finding directions to club sites and reviews

kevone
kevone Forum Participant Posts: 5
edited March 2023 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

The new website does not seem to let you find specific directions to sites and reviews if you search through the UK Club sites drop down.

Wanting this for a specific site I did receive good help from head office and this is still available, but just not linked to the booking search.  You need to type the name of the site into the search bar at the very top of the page and then you can find what used to be available when you looked at sites and where deciding whether or not to book.

The head office member of staff had not realised this and did promise to pass the issue on to the IT section.

This is, though, frustrating and also might be an issue for anyone not even realising that reviews and specific site route information is buried away on the website.

This really is something that needs to be resolved in order to improve the booking and search experience.

Comments

  • Hja
    Hja Club Member Posts: 850 ✭✭
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    edited March 2023 #2

    Yes you are completely correct. The absence of understanding of the issue by hq staff just goes to show how disconnected the various parts of the club are. This is an issue that has been raised on this forum, other forums, and direct to the Club via the email link for booking concerns.  But it still hasn’t been resolved.

  • dunelm
    dunelm Forum Participant Posts: 373
    edited March 2023 #3

    Don't you have a sites handbook?

    There are clear directions to sites in there. 

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,302 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2023 #4

    They did recently add a link to CL pages on the new system that takes you to the old web pages. However, it is not even listed as a thing to do for the sites on the next in our list of key improvements. It’s such an obvious omission. Although there is a link in the see you soon email, which we at least get about a week before.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,302 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2023 #5

    Ours stays on the bookshelf all year. So not a lot of help when away.😉 I can access the information online, but only because I am aware of how to do so. There should be a clear link on the site page. It would be so easy to do.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited March 2023 #6

    ... The head office member of staff had not realised this and did promise to pass the issue on to the IT section.

    The club has an IT section ..... ????? 🤣🤣

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,829 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2023 #7

    I don’t find it “frustrating” to type the name of a Club site into the search bar at the top of the website and I am surprised that others might. It seems no more difficult to me than typing the name of an independent site into Google to get information. That isn’t  frustrating to me either. Are some people easily frustrated?

     

     

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,857 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2023 #9

    If you type the the name of the site in the search box at the top of the page it will take you to the original site information page, then just scroll down and click on map which will show the instructions and map for that site.

    Whilst on the site page, top right you can go to the reviews for that site.

    Hope that helps. Clearly the the new system has not yet been fully developed to incorporate the two lots of information you want so for the time being you have to depend on the original site pages. I check the reviews most days and plenty of people are leaving reviews.

    David

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,383
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    edited March 2023 #10

    This really is something that needs to be resolved in order to improve the booking and search experience.

    They were alerted to the fact directions were missing almost from day one of the introduction of the new system yet 6 months later ba has happened.

    peedee

     

  • wedgy
    wedgy Club Member Posts: 429 ✭✭✭
    edited March 2023 #11

    Six months on and they still can't add a link on the site details page saying " local site directions" 

    The original Web page still requires knowledge that you have to open maps to see directions !

    As previously stated any new members would never know it existed and without the details given could end up in serious trouble. 

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2023 #12

    As well as the missing link to site directions etc there is also missing the all important " before you travel" link. This could mean a site is booked and deposit paid before important details are found eg building works at Cayton,  restaurant partly open at Knaresborough, emission zones etc. It's too late when this is found on the booking details.

    I'd be glad to be proved wrong on this if I've missed something.

  • dunelm
    dunelm Forum Participant Posts: 373
    edited March 2023 #13

    I understand that we all have our own way of doing things.

    I actually find it useful to have a book with printed instructions which I am easily able to take with me. As the Club provides the book, I am happy to use it. I wouldn't like to be without it, especially as I don't have a smart phone and don't always have a laptop with me when travelling.

    Often when  at home and looking at or booking sites on-line I also have the book to hand. I know that some people would find that unnecessary and cumbersome but it suits me.

  • Hja
    Hja Club Member Posts: 850 ✭✭
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    edited March 2023 #14

    We also take the book with us, dunelm.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2023 #15

    We do too, both club books sit in the front cab, both used for final directions. Satnav not recommended for some approaches and phones not totally reliable.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,302 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2023 #16

    phones not totally reliable.

    Well they are fairly reliable if you take a screen grab of the direction info ahead of time. Then unless you’ve let the battery go flat it can be used offline, on phone or pad. You can also have the text any size you want by enlarging the image, it’s not particularly large in the SD. However, my preferred technique is to programme the sat nav ahead of time, using way points, to force it to follow the clubs route for final approach. I also familiarise myself with that approach on street view.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,302 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2023 #17

    This year I’ve also started using a brilliant new programme called Freeform, that came with the OS update on my pad and phone. It’s akin to a white board in that you can add post it’s, screen grabs from Google of maps and street view pictures, downloaded bus time tables, places to visit etc. All can be used offline. In relation to the OP I’ve put all the info for approaching the sites we are going to visit on it and can easily review the night before, even if no internet connection.

  • wedgy
    wedgy Club Member Posts: 429 ✭✭✭
    edited March 2023 #18

    I do exactly the same when planning a route to sites.

    I found a great tip for bus timetables - if you zoom in on Google maps to show a bus stop symbol and click on that it opens up the appropriate timetable 👍

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2023 #19

    Steve, this may be ok for you but I'd go with the mountain rescue teams who say never to rely on your phone....I know sites aren't generally in remote locations but some probably qualify and so do CLs (having stayed on CLs with no phone reception.) Generally a map and a book are the most reliable. Not all are savvy with mapping etc on their phones.

    Anyway we all find our own way of getting to places and lets hope the club adds directions to the booking system sooner rather than later. smile