Lack of proper CL site information
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where increasingly you can book on line and lately you are requested to pay up front by bank transfer. This could well be the legacy of CV19.
Agree....Just stayed at an excellent CL at Flamborough which offered the choice of paying via BACS..which we did. OH now has the details of the CL set up for future use. (We rebooked for next year). Two more CL's we will be using later in the year have also offered BACS and will be paying up front before arrival..
fyi..The excellent CL in Flamborough is called High Breame (No.1676, P488). Also on fb. ½ mile past Bridlington site on left opposite Danes Dyke. Fully Serviced pitches -£17pn Incl.Secure gated entrance -own key.
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For the ones that have been open for some years it is even less of an excuse not to have a photo/s of their CL. Perhaps some of them only think in terms of the handbook. I am sure the Club must be chasing them for a photo? Perhaps next time you are on a CL which doesn't have any photos you could ask them why so we can all understand it better? My point about not being added to the website was really directed at new CL's where it should be a condition of adding.
David
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The two CL's we used last year we were able to pay by credit card but the CL's were part of a larger businesses. BAC's is a fairly straightforward way of paying and as far as I know doesn't incur any charges on either party. We stayed on a small site outside of York which had details for BACs payment on the welcome form. Very easy to set up on the SmartPhone, easier than on the PC because you seem to have to jump through hoops using internet banking these days, much easier with an App!
David
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I've been looking for CLs recently, four of them aren't opening this year due to Covid but I found the updated news and price for one of them not on the CAMC web site but on another site! Although a missing photo is ok I'd really appreciate if CL owners updated their details and prices.
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Me too!
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I agree. If there is no photo I check reviews. If no recent ones then it is out.
Some CLs give little or no detail, and a price from 2016 puts us off.
I do use Google Earth, and if that looks OK and there is an e mail address I will check prices.
Ideally I would look for....
A couple of photos
A decent description including info on access for larger outfits
Detail of exactly how many hard standings there are (if any)
An up to date price, including whether deposit required
Amps on EHU
Recent reviews.....good ones of course
E mail contact.....I like things "in writing"
The site in the area we want which has all that will get our business first.
Once the initial details are in place, only the price needs to be updated annually, surely not that onerous?
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As a CL owner and user I fully understand many of the comments that have been made. I have photos on my cl on this site and have tried to keep the fees constant throughout the time of the book, but I would ask those who comment that it is 2.5 years from submitting the information to the club from one edition to the next. In the past 2 years I have seen a 50% increase in the electricity used whilst the vans are on site, plus the costs from our supplier.
Re email contact, yes I have an email address and I get bookings via Email. Sadly well over 75% of my no shows are email bookings. and there are a large number who enquire for dates to which I reply and nothing more is heard . I delaet after 24 hours.
On the plus side I am a hobby CL owner and a retired farmer, the CL gives me the chance to meet some lovely people and great caravaners that give me satisfaction to supply a service they enjoy.
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Wildemere
Thanks for commenting from the sharp end so to speak, always useful to get information from the cL owners. I think some have questioned whether the Club put enough resources into keeping the CL side of the Club website up to date. Perhaps it's not a priority as other than keeping members happy there is no financial return for them and clearly in other quarters they are struggling a bit at the moment.
On your point about checking by email for availability I suspect members are so used to going online for this information so quite possible they are checking availability at several CL's. Just out of interest have you considered a deposit system or would it make more work that it's worth?
David
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I’ve stayed on more CL (and CS) sites in the last few weeks than the last 8 years combined. The reason is 1) they are often the only sites with vacancies at the moment, 2) I no longer care about not having facilities as CV19 means I’m only using my own shower/toilet and 3) They offer low-risk options e.g size & location. I have to say, I now realise what I’ve been missing and am converted They’re quite and peaceful and some are adults only and dog free - bliss! Now I’ve managed to convince my wife that hair washing & drying is possible on a CL, alongside a no2 in the loo, all the reasons for avoidance have gone!
A plea for MH owners. My plan is always to stay 2 or 3 days. Explore everything of interest locally and move on. It’s often difficult to get information on CLs about location of shops, pubs and public transport. Many seem to assume you’re caravaners and will drive everywhere - we don’t, if we can walk it, we’ll do it, otherwise it won’t happen.
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Google is your friend SB, will tell you everything you need to know about a local area. There are a great deal of CLs that provide lots of information one way or another. Many offer loan of OS maps, provide print outs of local walks, lots have information huts etc...... we have even stopped on some that do book shops, dvd loans etc..... They do vary of course.
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We almost never use the sites book, we look on the main website and use the App, so to us it is useful if the prices on the website are updated. We always ask for confirmation of price if it is not fully up to date, ask if a deposit is required, and only enquire with one CL in the area at a time.
We do expect that if an e mail Is given, it will be monitored and a reply sent, but do allow a couple of days for that to happen. Depending on how keen we are on a particular CL, we may then try phoning, or we may just move on to our second choice.
I am aware that we may not be typical, but it is good to remember that not everyone has calls included on their landline, or has a mobile phone contract, so phoning can work out expensive.
We have a landline for internet, and to receive calls, but make few outward calls so have no calling plan. We have only a small family in UK, and keep in touch on line, so we have PAYG mobiles which we use when necessary for making calls.
If we make a booking, unless there has been a big problem, we always turn up, and if we cannot, we would always make contact......why would anyone not do so, are people really so inconsiderate these days?
Having read about what is happening on the NC500, about fly tipping, about people not wearing face coverings when they should, it would seem that many just do not care about others.....very sad.
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I've been wasting my time this week phoning CL owners who turn out to be adding lots of extras which aren't listed - the worst one was an owner who would have charged £5 per night extra for each of my teenage daughters - adding £100 to a 10-night holiday - despite nothing being listed on the website under "extras". Surely it's in their interests as well as members to be upfront with charges on the website? This seems to be a recent issue. Please could the Club have some mechanism for ensuring that charges are up to date on the website?
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Thanks for your input from" the other side". Great to hear that you do email replies to bookings and I agree with your policy of deleting emails from people but suggest say 36 hours as not everyone can get instant emails.
As a user i would not expect a booking to be held until i have received a reply about availability and then made a confirmation of the booking i want. At this time i would also expect to make a payement. Suggest that you request this and people can easily pay direct into a bank account now. When i had a holiday business i always told people that they had 48 hours to pay a deposit once they confirmed a booking and full payment 6 weeks before. This focused people and ensured i was not messed around loosing customers and money.
Unlike some it appears i have always thought (and done) replies to everyone thanking them. Some times i have been slow but always reply.
Keeping a site for someone who does not turn up also ruins it for the rest of us that then could have used the booking slot
Ref your feees updating by the club being 2.5 years. Does the club not change the online system for CL's that everyone can see? Either via the main web site or the app? If this is not done within a month for something that should simply be a couple of clicks on their computer system then you should complain.
Yes some people now are using an incredible amount of electricty but there are many of us out there that want to keep our costs down and go offgrid. Can you offer the option of no hook up and a lower price should you find your bookings are down?
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The idea that the web site can't be revised as and when the changes are requested by the CL owners is out of step with the progressive membership fee we members pay. If we are having a web site listing CL's lets have it done properly please. Filters are needed by the members, so why cant the club provide this? When will the club come out of the dark ages with these facilities?
Is it simply due to the lack of cash income from CL's which creates the lack of enthusiasm from the club to do these things? What are we paying our embership fees for?
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Getting the price in writing via e mail is a good idea. A few years ago I got a price from a CL at Fareham. When I got there he wanted more and denied saying the price he quoted on the phone. The price he quoted on the phone was the price in the book
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I note you chose to pick up on one the points made by KjellNN, namely the price aspect yet Kj's post also said that no recent review would mean no visit from him.
On the "1932" thread on CLs you mentioned a CL that you recommended, namely Whinneyknowe, yet you haven't left any review of your stay there. Why not? By not leaving a review you could be affecting a members choice of whether they stay or not. You only seem to want to leave poor reviews. Why is that? Doesn't seem fair to me.
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OK folks, so what is the best way to get back to basics?
1) pick a site (CL) in an area you wish to be in.
2) view it on Google maps, and think about what you see.
3) most important of all - ring the owner and chat to them asking any questions that you think pertinent.
I have done that for a few years and have not been disappointed yet.
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hello , the info of this CL site (5 van site) is up to date
www.DrakeHouseCaravanSite.co.uk
near clitheroe Lancashire
Adult only, serviced pitches and well spaced out
toilet and shower open
free wi fi
we are only taking bookings one month ahead, This means we are now taking bookings for September 2020
please ring 01200 425494 (please leave a message) or email ann@drakehousecaravansite.co.uk
you will have quick response
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As a CL owner I can provide some feedback on this - our listing has some photos and they are not as up to date as I would like but its not easy to get it changed as the club need to do it.
Having said that the club listing has a link to our own website which also links to our Facebook page. Its so much easier for me to upload information to Facebook which also feeds directly into our website.
In addition I can also have an instant conversation via Facebook with the member which is becoming more and more frequent or people can make direct contact via our website. Most of our bookings come from an enquiry on our own website although some people prefer to phone which is fine.
Nowadays people tend to leave reviews on Google and Facebook as its much easier for them as well. Although we are fully booked most of the time we don't get many reviews on the club site
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Frankly, Stuh, I like many others don't use FB so your efforts in that direction fall on deaf ears as far as we are concerned.
I notice you keep putting your FB link in your posts. Why not link to your page on this site, or your own website? You are limiting your audience.
I'm not likely to be one of your customers as I live too close but, if I'm looking for a site and only see FB details, I move on to something else.
So, forget being solely FB on here and make the info easy to find for everyone 👍
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Hi Tim, i am actually trying to expand my audience - I don't always put the facebook link but I have just done it recently and it appears to product better results!
We also have the club web page and our own website so I have done by best to make it accessible to everyone no matter what the preference is
There is no right and wrong way of doing things but please bear in mind that you don't have to be a Facebook member to view the page.
I was trying to address the point about obtaining up to date information on this thread
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Actually, It's Tin but no matter.
I understand what you’re saying, Stuh, but my point was that it's better to make it easy for everyone. Can I read the FB page without registering? See, I just dismissed it out of hand without checking.
It matters not to me what you do but, for your own sake I’d have thought the wider the audience you reach out to with ease of contact, the better it’ll be for your business. Your choice, obviously.🤷🏻♂️
PS. I like your website.
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I think having a Facebook page for a CL is a sensible way going forward. They are easy the set up and you don't have the maintenance and costs associated with a www webpage. I would still encourage CL owners to go down that route to make sure their Club page is kept up to date. Although you don't have many reviews on the Club webpage they are all very positive. Perhaps you need to encourage your guests to submit a review to the Club's webpage?
David
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I too dont use facebook. I rely on the club site for up to date info about CLs. What disappoints me is that too many users of sites only review if bad review. I try and review every site we visit. We can all add some extra info that might be helpful to another potential visitor e.g. availability of hard standings, position of water tap, grey water facilities, softness of ground. Maybe if more of us put that sort of info into reviews, more owners would realise this is the sort of stuff we need to know.
I am surprised that the Club doesnt have some sort of proforma for CL owners that includes all these things. Obviously wouldnt stop the owner adding there own info about what they perceive to be their own USP.
A poster way up the thread wondered if the Club really understood how many members belong to the Club because of the CL network. I certainly dont think the Club apparently does much to promote & assist CLs. The odd article or reference in a report on an area in teh magazine doesnt really amount to promotion.
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They are easy the set up and you don't have the maintenance and costs associated with a www webpage.
There are free website builders that are easy to use, free and only maintenance is to update attached files such as to update charges or add more detail etc using associated documents which when changes automatically update the web pages.
I am no whizz kid but this one below took me an afternoon about 15 years ago using Google who are now offering an updated free product.
https://sites.google.com/site/friendsnearby/home
When I look for a CL in an area I don't use the CMC site at all initially. I type a city or post code of where I wish to be into Google Maps and search for a CL. Those that show a website I checkout, those that don't I am unlikely to investigate.
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Unfortunately many people, particularly those in the younger age groups (probably 60 and lower!) now don't want to navigate through a website and they find Facebook much easier. This especially true for those that prefer to navigate using a smartphone. Also a Facebook page gives the CL a professional appearance which is familiar to most. Some CL's do have their own (proper) websites, many of them have been going for years. But I can't help thinking that those with the conventional websites would they do the same now if they were just starting out?
David
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