Deposits yes / no
Comments
-
How do you know that most (what's your definition of most BTW?) of the membership need helping?
I don't know your background in strategic planning with any organisation - small or as big as the club, but you can't decide to do something on the basis of 'perhaps' it will help, or if that doesn't work 'try something else'. It usually requires planning and a lot of homework as such changes could cost income, expenditure and make the problem worse. Then how long do you give it to see if something does work? A year?
Also you are basing the need to do something on the posts here on CT, which is a very small minority in terms of club users, you have to ask is what you read on here truly reflective of what is happening in reality?
personally I have no idea.
0 -
+1 . despite saying the system is biased against working members, no working member has actually said this?
have they? Maybe I missed it in 40 pages? If so I will retract.
I think someone asked for a family input but has anyone come forward yet?
0 -
Alan
Not really sure I understand your point. I am putting forward the suggestion that if the booking date was moved to the new year, say January/February those who don't have confirmation of their holiday dates before Christmas wouldn't be disadvantaged. I have no idea if it is a real problem but as someone raised it so I put forward a suggestion. Why do you have to book 4 months in advance? If you were able to get the sites you wanted two months ahead would you be at a disadvantage? For the purposes of this discussion we are only talking about Club members, where we might kid ourselves we have some influence, not those that choose other types of holiday where we have absolutely no influence?
David
1 -
Alan, i actually suggested changing the day (of the week, and perhaps the time) not scrapping it.
0 -
Why do you have to book 4 months in advance?
The simple fact David is that in the past I would book 7 or 8 weeks ahead of a trip and found on several occasions that sites, maybe 2 weeks into that tour, were not available for booking. So in other words booking a site affectively 9 or 10 weeks hence was failing. This was not a one off occurrence. These were not for school holiday nor bank holidays etc. Kjnell posted somewhere that he was trying to book CC sites (I think about a week before the end of July) for dates in September. As I met him around 5th September on Uttoxeter site I suspect he was booking at least 6 weeks ahead or more depending where the sites fell on his tour. When I was finding trouble making bookings for September we used to Book mid July. For me to book this particular holiday earlier would mean booking at start of June when I was back for one tour and booking the next.
My booking troubles finished in 2012 when I started booking all the years tours in one hit. If I was having trouble making bookings in September on sites 2 months hence I cannot see why it should be any easier in the Easter school Holiday period. It could be argued that all members would get the same chance if bookings started in the new year and indeed so. However that does not mean it will be any easier on non Club sites in the same period which will make up a part of my tours.
Not being able to be certain of having confirmed holiday leave dates is not my concern nor need it be anybody's concern. If somebody wishes to book a holiday from work they can do so whether their actual dates are confirmed or not. In the (for most I suspect) unlikely event that they do not get their desired dates they can cancel at no loss. Would you wait until February to book a holiday at Easter? I personally would not if location was important to me.
So this is why I personally choose to book 4 months ahead. If I went from home to one site for a week it would not be as important to me as I would find an alternative easily. However that is not what I do. I am likely to have a round tour of over 1,000 miles using 9 sites spaced along the route. So, for me personally, each one is important regarding its location and hence I want to get that booking that suits me at a specific time. I can ensure this by deciding where I want to be and when.
As I said earlier how does the rest of the UK employed manage? They are not all caravanners.
0 -
I have said previously that for me Sunday would make more sense as more people are available at some time on that day. Even major stores close earlier. For me I could quite easily book a week later and get what I require I have little doubt
0 -
The problem for some when booking CC sites is that weekends are booked up. Quelle Surprise! I go away for a week and I want weekends, away on a tour and I want weekends, away for the weekend ………. Yep I want the weekend.
There are a few go away week days only; but I doubt that they are many. For all those that say that booking deposits will cure this I ask a simple question. Why?
If booking deposits stopped people booking then commercial sites would not use them to the extent that they do. They would reserve there use for Bank and School Holidays perhaps when they know that all sites can be running full.
On less popular CC sites there is probably not such a problem outside school hols. These I suspect are sites more than 1.5 hours from major areas of population or, for some, away from specific local attractions. Might also include some non facility sites.
The C&CC has brought in deposits and a 1 month cancellation window but have still seen it necessary to have minimum booking periods of 2 days with 3 days at popular sites and even 5 days for popular pitch types on popular sites. Popular pitch types include serviced pitches which makes some sense to me. Many commercial sites have minimum bookings in addition to deposits as they don’t want weekends booked fully to bring about empty weekdays.
It is interesting that a number of sites, such as Morris Leisure have what I consider generous booking conditions in he fact that provided you cancel with at least 48hrs notice your deposit ts retained for use for up to 12 months.
1 -
It is interesting that a number of sites, such as Morris Leisure have what I consider generous booking conditions in he fact that provided you cancel with at least 48hrs notice your deposit ts retained for use for up to 12 months.
What is also useful, as we had to cancel Ludlow when OH ended up in Hospital, is that they allow you to reuse it at any of their sites. You have to do it over the phone, as the sites seem to operate independently and the deposit was on the Ludlow system. However, it was very easy, just made the booking with BYC and they sorted out getting hold of it. About an hour later an email came through with our booking, our retained deposit had become our new deposit.
3 -
BYC?.....Baptist Youth Club?....no idea.....
0 -
So I need to book 4 months in advance all the sites that I want to go to and not to upset folk I need to stick to these sites and dates even if the weather is awful.
Not for me, I want to go away in good weather and stay in the good weather, so I like the way I can change at the last minute to another site in the network without penalty.
How do folk know where they want to go that far in advance anyway and then stick to it regardless. Not my idea of a holiday.
2 -
ah, didnt know we could discuss foreign sites in this thread
0 -
This no/yes idea is the same as asking turkeys to vote for xmas.
0 -
Just back from Morris Leisure Betws y Coed and Llanberis. Superb sites in excellent location. Immaculately maintained and great reception. - even if they are in a foreign country for.some Very quiet with only 7 vans on weekday and 11 last night. Perhaps they bar id..... like Boleroboy!!
0 -
How do folk know where they want to go that far in advance anyway and then stick to it regardless. Not my idea of a holiday.
As we caravan in UK it is pretty simple TammyG. Where have we not been for a while, what sites are available to make a comfortable series of hops in that area.
First trip
Garstang Claylands - Not been for 18 years
Meathop Fell Grange over Sands- Not been for 6 years
Glenearly Caravan Park - Never been
New England Bay CC - Probably 6 years ago
Ayr Craigie Gardens CC 4 years ago
Moffat C&CC If it is the site that I think then over 20 years ago
Braithwaite Fold C&CC - not sure when last visited but 2years before lost to C&CCIf weather is not great we will go regardless as away for 5 weeks. Three and a bit weeks back home to sort garden, see friends and family before going off again for 6 weeks
0
