Seacroft, Cromer
Comments
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Pitch types have been booked at quite a few CAMC sites, as they are all hardstanding. The 12 o'clock rush is because, folk want to maximise their stay, or have choice of what they consider the best pitch.
I cant see what the difference is between this and a CCC site. Not a member, but I thought you were free to choose from the pitch type you had booked. Is this not the case?
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Not used C&CC before this year TW but it can be tedious! We arrived at a C&CC at just turned 1pm. Cars could not get off site because of us arrivals. I think that I was about 5th or 6th in the queue. There were already at least two staff siting a couple of other earlier arrivals. The delay is a pain waiting for the staff to take somebody to choose a pitch and then give all the speel as to where all the services are located instead of simply supplying a site map. No fun sitting in a car in direct sun with engine off and 30c outside.
We then were taken to a suitable (?) pitch. No thanks there is no shade I prefer that one over there in dappled shade. Drive to pitch and whilst I am hot and just want to get a brew I get info as to where everything is located ......... in one ear and out the other. Crazy - just give us a damned map very time. It took us nearly 30 mins before we were stopped alongside the pitch.
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Hendy
It does almost seem that those that apply the rules to their arrival time lose out when it comes to pitch choice. I expect there are still a lot of people who still think its a midday arrival as the broad and spacious entrance would not immediately make you think it is a site with a later arrival time. I know people will say that when you book it tells you the arrival time is no earlier than 1.00pm. What interested me when we stayed at Hebden Bridge recently is that wardens have a note on the desk next to the pitching instructions asking people if they realise the site does not have a toilet block. Apparently people turn up at the site, having booked blissfully unaware of this fact!!! The C&CC arrival method has been mentioned. I must say that over the years I have warmed to this way of doing things but can't see it happening at the CMC. As to warden lunch breaks preventing midday arrival perhaps the Club need to review this. The large retail organisation I used to work for now has all staff customer facing between midday and 2.00pm, breaks are taken late morning and early afternoon and there is no such thing as an hour for lunch!
Hendy I notice you have not yet completed a review for this site, I would encourage you to do so. Likewise complete the site survey if you have signed up for such e-mails.
David
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The CMC does not give the same choices as the Friendly Club -- example :- With the friendly club you can choose a non electric pitch at a lesser price which is great for motorhomers with Solar Panels on the roof who don't need the orange umbilical cable. As far as arrival times are concerned , what does it matter, I have always considered the journey to each site as part of the holiday. I usually arrive to sites mid to late afternoon.
In an area which is inundated with good CLs and CSs in great locations why the rush to get to "all singing all dancing" sites like Seacroft anyway.?
K
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I’m quite happy for a C&CC warden to show me suitable pitches, Easy, but a site plan would certainly be an advantage.
I think the worst queues I’ve seen were in Scotland. We arrived at Scone just after 1pm to find a couple of units in front of us but, by the time we were allowed to filter through to the arrival area, there were around a dozen behind us. Only one pair of wardens on duty meant around a 40 min delay to getting on pitch.
Whilst at Dingwall we noticed the queue starting to form at 12 and it was way down the access road past the football ground at 1pm.
Theres clearly a need to stagger arrival times more by starting earlier rather than later but I accept a few sites won’t lend themselves to it. That applies to both clubs.
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Driver staying with vehicle, where possible, to avoid holding up the queue, should be mandatory IMO, as should arrivals being processed strictly in order of arrival of units. That way, solo campers are also catered for and there can be no disputes over who is next in line.
This is the way we have found things being done in the last few years anyway, but it seems that it is not yet applied on all Club sites.
I never have understood the need for more than one member of the party to be there to book in, or for lengthy discussions about pitches with wardens. Some folk do seem oblivious to the fact that there are others waiting to be booked in!
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As to warden lunch breaks preventing midday arrival perhaps the Club need to review this. The large retail organisation I used to work for now has all staff customer facing between midday and 2.00pm, breaks are taken late morning and early afternoon and there is no such thing as an hour for lunch!
I think you are being a little unfair David, particularly where only one couple is on duty. It used to be the same where I used to work, the office always had to be personed. However, there were a few more of us and we didn't have the toilet block to clean, or the grass to cut.😀
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On the Caravan Club sites in the main the pitches are all of a standard size, but not so with the Camping Club. I have booked into quite a few C&CC sites and been glad that others before me had not been given a free choice of pitches as the one reserved for me had adequate length for my caravan.
And never any difficulty should I fancy a different pitch from the staff-selected one - apart from the "It won't be big enough" problem.
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well what do you know, I agree with Alan....
having spent my whole working like delivering (IT) services to others, I'm afraid we became a 7x24hr nation a looooong time ago.....
if there isn't the cover to adapt to a different set of opening times then the cover level needs changing/increasing....
are we really in a situation where the tail wags the dog (sorry wrong thread for dogs
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That system of booked in arrival sequence was being employed at Black Knowl when we were there last month,
Last week at Tredeger House,a single person member in a motor caravan caused a problem when we arrived , as she had pulled up short on the arrivals,not booked,and was not sure if she wanted one or several nights,so we were blocking the entrance /exit road as I do the booking in I stayed in the car,after several minutes I went to the office as we were stopping an exiting outfit (psno 1200deps that day)the warden was on her own and was trying to "advise"lady arrival but was having difficulty,in the end the ""lady"decided that the warden should ring round and see if any other sites were cheaper, needless to say she was then advised to go through the barrier and turn round and go into the car park to release the congestion she was coursingshe did that, so we could clear the access road,but did she go into the car park? no she stopped on the exit road blocking that, we got booked in, and when going back to the office to advise our pitch, was when realised I knew the warden in the office
As our friends always said of the type "but I am a member"
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If you, as several of our friends have done, been in the leisure industry,i think you may think again before posting that sort of comment,
The new first year couple who are at a site we stayed at recently and have for years been members of the club and also in high pressure (they said)jobs, told us how much their time now is not their own in this job even when off duty, and getting off site is very precious when they are not on duty
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yes they do, Brue but (to quote the famous line, nearly) we are talking about Cub sites not continental ones....
the club makes loads of cash and pays wardens not a lot, don't see this being an issue...
I really don't get why, when just about ANY proposal is mentioned that involves change, we get cries of increased charges....
why not use some change to work better and smarter, and even more efficiently, not just the same but more expensive.....
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I think as usual your comments are not what is actually the case ,and as also looking from the outside,I think you need to read the annual accounts of the cc,also the amount "in the bank"is not that much when on the lookout for more pitches,and to satisfy the ever growing demand for more facilities on sites,which cannot be satisfied on some minimal life spans of some sites
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So, enlighten us, Mr 'on the inside' Club representative, what is the case?
don't you actually think that a change to the way some things are done can make them better or faster or cheaper or......
just because somthing 'has always been done like this' doesn't necessarily make it right....
how would you make the customer facing element of club sites more efficient? or do we not need to change anything?
if a service demands a capacity of X but your resources allow for a capacity of 90% of X, what do you do, let the service slide or do something about it...?
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I think not JVB. I took my half hour break to suit the job not the clock. Nobody is saying staff should not have a break merely that it need not be between 12 and 1pm if they really are short staffed. Often there seem to be 6 wardens/assistants on larger busy sites. Given that there will not be that number ob at all times.
Many job roles do not permit of a break between 12 and 1pm as such. I am sure my mates carers don't as their clients need feeding and 2pm for half an hour after the feeding frenzy is more likely.
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On a large nunber of sites for several days a week there would only be one couple on duty,and would not have had a break from when starting work and that is before the office opens, and when I was at work it was a requirement to have an uninterupted break between the third and fith hour of work
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...but this is exactly what I'm describing....you can't keep flogging the same horses and expecting them to go faster, at some point the team needs help.
what would happen if your friends worked less hours....they'd get more time off but the club would need to do something about filling the gap.
its not our fault that your friends work where they do, service staff do work hard and often for long hours.
my point is that, in areas such as the site front end, there should be dedicated staff in one (or more) areas to allow wardens to 'warden'...
theres plenty of scope to employ cleaners or reception staff (neither is particularly demanding nor expensive....just messy in one and time consuming in the other) to allow those who have to manage the site to do just that....and to take a little more time off if necessary....
service is a tough life, I know, I did 35 years in delivering IT to hundreds of shops, millions of consumers, thousands of HQ staff, 24x7....retail (and wholesale) doesn't really sleep.....and nor did I on many a night....
so, no need to tell me about how tough service sector is, I've lived and breathed it.....and managed it.
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Have you noticed recently just how dificult it is to get staff to cover posts,and when in the leisure industry it is even more dificult,as you will note if looking at any emploment agency staff,required
Where there are "additional"staff employed to carry out cleaning and ground work,the warden staff will"advise" that it not good as the wages paid ,make quite a hole in the site finances, and that is if you can keep them as normally they are from job centres as if not taking a job for a period they lose benifits,so are normally quite "work shy"
Also look at the age of most site staff ,there are a lot of early retirees,who are doing it as almost a hobby and extra income
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When I was working JVB it was not required that you should take a lunch break if working 6 hours or less. When Fliss was working her lunch was often 2pm.
I used to make sure that if I was in the office I got away from my desk for 30mins. If at my desk I would be on the phone instead.
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so, you're advocating no change as the staff can't be found, and when you do, they're no good...hmm...
you can't just say 'oh, they're retirees looking for pocket money', what's wrong with employing someone who is looking for something longer term...you make the current crop of wardens sound like they're only there for beer money, that's surely not the face of a miltiples million pound market leader, is it?
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Normally for the responsibility that site staff have and their job descriptions ,for the salaries paid,i do not think any one looking for long time employment as with the other major club (who by the way pay less ,and where the cc gain some staff as working conditions are better) and do not employ any one who has family (young children)so the age of those looking for work is normally near retirement
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If there are two members of staff then unless they are joined at the hip they simply stagger their break. One has 1pm until 1.30pm and one has 1.30pm until 2pm. After the initial rush at 12 O'clock one is enough to man the office surely. They may be man and wife but they are permitted to eat separately you know.
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