Hard standing booking trial

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  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited October 2016 #482

    Email sent to suggest that they only allow H/standing  pitches to be bookable on any site. . 

    Grass pitches to be non-bookable but available on a first come first served basis.

    Write your comments here...Undecided

  • young thomas
    young thomas Club Member Posts: 11,357 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited October 2016 #483

    Email sent to suggest that they only allow H/standing  pitches to be bookable on any site. . 

    Grass pitches to be non-bookable but available on a first come first served basis.

    Write your comments here...Undecided

    ...but (as there are only two pitch types) if you havent booked a HS you wont get one....you will get a graass pitch....

    unless you are saying that you 'might' decide to go for a HS on arrival after a pitch inspection.....and theres one availableUndecided

    have I understood this correctly?

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited October 2016 #484

     ....

    ...but (as there are only two pitch types) if ...

    what about with or without awning? won't that make it 4 types?

  • compass362
    compass362 Forum Participant Posts: 619
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    edited October 2016 #485

    Some sites only have H/S pitches don't they.......

    That's awning & non awning

  • N1805
    N1805 Forum Participant Posts: 1,092
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    edited October 2016 #486

    Email sent to suggest that they only allow H/standing  pitches to be bookable on any site. . 

    Grass pitches to be non-bookable but available on a first come first served basis.

    Your earlier comment seems to conflict with this one.  quote '

    The CC head office have made their decision on this subject. The decision is final and there will be no change of mind.

    This thread will have absolutely no effect on the running of the CC business.  Members have two options if they feel strongly about the issue------, Accept the decision of Head office-- or resign from the CC.

    K Cool

     


  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 2016 #487

    I'm happy to send an email to HO to support being able to book a H/S and to give my reasons as to why.

    Have the club considered just how much business they have lost because folk cannot secure a H/S they say site nights are down by 1.4% but not why, could it be because of not being able to book in advance, it certainly is with me. Just by members on here
    that is a lot of lost business (site nights) yes I'm sure there is an elemant that site prices have in general gone up but that happens most years and folk take that into account. I think the crux of the matter is folk are wanting more for their money than
    a soggy bit of grass, they want to KNOW that they are going on a H/S before they leave home.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited October 2016 #488

    I've sent an email, I do hope the club reconsiders this antiquated sytem. In the present economic climate, people are looking for value and choice, not a free for all that advantages some but not others.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,311 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 2016 #489

    One of many things they did not say in their report, is wether they had to cancel any of the grass pitches because of the weather. This would normally be done on a last in first out basis. However, I assume even if you booked your grass pitch in December,
    if enough grass needed cancelling, and no HS were available, you would get bumped. This would most certainly result in negative feedback, although the other club must have to manage this problem occasionally.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited October 2016 #490

    Yes the C&CC do seem to manage it, think of all those tent holidays they provide. But people have to pay more for H/S and there must be a financial way of balancing the probabilities. Incidentally we've had CC holidays on all grass sites cancelled but have managed to find alternative places.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited October 2016 #491

    In my opinion as long as a third of the pitches on  site are grass the booking of HS presents a problem From what I see the majority choose Hardstanding when available. There are some that prefer grass. However most, if not all advance bookings will likely
    be for HS. The reasons are simple. If I wanted grass - or grassin good weather I would book Hard. That means if weather is very wet I am unlikely to be bumped. If weather is glorious I can change on arrival as grass is never at a premium. So hard standings
    will sell out first I reckon. People deciding to take a weejend or a break at shorter notice have the option of take grass or go elsewhere. 

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited October 2016 #492

    I find with the C&CC that quite a few opt for grass non electric etc because of the pricing structure, it's surprising to see it working out quite well. 

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited October 2016 #493

    Ref the "observation" by the club that direct EGH and site booking were down is probably correct , as when i booked a site in Dorset for next week the warden seemed pleased in her words "its good to talk"Smile

    And the other point about bookings up , but site nights down, that was mentioned some time back ,and a thought was that the higher than inflation price rise may have been a factor,Undecided

    Another thought is that when some have been "complaining"on here about  not allowed on empty hardstands were they on sites in the trial? Surprised

     

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited October 2016 #494

    The complaints about not being allowed on hardstanding predate the trial. Some 6 years ago, following very wet weather, a warden said to me on my arrival that he woukd be 'grateful' if I used a grass pitch. As I didn't seek gratitude I chose one of the hardstandings. 

  • young thomas
    young thomas Club Member Posts: 11,357 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited October 2016 #495

    I've sent an email, I do hope the club reconsiders this antiquated sytem. In the present economic climate, people are looking for value and choice, not a free for all that advantages some but not others.

    Brue, i sent mine, too....got an automated reply straight back..Wink

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited October 2016 #496

    Not got mine yet....

  • Unknown
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    edited October 2016 #497
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  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited October 2016 #498

    I got the auto reply straight away, saying that I would get a reply in two days.......so looking forward to a detailed and considered response on Thursday.....

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited October 2016 #499

    I think the whole exercise has been distinctly unambitious in only focussing on such a limited change to the booking system. In an ideal world members would be able to tour freely without every move being advance booked but its not that way in the Caravan
    Club and has not been so as long as I have been a member. If its got to be primarily advance booking why not go the whole way and establish a pitch booking system not just a pitch type, it works perfectly well on many commercial sites, the required dates are
    input and then a pitch is requested, if it is free for those dates a booking is made. Members (or customers) who turn up without booking are given a list of available pitches for the dates they request that's it.

    It works at several sites I use and I have seen the process of reservation carried out both on the site and online.The software is available throughout the leisure industry.

     

    Well I agree with that.......booking actual pitch is the way forward.

    We may have to wait for when a commercial company takes over the CC sites though.

  • Unknown
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    edited October 2016 #500
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  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited October 2016 #501

    I think the whole exercise has been distinctly unambitious in only focussing on such a limited change to the booking system. In an ideal world members would be able to tour freely without every move being advance booked but its not that way in the Caravan
    Club and has not been so as long as I have been a member. If its got to be primarily advance booking why not go the whole way and establish a pitch booking system not just a pitch type, it works perfectly well on many commercial sites, the required dates are
    input and then a pitch is requested, if it is free for those dates a booking is made. Members (or customers) who turn up without booking are given a list of available pitches for the dates they request that's it.

    It works at several sites I use and I have seen the process of reservation carried out both on the site and online.The software is available throughout the leisure industry.

     

    Booking a specific pitch is fine if you return to the same site time and time again. Do folk really do that on CC sites? We used to go to Cirencester Park very often when I was working but I can't think that we'd have wanted the same pitch each time. Don't
    see any advantage in it, personally, although like most others on here I can see the argument for booking a pitch type. Happy

  • N1805
    N1805 Forum Participant Posts: 1,092
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    edited October 2016 #502

    Perhaps another point of view may be considered.

    Bearing in mind that the booking process starts at the end of the year for the following year booking hard standings in advance is/was, I feel, favouring those who can do this (example- members retired from work) & not giving equal opportunities to those who cannot (example- working members who need to arrange time off 1st) By allowing members to choose their booked pitch (be it awning or non awning) at time of arrival is & always has been in my opinion a fair system for all. Judging by the comments on the forum members who want/need to ensure a hard standing go elsewhere.  That is their personal choice.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited October 2016 #503

    Booking pitch type produces a constraint on availability of hard standing. Booking a sprcific pitch would further compound this

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited October 2016 #504

    No, it just moves the selection to a different time within the process of booking and taking a holiday.

  • Unknown
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    edited October 2016 #505
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  • Unknown
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    edited October 2016 #506
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  • Goldie146
    Goldie146 Club Member Posts: 2,449 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 2016 #507

    All this angst about the Caravan Club's decision - is it not like saying "I will accept the result of the election, as long as I win?" 

    You could just accept it wasn't what  posters on here (probably a small, but vocal, proportion of the total membership). And move on!

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 2016 #508

    By allowing members to choose their type of booked pitch at time of arrival is & always has been in my opinion a fair system for all. 

    But is it fair Undecided take the case of someone like me. I know months in advance that I will require a pitch for let's say Sat
    12th April, as I'm getting the ferry the next evening. I'm travelling from Scotland to Portsmouth so will not be stopping at 12 noon to join the scramble for a pitch but will be covering around 250 - 300 mls, I will be fully loaded as we are going away for
    12 weeks, I will have my trailer with me which has a trike on it. Now take someone else who decides at the last minute on Fri evening they would like to go away for a couple of nights, they check the 'late availability' and see that there is a pitch available
    on the site I'm going to arrive on late in the afternoon. Now that person is only an hour or so away so can arrive on site at 12 noon take the H/S that is available leaving me with a grass pitch. Is that really fair, of course all this is hypothetical I hear
    you say, well no it happens. 

    Surely the most fairest way is to allow people to select what type of pitch they would like at the time of booking or better still lets have more H/S's.

  • N1805
    N1805 Forum Participant Posts: 1,092
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    edited October 2016 #509

    By allowing members to choose their type of booked pitch at time of arrival is & always has been in my opinion a fair system for all. 

    But is it fair Undecided take the case of someone like me. I know months in advance that I will require a pitch for let's say Sat
    12th April, as I'm getting the ferry the next evening. I'm travelling from Scotland to Portsmouth so will not be stopping at 12 noon to join the scramble for a pitch but will be covering around 250 - 300 mls, I will be fully loaded as we are going away for
    12 weeks, I will have my trailer with me which has a trike on it. Now take someone else who decides at the last minute on Fri evening they would like to go away for a couple of nights, they check the 'late availability' and see that there is a pitch available
    on the site I'm going to arrive on late in the afternoon. Now that person is only an hour or so away so can arrive on site at 12 noon take the H/S that is available leaving me with a grass pitch. Is that really fair, of course all this is hypothetical I hear
    you say, well no it happens. 

    Surely the most fairest way is to allow people to select what type of pitch they would like at the time of booking or better still lets have more H/S's.

    It is your choice of travelling time/arrangements


  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,149 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 2016 #510

    By allowing members to choose their type of booked pitch at time of arrival is & always has been in my opinion a fair system for all. 

    But is it fair Undecided take the case of someone like me. I know months in advance that I will require a pitch for let's say Sat 12th April, as I'm getting the ferry the next evening. I'm travelling from Scotland to Portsmouth so will not be stopping at 12 noon to join the scramble for a pitch but will be covering around 250 - 300 mls, I will be fully loaded as we are going away for 12 weeks, I will have my trailer with me which has a trike on it. Now take someone else who decides at the last minute on Fri evening they would like to go away for a couple of nights, they check the 'late availability' and see that there is a pitch available on the site I'm going to arrive on late in the afternoon. Now that person is only an hour or so away so can arrive on site at 12 noon take the H/S that is available leaving me with a grass pitch. Is that really fair, of course all this is hypothetical I hear you say, well no it happens. 

    Surely the most fairest way is to allow people to select what type of pitch they would like at the time of booking or better still lets have more H/S's.

    I understand all too well the benefits of HS with a MH, TG, but someone could argue that it is your choice to travel south all in one go and that if you stopped the night en route then you too could arrive at 1200. If you give credence to that view it means the solution rests with you and not with CC changing their booking system.

    Edit: I see the basis of the point I was illustrating has already been posted.

  • N1805
    N1805 Forum Participant Posts: 1,092
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    edited October 2016 #511

    All this angst about the Caravan Club's decision - is it not like saying "I will accept the result of the election, as long as I win?" 

    You could just accept it wasn't what  posters on here (probably a small, but vocal, proportion of the total membership). And move on!

    Brilliant Idea