Hard standing booking trial
Comments
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I also had an automated reply to my email -- It said I would receive an answer within the next two working days.
Ahhh yes, I got that one too.......then the reply that comes within two working days says that it's been past to someone for a reply within 4 weeks.
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Well i've now had a reply. Here it is for those that might be interested
"Thank you for your email regarding the removal of the pre-bookable pitch trial. We were so sorry to hear of your disappointment. However I wanted to get in contact to let you now the current position and to address some of your points.
In response to your question regarding the feedback from the trial, we sought opinion from members who had used the service. We went out to 10,000 members and 18% of them responded which is where we have taken
our member feedback from. We also consulted with site wardens to ensure we captured a rounded view.The Club is continuously investing in our infrastructure: we are in the process of improving our online and offline booking systems and future developments will ensure that the booking process is more user-friendly
for members. Our intention is to enable members to pre-book their required pitch type, whilst simultaneously providing the flexibility to enable members to change their pitch type upon arrival if needed.A significant level of investment is spent on the network annually and part of this is to turn grass in to hard standing pitches sympathetically without diminishing the look and feel and a Caravan Club site.
The chances of securing a hardstanding pitch are far greater now than ever before with more than 60% of the pitches on the network being hard standing. Additionally, all sites that offer 100% grass or 100%
hardstanding surfaces can already be booked online at any time. The pitch type names will show the surface type available; that’s 23 sites on 100% hard surface, and 14 sites on 100% grass.We appreciate your comments and thank you for touring with The Club. I’d like to reassure you that I would like to assure you that we log and process all comments and so your response and comments will help steer our future decision making."
i think that means case closed!
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So over 8000 members did not think it a sufficient problem to reply to the e-mail and of the 18% that did we don't know how many of them agreed or disagreed? Clearly the comments on Club Together count for nothing!
Having said that there does seem to be a glimmer of hope in the promise that future IT developments will enable members to pre-book their required pitch type which suggests to me that all is not lost?
Thanks for sharing the information.
David
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A very poor sample in my view, particularly as folk are more likely to complain than praise. The problem I have is relating the comments, our intention is to enable members to book their required pitch type, with their statement that there was no overwhelming
benifit to the majority of members to extend the trial.0 -
I wonder if "pre-booking a pitch type but with flexibilty to change the pitch type on arrival" means you can all book a hardstanding but if you arrive later than lunchtime you probably won't get it?
I think it means that if they have to cancel due to the weather, it will still be done on last booked first canceled, whatever the pitch type. If you had booked grass, you would just be told on arrival it was not available.
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All I read into the response by the CC is that by converting all pitches to blasted HS will solve the booking problem. The more I have to put an awning up on them the more I loathe them.
Perhaps the idea is to make all the new H/S pitches non-awning, then you won't have the trouble erecting one and the club can put in more pitches!!
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All I read into the response by the CC is that by converting all pitches to blasted HS will solve the booking problem. The more I have to put an awning up on them the more I loathe them.
Perhaps the idea is to make all the new H/S pitches non-awning, then you won't have the trouble erecting one and the club can put in more pitches!!
maybe .....
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This bit of the reply, which was also included in the reply I got, does provide some optimism:
"Our intention is to enable members to pre-book their required pitch type,"
I have written back and asked about the time-scales for this intention, given that they obviously already have the technology, as demonstrated on the trial sites.
I am a little confused though, why they said that they had decided not to go forward with the idea after the trial, but then say that it is their intention to enable members to book a pitch type??
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Well i've now had a reply. Here it is for those that might be interested
"Thank you for your email regarding the removal of the pre-bookable pitch trial. We were so sorry to hear of your disappointment. However I wanted to get in contact to let you now the current position and to address some of your points.
In response to your question regarding the feedback from the trial, we sought opinion from members who had used the service. We went out to 10,000 members and 18% of them responded which is where we have taken
our member feedback from. We also consulted with site wardens to ensure we captured a rounded view.The Club is continuously investing in our infrastructure: we are in the process of improving our online and offline booking systems and future developments will ensure that the booking process is more user-friendly
for members. Our intention is to enable members to pre-book their required pitch type, whilst simultaneously providing the flexibility to enable members to change their pitch type upon arrival if needed.A significant level of investment is spent on the network annually and part of this is to turn grass in to hard standing pitches sympathetically without diminishing the look and feel and a Caravan Club site.
The chances of securing a hardstanding pitch are far greater now than ever before with more than 60% of the pitches on the network being hard standing. Additionally, all sites that offer 100% grass or 100%
hardstanding surfaces can already be booked online at any time. The pitch type names will show the surface type available; that’s 23 sites on 100% hard surface, and 14 sites on 100% grass.We appreciate your comments and thank you for touring with The Club. I’d like to reassure you that I would like to assure you that we log and process all comments and so your response and comments will help steer our future decision making."
i think that means case closed!
i got the same response.....
im not sure about the bit i highlighted....this appears to be a replication of the usual CC 'cancellation policy' (book something then change it at the last minute with no panalty).
there have been many threads already about 'site block booking' and the club has denied this happens....yet the option is there for many places (like BW) to be booked on frenzy day and then cancelled selectively as the year goes on and plans get more firmed
up....not a good process IMHO.now we have the same thing....
book a HS (which takes that option away from someone else not as quick off the mark) and then chop it in for a grass pitch if the weather is far better than anticipated come the actual arrival date....
again, not a good system as this may will have prevented someone (perhaps many) not being able to book a HS so they either go elsewhere in CC or to another provided.
how has this potential 'fudge' helped anyone other those booking on frenzy day.....who now get to hog not only the 'best' sites, but the 'best' pitches.....
and may well not take them up.....
a really bad effort....IMHO, of course....
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how has this potential 'fudge' helped anyone other those booking on frenzy day.....who now get to hog not only the 'best' sites, but the 'best' pitches.....
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I'm sorry I don't see any merit in your response , Surely every member as an equal opportunity to book whatsoever they wish.
There appears to be some awesome chips on shoulders for some members , I guess it's case closed for you weekend warriors
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I have to say, as someone who books relatively few CC sites far in advance, and certainly not on frenzy day, that the reply from wherever in CC it came, does seem to simply addvto the confusion. The trial scheme was dropped as we're told it didn't benefit
the majority of members sufficiently, yet here it seems to be suggested that it might be rolled out further in the future. To be honest it doesn't really affect me whichever way the decision goes; we don't use CC sites in peak season and we've always been
able to choose whatever type of pitch we need on arrival.But it would be good to have some clarity on the thinking about this at HQ.0 -
M, my point exactly....
why give even more opportunity for members to book one thing and then cancel...
at least with sites that period is 72 hours....and many feel this is too short a period
with this latest 'effort' members can actually cancel their HS (booked, just in case) on arrival at the site.....
that should reallyj benefit all those who lobbied the club letting it know that, should they not be able to get a HS at booking time, they'd go elsewhere....
perhaps a straightforward booking choice was a (radical) step too far for CC?
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how has this potential 'fudge' helped anyone other those booking on frenzy day.....who now get to hog not only the 'best' sites, but the 'best' pitches.....
±+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I'm sorry I don't see any merit in your response , Surely every member as an equal opportunity to book whatsoever they wish.
There appears to be some awesome chips on shoulders for some members , I guess it's case closed for you weekend warriors
Compass, im no weekend warrior, nor do i book at frenzy day, however i do have my eyes open to how this 'improvement' is very much far from one...
we all know from comments on CT that those who wish to be on a HS prefer to have this knowledge secure at the time of booking...if not, they tend to go elsewhere...
the fact that someone who managed to book a HS then changes their mind on arrival and frees up that pitch, wont help the members its supposed to...
they'll already be pitched up somewhere else and the club will have lost out, with their 'new' system acheiving nothing to reassure the very people the trial was put in place for...
lose, lose for the club, and those members, I'm afraid
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Our intention is to enable members to pre-book their required pitch type, whilst simultaneously providing the flexibility to enable members to change their pitch type upon arrival if needed.
Surely we shouldn't assume that this would mean a one way process? If the only pitch available to book online is a grass one could it not also mean that you could swap to a hardstanding should there be a cancellation, or vice versa?David
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I really have no idea what it means. A clear as mud to me. The statement that they see no point in rolling out Hard standing booking on the one hand and 'Our intention is to enable members to pre-book their required pitch type, whilst simultaneously
providing the flexibility to enable members to change their pitch type upon arrival if needed.'0 -
Maybe so, but how would one know that David? For myself, once I've booked a site that's it - I print of the confirmation and don't give it another thought until we're due to arrive. Even if I'd booked a grass pitch but really wanted a HS, or vice versa I
wouldn't want to be constantly checking if there'd been a cancellation! To be honest I'm quite happy with things as they are and prepared to accept what's on offer when we arrive. But I just think the whole situation needs clarifying for everyone's sake.0 -
Our intention is to enable members to pre-book their required pitch type, whilst simultaneously providing the flexibility to enable members to change their pitch type upon arrival if needed.
We do get a choice now, Awning or Non Awning, EHU or no EHU (on certain sites).....
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