What changes would you make ?

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  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,426 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2018 #32

    Dave thanks for that, as someone like yourself who uses club sites so much it is very creditably valuable.

    I like the idea of getting rid of fire regulations btw. 

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2018 #33

    Also the sites that have or are near special events ,I would think would still be  unbookable on the rolling system ,until tickets for such events are on sale or all sold as now

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited January 2018 #34

    If there were a £25 a booking deposit that would increase my advance expenditure by up to £450 I guess. That would be on top of around £125 to other non CC sites and so just under £600. 

    One thing that I am aware of is that I am comfortably off: we could live on our savings for more than our likely life expectancy without reduction to living standards or holidays or caravan/car replacements. Our income is already more than enough to cover all of this without touching savings beyond those saved between caravan changes. 

    Not everybody is in that fortunate position to say that, within reason, cost is unimportant and a secondary consideration. 

    Some are constrained by budget and a £600 outlay is a consideration for these folk

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited January 2018 #35

    I like the idea of getting rid of fire regulations btw. 

    Maybe the reception could sell marshmallows to toast wink
     

  • Unknown
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    edited January 2018 #36
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  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,138 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2018 #37

    1) is a useful idea.

    2), 3), 4), 5) are either impractical, already exist or dangerous to implement.

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,829 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2018 #38

    I know of sites where all those five things are possible, are allowed, and are accepted as normal, so I will stick to them and won't try to persuade this Club to adopt those ideas. The attempt would be an utter waste of time. 

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2018 #39

    Full agreement with your post,and as the (USwink)the "older"generation as noted on so many posts,  seem to be the ones who use sites far more than just at peak times,an advance deposit system from the ones who are not so finacialy affluent as some, could mean the curtailment of trips,to the detriment of site usage,

    It was very noticeable at Sandriingham last week the big diference in site usage between the two clubs sites, as there were very few on the ccc site compared to our clubs site,?

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,426 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2018 #40

    well you did: Do away with the "racetrack" and rows of white pegs wherever possible.

    I suppose as you don't go a lot of club sites you won't be aware that the white pegs are there to enable the correct spacing between outfits in accordance with local regulations according to the Fire service.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,426 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2018 #41

    very true, like you I think that deposits would be a burden on some. In days of old things were a little tighter and with a young family my marking money would pay for my summer holiday but it wouldn't come in till July (jut in time) A big hefty deposit paid in early December before Christmas covering all the summer time away  would have made things a little more difficult

  • Unknown
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    edited January 2018 #42
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  • compass362
    compass362 Forum Participant Posts: 619
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    edited January 2018 #43

    #1 if the current system isn't broken .....don't change it

    # 2 already available  ( just pay for extra night , leave after  12.00 noon

    #3 unworkable  with current fire & safety regulations

    #4 Sites with multiple blocks have different cleaning times already

    #5 more full service pitches are being installed where possible already

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,859 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2018 #44

    The idea of limiting the number of outstanding bookings for the same site is to give everyone a fair crack of the whip so to speak. Once you were down to one outstanding booking you could then make an additional booking for that site. Just out of interest how many times do you stay at the same site over the course of a year?

    David

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited January 2018 #45

    Rolling advance booking and more flexibility on arrival/departure would please many and, AFAICT, is easy to implement. As DK observed, MHSP design needs a bit more thought as well.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited January 2018 #46

    It was very noticeable at Sandriingham last week the big diference in site usage between the two clubs sites, as there were very few on the ccc site compared to our clubs site,?

    Well JVB, for the first time after over 35 years of caravanning I have booked a CCC site! It certainly was not because of their terms and conditions! It was purely for location or lack of CC site where I wished to be. I f CC sites and CCC sites were close as near Leek, Clumber Park, Sandringham, Malvern etc then the CCC site would not get a look in.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited January 2018 #47

    My apologies David, I missed the important 'on the same site' and that I would have happily agreed with embarassed

    How many times do I use the same site over the course of a year? - Very rarely David. Twice in living memory (in the last 30 years).

    It is rare that I am on a site without a 3 year gap at least, more often 5 year).

    The only exception is Southport where I usually spend a couple of weeks over Christmas. I have stayed in June/July twice in the last 7 years

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,044 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2018 #48

    Rumbled!laughing

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,044 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2018 #49

    Exeter Racecourse is the closest a Club Site ever comes to being perfect for us. Two areas, one everyone heaped up close together around toilet block, in neat rows. The other is like a large CL, on the heath, sheltered by shrubs and trees, close to wildlife, and we have never known it booked up. Brilliant value for money as well. Still got little white pegs, but lots of space. 

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,387 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2018 #50

    and there is a hard standing economy pitch as well. Possibly my favourite night stop when travelling west.

    Could do with some fresh blood in these debates, all the same members presenting the same old points of view. It is getting to wear a bit thin.

    peedee

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,044 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2018 #51

    It is what it is PD, Club in essence is providing what the vast majority of members now want/need, with the odd grumble if something personal doesn't quite suit. 

    Plenty of scope for those who like something different, be it here or overseas. Nothing wrong with either approach. You go with it, or you go elsewhere. We have always liked to mix things up, but still happy to stay members.laughing

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited January 2018 #52

    You could always restrain yourself PD laughing

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2018 #53

    The actual sites are varied, think Altnahara or Steamer Quay for example, some are more regimented than others. So the question is more about improvements to the booking system etc (or not) or the experiences on site.

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2018 #54

    For the UK I think Club sites have got it right for their present clientele, which is why I prefer a CL.cool

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2018 #55

    That is not quite correct as because of the fire spacing regulations there are now some hedged pitches a Commons Wood that have had to be made non awning to comply,    it is also the same at Seacroft (Cromer),  and on both sites the pegs are still there to give the adequate clearances 

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited January 2018 #56

    there is a hard standing economy pitch as well.

    A few would like economy pitches with no EHU. The only such piyches on CC sites are those where it would be impractical or not economical to supply electric.

    I cannot see the CC building pitches without EHU. When all pitches generally had EHU the CC decided over 20 years ago to include the provision in pitch fees and I cannot see that changing anymore than I think them likely to produce new non facility sites sadly

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2018 #57

    My thought are:-

    1) book 12 months ahead on a rolling basis  - seems sensible and would cost the Club virtually noting so no increase in fees justified.

    2) be able to book late checkout - as that will restrict the choice for new arrivals who turn up at the "opening" hour it is a bad idea.  However, I would be quite happy to agree to not arrive until after a somewhat later hour, in exchange for a considerable reduction in the first night fee. Unfortunately too complex for the Club to understand, never mind implement. Remember we were told that the membership was too thick to cope with booking hard standing pitches . . . .!

    3) pitch anyway on your pitch, nose in, sideways etc - already available. These teardrop caravans are getting shorter each year!

    4) never have all toilet blocks closed at same time for cleaning - so easy to implement if the "other" gender is declared uni-sex during the cleaning of the other one.  Minimal cost to issue a "this toilet is unisex" sign to each site.

    5) more full service pitches - some more would be nice, but why are the ones now being added/converted not true FULL service with a black waste point?  Commercial sites do it. Cost of another bit of piping and a drain on each pitch would be absolutely minimal.

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2018 #58

    Any common threads? That's an interesting concept! The saying, 'Can't please everybody all the time' comes to mind. So many differing thoughts, opinions, wishes, beliefs, needs  etc. on so many aspects of our pastime, some shared, some not. Having been on CT since its inception one thing I've learnt over the years is that we are all different in so many ways. We all have one thing in common mind, our  joy in caravaning be it motorised or otherwise.

    Really don't think this thread will throw much light on the wishes of the membership as a whole at all but interesting nevertheless.

  • mbee1
    mbee1 Forum Participant Posts: 557
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    edited January 2018 #59

    I think the Site Manager idea and using local people to clean and garden is an excellent idea.  I think it would also cut costs.  If a site had (say) two managers (no longer need to be couples either) plus one person employed a few hours per day to clean the toilets and any other public areas and a gardener (hours variable depending on site) and these could be paid on an hourly basis. The Site Managers could take it in turns to have time off. Perhaps for their holidays there is are "floating managers" who can visit a site and work depending upon each site's needs.  

    I would also like to see;

    More flexible arrival times (site dependent on access)

    Toilets that don't close - yes clean whilst they're open

    Ability to choose pitch type 

    Ability to pitch how you like (nose in, nose out, sideways, etc.)

    Wardens who are more customer friendly

  • lornalou1
    lornalou1 Forum Participant Posts: 2,169
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    edited January 2018 #60

    toilets closing seems to be the biggest issue. motorway toilets don't close when being cleaned and they are a lot bigger the site facilities.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited January 2018 #61

    I far prefer the present set up regarding wardens. With regard to cleaning facilities I prefer that they are closed. Floor mopping when in use doesn't work well. I do cooking at home but stay out of kitchen if OH is mopping to give it a chance to dry off. I know of nobody that would recommend mopping the kitchen floor whilst folks are walking over it. As for employing one person to clean - most cleaners are women even in today's equal opportunity employment. I [refer not to have them cleaning around me whilst I have a pee at the urinal. Also I am not sure that a H&S risk analysis would find a lone female working thus to be acceptable. In recent site visits I have found an alternative WC to be available during cleaning. 

    I don't think that I come across wardens that are not customer friendly