There is a lot of very unhappy club members
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You can't please all of the people all of the time.
When you think that the sites and club need to cater to people of all ages, with all financial situations, with all backgrounds, and with different needs then it becomes clear that it would be impossible to cater to everyone's needs in every case.
I've not been to a CandM Club site as I'm a new member, but as long as the staff are friendly, the facilities are clean and the neighbors don't mind being next to a campervan then I'll be fine.
The staff on site (at the CCC sites I've been to) are the type who are friendly and willing to help. There are bound to be exceptions or people who are having a bad day but I've never had any problem like that.
I've heard good things about the CandM club facilities and staff, so shouldn't be an issue there.
As for name changes, branding etc. I really don't mind, and it's certainly not going to affect my enjoyment of a holiday or the community.
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Frankly, it isn't a "club" anymore - it's a multi million pound business. You pay the £48 or so membership fee so you don't have to pay an additional £10 per night pitch fee to try and get a pitch on a site you can't because it's full! You go to a commercial site and wonder why you pay the membership in the first place as the commercial site is just as nice and cheaper!
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I totally agree it ceased being a "club" in the true sense of the word a long time ago.Its a leisure business nowadays to which we pay an annual suscription in return for slightly cheaper rate on site and one or two other services.No true "club" would spend a fortune changeing its name without first consulting its members.
v9
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Jeez!!
This thread still live ?????
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Let it rest in peace for evermore. Amen.
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I for one was pleased to see the Clubs name changed to include motorhomes. To me that was a change that couldn't come soon enough. So often I have heard members with motorhomes feel of lesser importance or not accommodated in one way or another, in the Club for one reason or another. That sentence alone covers numerous matters and you only need to read the magazine or forums to see this and what the Club is doing about this. The number of members with motorhomes has increased massively and I feel this will go a long way towards showing that the Club is here for us all.
With the change from Annual Members Meeting to AGM and this rebranding I hope we are not being set up to be sold or made a non-membership owned club.
Going back, the logo is another matter and it makes no sense to me nor does it represent what the Club is about. Clearly I am not alone and if Club Together and comments amongst members are anything to go by there are a lot of unhappy members. With 110 years history this has shown no respect to what has done us proud for so long. No link to the past at all. If it takes a video to explain it, even though I thought it didn't help, it has failed straight away.
Why not launch the new name and way ahead, but put the logo out for suggestions to the membership. No mad rush was necessary. Question to Executive: Can this be a consideration to move forward with?
Regards the comments about those we elected to run the Club for us and as such can make these changes you need to read the constitution and between the lines. We do not elect the nominated members in the Club, and from those nominated members who is invited to join the Executive, and from within the Executive who is to be in each position, Chairman, Vice Chairmen etc. This is governed by the current Chairman. Only the exact number of names are published for each post so the voting process is just a formality.
The only route in is as a Nominated Member but they are decided on by the Chairman through interview. Only in recent times have you been able to apply and to do so you must have a business background.
I hope this makes it clear. So often in these discussions has it been said we elected them. We have not and the set up prevents you putting anyone there at any level.
I for one who has been at the unfair end of the Club has seen we have rules that come out of the dark ages that need modernising, as does the way the membership should be electing who runs its Club, and we need to see the Chairman as accountable which he certainly in not currently.
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I'm lost. Perhaps DSB can explain it all.
There again, perhaps it's better left. RIP.
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MC, I feel I must reply to your first paragraph.
I, for one, have never felt of lesser importance to other members when on sites or briefly on CT, conversely, neither have I deemed myself more important than any other member.
I just enjoy and relax wherever I go, be it CL's or Club Sites, or even on here. Live and let Live is my motto, lifes too short for grievances, enjoy it while you can......
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We've been members for 20yrs and always use the CMC sites and CL,s.we think the sites are great the staff are excellent and will certainly continue to support the club where we can.I think the whinging and moaning will always occur in any club.We just ignore it.You can please some of the people some of the time but you can't please all of the people all of the time .
Brian & Jo
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Here's my two-penneth: If there are a lot of unhappy members about, as a consequence of the rebrand, really, what is that about? At some level I think I get it - we are in a member based organisation with a deep history and people have strong emotional bonds associated with that, often going back several generations in families and there is a perhaps natural resistance to change. However some of the negative reactions to it that I have read - not here actually, more on Facebook groups - has been absolutely extraordinary. One poster said that the name change had "destroyed my family's history" - seriously!! To me, it's just too deeply cynical to regard the HO decision makers as not knowing what they are doing, underemployed, distant etc. They will have done their research and built a business case in support of their change proposals. No doubt they now have to deliver on that - it has to be backed up with action and members have to 'feel' the benefits of it. That will take time. As far as I am concerned, as long as I can access the CL network, get the club's fantastic insurance products, continue to enjoy the high standards aways set on club sites, and feel that my interests as a caravanner are represented politically (the Club has always been an effective political lobbyer for caravanners' and motorhomes' interests), then I'm fine with it. Onwards and upwards.
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As a member of some 20 years standing, I have to say that I am ambivalent regarding the change of name. Having said that, I have experience of major rebranding exercises and these certainly don't come cheap. I'd be interested to know how much the whole thing is going to cost as I presume the money will coming from membership funds.
In addition, as well as the obvious changes to signage, uniforms, documentation, etc, there must be a lot of merchandise which is now obsolete.
I have no prejudice against motorhomes, far from it, I probably aspire to one myself at some time in the future. However, I think I'm right in saying that motorhomes still represent a small percentage of the "camping & caravanning community", albeit that is growing.
Anyway, I realise my views won't change policy but it would have been nice to have consulted the membership.
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Hicap
A very sensible post if I may say so. Like you I can't understand some of the venom expressed by a lot of members re the rebrand. OK people will have a view, that is to be expected, but some of the comments and suggestions of not subscribing to membership as result seems to completely defy logic.Why are people here, I doubt its for the name of the Club or the new brand colours? The Club is not a democratic organisation in the accepted meaning of the word. We have a management and an executive who work together and make decisions on behalf of members. If ordinary members want a say in thing they have to commit to becoming involved with the Club by putting themselves forward for either Centres or various committees. All members have a vote but how many of us actually use that vote? I just wonder if people were more objective and measured in their criticisms of the rebrand that perhaps their voice would have been more closely listened to. For myself I think they have got the colours wrong and I wouldn't be surprised if that is one element of the rebrand that will eventually change. However I am not on the verge of sending my membership card back just because I don't like the colour!!!
David
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Having worked for many years in both the commercial and charitable sectors, it's worth just pointing out that most customers (aka members) see their needs in the 'here and now' whereas the role of boards in developing strategy must, by definition, be based on the future. To stand still is to lag behind.
its more than possible that things such as logo and name changes are to broaden the FUTURE appeal of the club, to what is an ever changing demography. Every business faces this challenge.
I'm one of the happy ones, and until I seek to be elected to the Board, I shall trust them to do things to the best of their abilities. This is not Microsoft or Google, the Club does not have endless resources and is staffed by humans, so may make mistakes.
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That's all very well but I still cannot see how a bland and colourless rebrand will attract the younger families that is aimed at, they expect something eye catching at the very least.
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How much did the re branding of the club cost?I wonder if we will ever be told, I would sugest it was a large amount if that being the case surely it would have only been courteous to consult the membership
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To me the 'rebrand' is all hype and no substance. Buzz words do not impress. If you are going to rebrand with a fanfare then have something exiting to offer. As they say 'put up or shut up and if you have nowt to offer then sit down and be quiet'. Changing the name I have little problem with. Talk of a brave new world is laughable.
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Jokingly
It is said that Dinosaurs became extinct as they were unable to adapt to change. lol
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We have belonged to the club for 20 years, firstly as motorhome users and now with a caravan. We didn't take exception to the name 'Caravan Club' when we had a motorhome and I don't object to the name 'Caravan and Motorhome Club' now that we have a caravan. In the days when we used to go to France every summer we always booked our ferry crossing with the club and also took out Red Pennant insurance who were wonderful on the occasion when we had to use them. We have Mayday cover and our caravan is insured with the club. We have always received very helpful and courteous advice when needed and none of this is going to change just because the name and logo have changed. I must admit though that I am not too keen on the new logo as I don't find it striking enough but it won't stop me using the club services.
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The basic thing is it was unnecessary. Everyone felt inclusive in the old title. Some here recon the cost of the change will be £1M+. These monies could have been better used to update facilities ie provide the basics that we users want. Surely such a change should have included members input.
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..and where's my 30year membership sticker?
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Clearly the Club's research showed some elements of the camping fraternity that the Club hoped to attract did not feel included using the name The Caravan Club because they thought there was a bias towards caravanning or did not understand what the Club provided. Those of us who have been members for some time know that not to be the case but that is an insiders view. My new edition of MMM arrived a couple of days ago and they were talking to the MD of a major manufacturer who was predicting that within a few years annual sales of motorhomes could be up around 20000 a year which would be knocking on the door of the total caravans sold each year. So the trend is that motorhomes will become more popular and likely to eclipse the sales of caravans in time as they have in Germany. That is the market that the Caravan and Motorhome Club is after capitalising on and surely that is in all our interests? Given that the reaction to the news of the rebranding on this forum and the fact that probably only 10/20% of comments have been favourable what would the Club learn from consulting members when it's almost certain they would get a negative response? As yet we don't know the cost but I accept its likely to be quite high but if the strategy works that money will be repaid over a period of time.
David
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