Not moving with the times
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Oh! groan, why are you so confrontational ?
Not a given for this member. I visit (normally) about 22 sites a year whilst on tour
Perhaps you are not part of the in crowd that return week after week, month after month, year after year sometimes to the same site(s) that obvisouly think club sites are the greatest thing since slice bread, so not necessarily a personal perception of mine but i would have thought a general perception of the masses, which for whatever reason you do not want to be part of.
I am sure the club take it as a given otherwise they would not keep providing the same as, year after year after year
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It seems very many members, and those with children ,are of the same thoughts otherwise the sites would not be so difficult to get pitches on as some on here keep saying
,There are according a few posters, commercial sites that are more family? orientated but when looking at them on their websites, most are also subsidised by the high rates they charge with multiple holiday caravans also on their sites
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Exactly...and as i think you are aware, the expectations of many members, the given they now expect from a club site, was not available and they were very dissapointed when they visited Bingham Grange, simply because the club bought the site, did not carry out the necessary renovations that would have made it into a recognisable club site, but marketed it as a CAMC site, but failed to tell the massess of its short comings, well in the eyes of CAMC members.
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I quite like that the Club have started using new types of accommodation on some Club Sites. Things like pods, super pods and Airstreams tend to be away from rest of pitches, so are hardly an impact on touring area.
Tents though, would be. We have tented on quite a few Club Sites down the years, and it’s always been in a separate area, a long walk from the loos and showers, and the atmosphere and camaraderie in the tent area is usually different to that in the van/MH area. Folks tend to be outside more, chat more and go to bed a bit earlier with a respect for noise that carries. We have never experienced noisy tent areas on Club Sites.
Our early years touring were spent on a family run combined van and tent site, with everyone happily rubbing along together. The tenters tended to tow big boats instead of a van, hence the tents. Made some lovely holiday friends who we saw year after year. What was noticeable was just how many folks spent hours outside chatting, sharing food, ideas, lots of overseas visitors as well which was really nice. Very very friendly.
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Looking at it from the OP's thread title it would seem that the CMC, the largest camping organisation of its type certainly in the UK and probably in Europe, if not the world provides something a lot of people like. It might be seen as mediocrity to some who seek out things which are different. The Club is more like Marks and Spencer its the same signature but decent quality wherever you go. There is a lot to like about that. I think that unlike those of us who are used to travelling abroad independently except say for the crossing booking and insurance there are a lots of people that want the comfort blanket that the Club provides. I don't see that as something that is wrong. People have to be comfortable with what they do and for many it might seem limited compared to what others do but if their lives are satisfied who is anyone to say otherwise?
David
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Some interesting comments on here, but many reflect the reason why we don't always prefer CAMC's sites. They are all tediously the same, if not same old same old and about as inspiring as a Travelodge or Premier Inn or as DK has said a Marks and Spencer, all outlets which I rarely visit anymore. We prefer CLs CSs or C&CC sites if available, they are different, a bit quirky, have a wider age range of both customers and outfits or outfit types and few are exactly the same as the previous one. Our favourite CAMC sites are the no facility ones such as St Agnes or Borrowdale which are a more interesting experience for us.
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Hi everyone,
As you can see there have been many comments removed in this short discussion. Please can I ask you to keep to the topic of the OP? If anyone would like a reminder of the Community Guidelines, you can find them here.
All the best,
Hannah
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Folks (Tenters) tend to be outside more, chat more and go to bed a bit earlier with a respect for noise that carries. We have never experienced noisy tent areas on Club Sites.
The only time that I experienced any noise from Tenters was on the site at Braemar where we backed onto a tent area. There was a motorcycle rally and lots of lads and lasses sat around tables on a covered picnic area probably 70 feet way. A lovely warm evening and we had gone inside to get a meal at around 7pm. When we went back out a few walked up to us to apologise for the noise
. I told them that it was not a problem and I was happy to see them enjoy themselves. One came back with a couple of cans of beer.
I have, on rare occasions, had more noise from caravaners meeting up.
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DK, I think your comparison with Marks and Spencer is very apt - a company which failed to move with the times ten years ago, and now is asking where have our customers on the clothing side gone.
The present CMC membership seems as just satisfied now as M&S customers were ten years ago, but over those ten years M&S customers left. So I just hope the Club has a strategic team thinking ten years ahead to try to move with the times.
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One of the biggest bottlenecks is the arrival process so why can’t we have a system that:-
- Allows us to pay on-line in the 24 hours prior to arrival
- Gives the ability to choose a pitch when you pay
- And why can’t we have a membership card that operates the barrier, then when you pay your money the system authorises you to enter the site from earliest arrival time onwards.
Just think no more queues at the entrance and no need to rush to get your favourite pitch, mind you if the club can’t cope with bookable hard standings I won’t hold my breath.
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I think it is far to easy to pigeon hole folk. We very much like CC site, not because they provide a safe option with uniform facilities etc, but because they provide what we want. A good quality site, generally without the added frills of pools, bars and clubs. Plus ease of booking and exceptional terms and conditions.
When we go over there we are equally happy to just book the ferry and insurance and spend 6 weeks just going as we please.
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Yet you omit to mention why those M&S customers left, that M&S changed it's 'offering' (quality was the chief concern I recall) while the club hasn't at all in any way in this important point. Have you noticed a decline in quality? I also recall that M&S had 'moved away' from its core customers, has the club done this?
Also an extra 3000 new members we have been informed about, sites full (as all the post regarding this have been shown) and getting more difficult to get a pitch with longer lead in booking times, glamping pods and the like all being well used... would tend to suggest that not only is it moving with the times, it is making rather better progress than it's competitors and not only keeping its customers but growing too.
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When it comes to club sites, I find them very staid. I seem to recall AD describing them as “car parks” which is probably a bit unfair, but he has a point. As for moving with the times, what would folks like to see on sites? I get the impression that the majority like it just the way it is. Don’t get me wrong, I like the fact that one knows what to expect when it comes to the facilities, layout and procedures, but must admit it’s all a bit...sedate. We took our daughter and grandchildren to Trevornick in late July. I’m not at all keen on these kind of sites normally, but it was very noticeable that there was a mix of all ages, and there were folks out there that were actually...enjoying themselves 🙄
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DK, I think your comparison with Marks and Spencer is very apt - a company which failed to move with the times ten years ago, and now is asking where have our customers on the clothing side gone.
You may be right but the reason that I no longer would visit is that, in my opinion, quality started dropping around ten years ago, Also I found it harder to buy trousers to suit my size, they did not hang well and jackets similarly started to hang poorly. My shape etc had not changed.
The caravan Still provide what I want as part of my tour sites - M&S don't provide what I want
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yes +1,
I do think some poster forget, or really can't grasp, that if the club didn't offer what people want then people wouldn't go? As if there is some strange magic why people choose club sites, or some ploy to do with membership fees, or people are too timid to go elsewhere, or even as been suggested people who use them do not know there is better elsewhere. Why can't people accept that people who use them make an informed choice about club sites and respect that rather than the constant asking why or giving any reason rather than the obvious?
It is so simple - people like them, it gives them what they want.
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There is this idea that club sites are all the same, perhaps true, but is that relevant to a holiday for some?
I use club sites as a base to explore, or see, or do things from in the surrounding area. I want a good quality site to come back to in the afternoon and use my caravan and maybe sit out. That's it.
I could understand if one was to spend the whole time on site like a over there package holiday? Having said that Seacroft was good with it's swimming pool and bar/restaurant and with the beach 'across' the road many did stay on site. But from what I see most club sites are used as bases with people going off for the day.
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In what way PD is it not changing, what you you want to see?
That growth in membership has been over a few years and as sites are getting fuller they appear to be keeping members?
Anyway you have used club sites this year I recall (if not apologies but certainly in the past year), so you must be happy?
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M&S started to lose customers when the clothing side was still looking to give a quality product ,that was made to last ,in a society of cheaper primark customer who wear once then throw away,
The club have not in most ways ,lost that quality product that many still want,and seems more are accepting that with the ever more members using the network
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well of course they are, we all know that, and why??? because it is pretty much a given that what they got last time they visited a club site is pretty much what they will get the next time they visit a club site, and if the previous experience was a good experience then CMC sites will continue to be popular.
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