadows has been our regular "bolt hole" since 1970s,when over there was the only site
It used to close after the firework w/end in Nene Park
Is it used for rallys I wonder?
..The site has its own rally field,which is also used for cc "events
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As for them being empty between bookings I am not surprised. Similar sympton - can't let them because they are in demand and booked after a couple of empty days.
We already get this scenario with wardens coning off a pitch for a blue badge holder, the pitches CAN be used for anyone only intending to stop for a single night or 2. We have in the past been asked by wardens if we would mind using a particular pitch when
stopping for just 1 night, I'm quite happy to do so as long as its suitable, I would think most members would be the same. It is nice to be able to extend a stay on site, if there is availability but one must not always expect to be able to do so.In this country booking ahead I will always book a H/S if the Club cannot accomodate then I will go elsewhere.
Its alright for some to say it doesn't both them either way, however most then say "I arrive as near 12 noon as possible so I can have a good choice". Arriving at 12 noon is not something we would normally do as we are either touring/sightseeing or driving
hundreds of miles on our way to a ferry. The last thing I want is to arrive at a site that I booked months before and find that all is left is a soggy muddy grass pitch, especially if I am towing my trailer with a motorbike on the back, (which however is not
something I can indicate at time of booking) fully loaded for holidaying abroad. The thought of what 'could' happen makes me
I did write to the club 3 years ago say that was the case on a site we visited, the warden did apologise saying they would love to be able to reserve a pitch but it was not allowed, they indicated that this is something that wardens have discussed with HQ
on more than one occasion, sadly to no avail. It would seem that CC Ltd not only doesn't listen to it's members but also ignores their staff Managing the sites, a very sad state of affairs.0 -
Here's another thought, someone posted that the sites on trial lost revenue because if folk couldn't get a H/S they didn't book and went elsewhere. Question here is, where was the elsewhere? was it another CC site, if so then the club didn't lose revenue.
Has the club done a full survey not only of the trial sites but of ALL sites in the network, it could be the case that the trial sites did less bookings but other sites did more because folk could guarentee a H/S. Has the club had more bookings for Serviced
pitches, again because of the H/S guarentee. Lots of questions, none of which I will expect we will get an answer to.0 -
Here's another thought, someone posted that the sites on trial lost revenue because if folk couldn't get a H/S they didn't book and went elsewhere. Question here is, where was the elsewhere? was it another CC site, if so then the club didn't lose revenue.
Has the club done a full survey not only of the trial sites but of ALL sites in the network, it could be the case that the trial sites did less bookings but other sites did more because folk could guarentee a H/S. Has the club had more bookings for Serviced
pitches, again because of the H/S guarentee. Lots of questions, none of which I will expect we will get an answer to....And who posted with the evidence or as is often the case just theory
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Here's another thought, someone posted that the sites on trial lost revenue because if folk couldn't get a H/S they didn't book and went elsewhere. Question here is, where was the elsewhere? was it another CC site, if so then the club didn't lose revenue.
Has the club done a full survey not only of the trial sites but of ALL sites in the network, it could be the case that the trial sites did less bookings but other sites did more because folk could guarentee a H/S. Has the club had more bookings for Serviced
pitches, again because of the H/S guarentee. Lots of questions, none of which I will expect we will get an answer to....And who posted with the evidence or as is often the case just theory
I am sure "elsewhere" might be a figure of speech? As far as the site in the booking experiment it matters not that someone went to another Club sites or a site outside of the Club because its the revenue of that site that is under review. Members may well
go to another Club site and you would be right in saying that the money stays within the Club but not easy to establish I imagine. I suspect the point you made a few pages back about it causing difficullties to existing members on sites wanting to extend a
stay could be a major deciding factor in terms of feedback which I am sure the wardens of those sites concerned would given to HQ and perhaps was something none of us cottoned onto during the course of these discussions.David
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Here's another thought, someone posted that the sites on trial lost revenue because if folk couldn't get a H/S they didn't book and went elsewhere. Question here is, where was the elsewhere? was it another CC site, if so then the club didn't lose revenue.
Has the club done a full survey not only of the trial sites but of ALL sites in the network, it could be the case that the trial sites did less bookings but other sites did more because folk could guarentee a H/S. Has the club had more bookings for Serviced
pitches, again because of the H/S guarentee. Lots of questions, none of which I will expect we will get an answer to....And who posted with the evidence or as is often the case just theory
I said that I go elsewhere - is that not evidence?
This year in the peak period I have stayed on 4 commercial sites and 1 C&CC site instead of CC sites
purely because I wanted to be sure of a hardstanding pitch. I didn't look at CC sites as a viable alternative. That's 25 days worth of pitch fees which went elsewhere. £700 - £750 of business which the CC didn't get a sniff at because they
won't let me book a HSObviously as I'm working it's not as many nights as some but can you see me changing my mind about being fobbed off with grass when I'm retired?
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Here's another thought, someone posted that the sites on trial lost revenue because if folk couldn't get a H/S they didn't book and went elsewhere. Question here is, where was the elsewhere? was it another CC site, if so then the club didn't lose revenue.
Has the club done a full survey not only of the trial sites but of ALL sites in the network, it could be the case that the trial sites did less bookings but other sites did more because folk could guarentee a H/S. Has the club had more bookings for Serviced
pitches, again because of the H/S guarentee. Lots of questions, none of which I will expect we will get an answer to....And who posted with the evidence or as is often the case just theory
Can't remember which post but like yours it refered to being told it by a Warden.
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Here's another thought, someone posted that the sites on trial lost revenue because if folk couldn't get a H/S they didn't book and went elsewhere. Question here is, where was the elsewhere? was it another CC site, if so then the club didn't lose revenue. Has the club done a full survey not only of the trial sites but of ALL sites in the network, it could be the case that the trial sites did less bookings but other sites did more because folk could guarentee a H/S. Has the club had more bookings for Serviced pitches, again because of the H/S guarentee. Lots of questions, none of which I will expect we will get an answer to.
...And who posted with the evidence or as is often the case just theory
I am sure "elsewhere" might be a figure of speech? As far as the site in the booking experiment it matters not that someone went to another Club sites or a site outside of the Club because its the revenue of that site that is under review. Members may well go to another Club site and you would be right in saying that the money stays within the Club but not easy to establish I imagine. I suspect the point you made a few pages back about it causing difficullties to existing members on sites wanting to extend a stay could be a major deciding factor in terms of feedback which I am sure the wardens of those sites concerned would given to HQ and perhaps was something none of us cottoned onto during the course of these discussions.
David
But what's to say that on the first time of trying a member couldn't get on to said 'trial site' went instead to another club site, and at a later date went back to 'trial site' as the H/S availability was there. Given this scenario the club never missed out on revenue in anyway. However as we will never know we can only hypothersise. Like JayEss I will just go elsewhere (non CC)
DK a member not being able to extend a stay can happen at any site, at any time, not just because it was a 'trial site' but because there is no pitches available, be it grass or H/S, awning or non-awning.
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AS said previously I will use Grass pitches such as at Dunnets Bay where I do not think any are hardstanding. We normally tour during April,May, June and up until around 20th June. lways managed to get Hardstanding on those sites that we choose that have
such. Often, like this year, we book to go away on the Bank Holidat Sunday of August. We then think again and go away on the Prior Thurday to have a reasonable (almost certain) choice of HS. The alternative for that stop would be a commercial or an AS where
I could be certain of hard standing if the nearby club site was mixed0 -
AS said previously I will use Grass pitches such as at Dunnets Bay where I do not think any are hardstanding. We normally tour during April,May, June and up until around 20th June. lways managed to get Hardstanding on those sites that we choose that have
such. Often, like this year, we book to go away on the Bank Holidat Sunday of August. We then think again and go away on the Prior Thurday to have a reasonable (almost certain) choice of HS. The alternative for that stop would be a commercial or an AS where
I could be certain of hard standing if the nearby club site was mixedET you have posted that you normally arrive at 12.00 or there about, for those that can do that it shouldn't be a problem getting a H/S, the problem is for those that don't arrive until the end of the day, being able to secure a H/S at booking time is for
some a must.0 -
Yerbut ... If I toured in August then it would be different. The only real problem with grass is that I generaly do not want it.
I agree that the problem is therefore for others. Onviously if I go onto ste Bank hoiday Sat I might have a problem and therefore don't do it
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Agreed. I'm not joining the midday shuffle to try to get a HS. We hate arriving at midday - done it once and never again.
If the CC has decided not to make HS bookable that is absolutely fine. It's a business decision and I respect that.
There are plenty of alternatives. I'll continue to use them and book CC sites when the grass has been retired
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