Two tier membership
I would like to propose a two tier membership to the Club.
The first tier would be full membership has it is now.
The second tier would be the use of CL Sites only.
If you held CL membership only, you could still use other club sites, but you would need to pay a nominal fee. This level would be ideal for those of us that only use CL sites and do not wish to use the larger sites that are now becoming more like commercial site.
Please discuss.
Thanks Stuart
Comments
-
Ok what figures do you have in mind stu?
0 -
I don't really see the point. Membership is currently £56 a year, I think, so just over £1 a week.
What would you drop it to? £30? Is £26 a year, or 50p a week, really going to make a big difference?
And what about other benefits of membership, such a reduced prices at Blacks and Costwold? I get back the price of membership each year at those shops alone.
I can understand you feeling a little short changed if you only use CL's, but the Club do vett those sites, the cost of which comes from Club coffers, to which membership fee's contribute.
Besides, given the current debacle over the new booking system, i doubt that the system could cope!
3 -
I don’t see anything to discuss, Stu, because CAMC is in the business of selling pitch nights to keep the sites solvent so I can’t see them being willing to give cheapo membership to people who won’t use club sites.
Have you considered something like Britstops?
0 -
I think what you're getting at is that if membership fees are reduced for some people, they will need to be increased for others to compensate for loss of revenue.
I'm afraid it’s another suggestion which takes no account of the overall effect but concentrates on 'the pound in my pocket'.
1 -
I am going to be controversial here. If a two tier membership were introduce (which it won't be) surely the discount should go to the members that use main Club sites? I base this on a financial argument. As I understand it the Club facilitate CL's rather than make any money out of them, with the possible exception of CL memberships fees. So a maximum income of say £100,000 or thereabouts a year. How does that stack up cost wise against the inspection teams, publicity created by printed matter and social media, publishing details of new and closed CL's etc. I don't know how many personal that might involve but clearly £100,000 wouldn't turn a profit. There would also be a loss of income from people on a reduced sub which would have to be recovered elsewhere depending on how many chose the reduced fee? As someone who uses quite a few Club sites, but not exclusively I contribute quite a lot to Club coffers, if I use a CL it might benefit me as I get lower site fees but how does it benefit the Club? An interesting academic discussion but I am not sure I see the benefit to the Club and probably a largish proportion of its members?
David
6 -
An interesting viewpoint, David, and I can see where you’re coming from. It’s not a million miles away from the fact that two tier membership would be bound to result in some members subsidising others via whatever budgetary and costing measures would need to be applied.
1 -
Why a two tier membership system? When you join a club you know how much the membership is and what services are provided. You also have a very good idea of those you may use and those you may not and that is how you made your decision on if you want to join or not. The club offers many things that I'm not interested in, but some I do, and I'm sure many of you are in the same situation.
Colin
6 -
Nail on head, EM. The club is what it is. We either accept the package or not. What we don’t do is try to reinvent the wheel.
1 -
+1
The prices and benefits are fully known before paying.
0 -
Another way of looking at it is that by being members and paying the membership fees it gives us access to all the CLs within the CAMC. To me that is worth £56 a year, as what we've paid to stay on CLs during a period of 12 months (we tour all year round) has saved well over that £56. One example was a CL on the Gower, cost was about £7 less than the CAMC site; we stayed 8 nights, so just that stay alone was equivalent to our membership fees. As we've used CLs a lot during each membership year, we've certainly saved quite a bit more than we've paid in membership fees.
2 -
Businesses need continuous improvement, innovation, and change. These are essential to enhance their offerings to retain extant customers and attract new. Stagnation is just a way to a slow death. CAMC tries but does not appear to succeed too well and definitely suffers from a number of serious business illnesses including an overt inability to openly admit its errors.
1 -
As a person who has no axe to grind nor affiliation I think it’s a non starter purely due to ‘loss of income’ for C&MC. The CL enthusiasts gain pennies over the membership year but C&MC lose a lot over the financial year. The C&MC is not in the business to empty coffers. It will struggle enough over the coming years without trying to hurt itself🤷🏻♂️🙁
1 -
I assume the reduction (whoever it went to and I favour those using club sites - but as said neither will happen) would also include a reduction in the benefits in terms of member's offers?
0 -
With all due respect to the OP, I don't even think the subject is worth debating. What are we talking about for a full year's membership - quarter of a tank of diesel (in my case), a new water pump for the van - a meal out for two (at today's prices!!). The "half" membership saving would be even less than that.
Whilst not this club, we joined the C&CC, originally, just to use one particular CS we had found and I was quite happy with that - so I struggle to understand what all the fuss is about.
1 -
I would be happy with a digital membership 👍
The monthly club magazine is flicked through and binned the day it arrives - digital would save postage and printing costs which could be passed on to members who opt for this 😎
1 -
The club magazine in my opinion is not worth having in its present form ,and to employ a motoring journalist?who had not towed and needed to take a towing course for a club magazine that was for a large part for caravan owners , really showed how things have deterated in many aspects of this clubs ethos
3 -
Exactly what I did, Meth. No longer do they pile up unopened waiting to go in the recycle bin and if I ever feel the need to read one, I can do it online.
0 -
Whilst I accept the magazine is no more than a breakfast read I would question the savings you suggest. Whilst there would be a saving on postage and printing the magazine, as I understand it is probably cost neutral due to the advertising. Will advertisers be so keen if the magazine was only online? That suggests the real savings from a digital membership would be quite small. Clearly the Club are moving down the digital route because we understand they want the Site Directory to be non paper (eventually). No doubt they will be encouraging us towards the digital magazine anyway? We are encouraged to have our membership cards on the App rather than paper versions. Although it did cross my mind that with a more widespread use of ANPR whether membership cards will be needed in future but I digress? So perhaps the Club are factoring in these cost savings and see no need to introduce a cheaper membership fee?
David
0 -
Timbo, I love your last paragraph. It could be a mantra for the whole of the UK and how it’s organised at the moment.👍
4 -
Oh, you're such a cynic DD!
£56 pa is a drop in the ocean for most people in order to access what many consider, me included, the best caravanning club in the UK. Not all the benefits are worth having, but many are. Its the same in all walks of life
Sure, its got its problems, but they pale into insignificance when pitched up on wonderful sites like Rookesbury and Malvern...which is where we are heading from next Wednesday.
I'll be sitting outside my caravan at Malvern, looking at the scruffy C&CC site opposite and writing out my cheque for next years membership.
I'm more than happy take it, with all its faults.
2 -
I for one would rather be on the "scruffy" site opposite than the oh so regimented CC one, but each to their own.
5 -
Our first C&CC site was that "scruffy site opposite " ... we were quite happy with it ... lovely facilities block & not a peg in sight. We had a walk around the CC site ... as you would ... and could see nothing that was any better than where we were.
1
