One Less Member

[blondchaser]

My CC membership was due for renewal today----but i haven't.

Had issues with the CC for a while now and none of them resolved satisfactorily.

Last straw---Phoned a site today AT 11am in HIGH SEASON to book in for next week. No reply but advised to phone central reservations---tried this but had to hang on and on and on.

Eventually some wally answered and was hell bent on asking questions rather than answering a simple question regards availability.

Apparently, if a site receives a cancellation and doesn't put it on computer immediately, then this breaks their system .

Regards phone not being answered---at this time of year with school holidays etc you may think it prudent for caravan site offices to be manned 8-10hrs / day in high season. I'm sure that there are many teen age scholars that would jump at the chance of earning a few quid a week to answer phones or otherwise assist on a caravan site.

 

CC haven't a clue as to the meaning of SERVICE.

[fredsautos]

So they were too busy to answer the phone when you rang was enough to leave the club? You stated yourself it was in the middle of high season of course they are busy!

[DerbyClubman]

Calling a site at that time of day will often result in no immediate reply as the staff are out on their cleaning duties - the toilets won't clean themselves and the bins need emptying . . . . however that doesn't excuse the response you got from the central office.

 

What about booking on-line - in seven years of membership resulting in using about 30 sites, I have never spoken to anyone about a booking - it's all been automated using the website which also has a 'late availability' section which covers the next three weekends showing exactly how many pitches are available and where.

[Doosan]

Calling a site at that time of day will often result in no immediate reply as the staff are out on their cleaning duties - the toilets won't clean themselves and the bins need emptying . . . . however that doesn't excuse the response you got from the central office.

 

What about booking on-line - in seven years of membership resulting in using about 30 sites, I have never spoken to anyone about a booking - it's all been automated using the website which also has a 'late availability' section which covers the next three weekends showing exactly how many pitches are available and where.

[Wozerp]

Personally, that would make me want to leave the club, after all it is very much par for course these days which ever orgaisation you call isn't it?

 

I found it's usefull to keep trying, and just because the on-line system says a site is full, doesn't actually mean it is. It's always worth checking direct with the site. We're off to Buxton in a couple of weeks including the B/H weekend - on-line said site full that weekend, but I called them and got a booking!

[sunshinetours]

As said why didn't you log in like you do here and book online?

 

Still I am sure you now feel better for the rant and saving of £42 pa

 

We simply use the CC for what we need which is CL's and some rallies and also use the overseas booking at times when its cheaper

[CommanderDave]

I always book on line as it shows whats available and when . Must admit I book CC less and Less now as I find it cheaper on other sites with offers like extra nights free but insurance is good so keep membership .

 

 

Dave

Edited August 1, 2014 by CommanderDave

[Paul_B]

We've just phoned to book a club site for the bank holiday but we phoned in the afternoon, the wardens are usually close to the office after lunch ready for the new arrivals

[Johnaldo]

I always book on line as it shows whats available and when.

 

Dave,

That's not necessarily the case . .. 3 times this year the on-line system has shown a site to be full, wheras a 'phone call to the site warden has obtained a booking.

John

[DerbyClubman]

 

Dave,

That's not necessarily the case . .. 3 times this year the on-line system has shown a site to be full, wheras a 'phone call to the site warden has obtained a booking.

John

 

This has been mentioned in previous similar topics and I seem to recall that the general consensus is that there's about 10% not allocated to cover those who want to stay an extra day or turn up unannounced and I agree that in these circumstances it would need a phone call to check. It may be that the weather affects the number of pitches available as sometimes grass areas may be too waterlogged to use and so they could have been taken off the online system.

[Steamdrivenandy]

 

Dave,

That's not necessarily the case . .. 3 times this year the on-line system has shown a site to be full, wheras a 'phone call to the site warden has obtained a booking.

John

 

It depends on the site.

 

Some have more capability to increase the number of pitches more than others. We were at one early in the season and watched over several days as the warden added pitches in the run up to a bank holiday. Presumably the wardens have to specify how many pitches are 'in action' on the website and some may be 'kept back' for all sorts of reasons like ground maintenance, waterlogging etc. However if it's an all hardstanding site then I assume the full number are always available.

 

We've always booked online and never phoned a CC site, partly because I know how busy site offices can get and how frustrating it can be hanging around a site office waiting for a warden to get off the phone. Overall I don't think you get any better access through phoning the site. Think about it. If the CC allowed wardens to 'keep back' pitches for those that phone, then people would abandon website booking and clog up the site phone lines. That's sort of self defeating.

[LongTimeCaravaner]

Personally I would rather not get a reply on the telephone and have to ring back later than be answered by a student there for a couple of months who hadn't got a clue what he was talking about.

[Glen and Les]

Just on the staffing side of things, we have just returned from Troutbeck Head and, apart from the usual recruitment poster for assistant wardens, there was a separate poster specifically asking for volunteers to assist around the site. Not sure how the CC's insurance covers this though.

 

The wardens were very busy, even painting white lines and signs on the road network around the site. One lady warden seemed to be sat in the middle of the road for ages painting the lines - I'm glad I didn't volunteer to do that, I'd have never got back up on my feet!

[Llew]

We've just phoned to book a club site for the bank holiday but we phoned in the afternoon, the wardens are usually close to the office after lunch ready for the new arrivals

I don't believe you, new arrivals actually turning up at the right time? It's never been heard of.

[Steamdrivenandy]

Back last year we were staying at Burford CC site and had a van problem which necessitated visiting the site office quite often.

 

The site has an earliest check-in time of 12 midday, but vans were turning up from 10am onwards on a regular basis. Whilst chatting to the wardens I mentioned that the arrivals were very early and they said that it wasn't really a problem for them as the site entrance was a big dual entry and right on the road. If they refused entry they'd soon have a queue out onto the main road and in any case it was a busy day for bookings so the early arrivals reduced the possibility of queues later.

 

I could see the sense in all that but two thoughts crossed my mind - one was where on earth had people come from to be able to arrive at 10am and the second was that all the people who purposely arrived after midday and obeyed the rules were potentially disadvantaged for choice of pitch.

[Llew]

It is becoming a joke with the times that people arrive. I've even witnessed people turn up at 9pm in the late night arrivals area, even though they are not booked in until the following day.

They are first in then in the morning.

 

If the wardens stuck to not letting people in until the stated time, this would soon stop. In fact the only site I've ever seen the warden refuse to let people onto site until the correct time was Pandy CC site in Abergavenny.

People started turning up one day from 10am, the warden made them all wait and did not start booking people in until bang on 12pm. By this time there were about 12 units all waiting, and when they started moaning to the warden, he just turned to them and said "you all know what time to arrive so tough". The looks on their faces was priceless.

[Steamdrivenandy]

I've seen queues just before the 1pm start of booking in time at Houghton Mill CC site.

 

On the day we arrived it was about 1. 30 and we were fifth or sixth rig in a queue.

 

I assume the warden keeps them waiting 'til 1pm and the queue didn't dissipate 'til 2ish.

[IainM1970]

My CC membership was due for renewal today----but i haven't.

Had issues with the CC for a while now and none of them resolved satisfactorily.

Last straw---Phoned a site today AT 11am in HIGH SEASON to book in for next week. No reply but advised to phone central reservations---tried this but had to hang on and on and on.

Eventually some wally answered and was hell bent on asking questions rather than answering a simple question regards availability.

Apparently, if a site receives a cancellation and doesn't put it on computer immediately, then this breaks their system .

Regards phone not being answered---at this time of year with school holidays etc you may think it prudent for caravan site offices to be manned 8-10hrs / day in high season. I'm sure that there are many teen age scholars that would jump at the chance of earning a few quid a week to answer phones or otherwise assist on a caravan site.

 

CC haven't a clue as to the meaning of SERVICE.

 

Was it a single couple site? If so then the wardens were probably out cleaning the loos at that time . .... this would certainly be the case at Balbirnie, Silverbank, Forfar etc.

 

Hardly a reason for leaving the club IMHO. But we all have different ideas . ....!

[Alansl]

So they were too busy to answer the phone when you rang was enough to leave the club? You stated yourself it was in the middle of high season of course they are busy!

 

 

As said why didn't you log in like you do here and book online?

 

Still I am sure you now feel better for the rant and saving of £42 pa

 

We simply use the CC for what we need which is CL's and some rallies and also use the overseas booking at times when its cheaper

 

 

 

Was it a single couple site? If so then the wardens were probably out cleaning the loos at that time . .... this would certainly be the case at Balbirnie, Silverbank, Forfar etc.

 

Hardly a reason for leaving the club IMHO. But we all have different ideas . ....!

 

I'm Glad I'm not going daft. What a silly topic.

[LongTimeCaravaner]

We left the C and CC site at Wolverley this morning at 8. 50am and there were two caravans on the entrance road waiting to go in. Could be late arrivals I suppose.

[Phil O]

My CC membership was due for renewal today----but i haven't.

Had issues with the CC for a while now and none of them resolved satisfactorily.

Last straw---Phoned a site today AT 11am in HIGH SEASON to book in for next week. No reply but advised to phone central reservations---tried this but had to hang on and on and on.

Eventually some wally answered and was hell bent on asking questions rather than answering a simple question regards availability.

Apparently, if a site receives a cancellation and doesn't put it on computer immediately, then this breaks their system .

Regards phone not being answered---at this time of year with school holidays etc you may think it prudent for caravan site offices to be manned 8-10hrs / day in high season. I'm sure that there are many teen age scholars that would jump at the chance of earning a few quid a week to answer phones or otherwise assist on a caravan site.

 

CC haven't a clue as to the meaning of SERVICE.

More chance for me to get a booking thanks.

 

If you've ever been to a CC site you'll note that in many cases the office is not manned between 10:30 & midday, they will be preparing the site for your arrival, this entails cleaning the toilet and shower blocks, the disabled facilities, the laundry, family room, dish washing areas and play areas also emptying the bins and cleaning the waste and fresh water areas, after or during this time (multi warden sites) they will be cutting the grass/trees/hedges around whatever empty pitches are vacant thankfully from folk leaving early or on time and not requesting late checkout, then they will be taking meter readings, performance checks on machinery, ordering fuel, weekly checks, monthly checks and annual checks, making sure health and safety around the site is as it should be, the list goes on and on, as you say it's the school holidays and the busiest times for sites around the country, they (the staff) need a bit of slack from folk like yourselves who think the club is run just for you. Goodbye.

You are so out of touch with how the CC operates, have you ever done as I have and spent a while chatting to the staff? You could've learned such a lot and realised how wrong your opening statement is.

[Easy T]

at this time of year with school holidays etc you may think it prudent for caravan site offices to be manned 8-10hrs / day in high season. I'm sure that there are many teen age scholars that would jump at the chance of earning a few quid a week to answer phones or otherwise assist on a caravan site.

 

CC haven't a clue as to the meaning of SERVICE.

I was about to reply then realised that it was pointless.

[Seaman]

More chance for me to get a booking thanks.

 

If you've ever been to a CC site you'll note that in many cases the office is not manned between 10:30 & midday, they will be preparing the site for your arrival, this entails cleaning the toilet and shower blocks, the disabled facilities, the laundry, family room, dish washing areas and play areas also emptying the bins and cleaning the waste and fresh water areas, after or during this time (multi warden sites) they will be cutting the grass/trees/hedges around whatever empty pitches are vacant thankfully from folk leaving early or on time and not requesting late checkout, then they will be taking meter readings, performance checks on machinery, ordering fuel, weekly checks, monthly checks and annual checks, making sure health and safety around the site is as it should be, the list goes on and on, as you say it's the school holidays and the busiest times for sites around the country, they (the staff) need a bit of slack from folk like yourselves who think the club is run just for you. Goodbye.

You are so out of touch with how the CC operates, have you ever done as I have and spent a while chatting to the staff? You could've learned such a lot and realised how wrong your opening statement is.

Good post Phil, my thoughts also!!!

 

David

[Guest Rita]

I was about to reply then realised that it was pointless.

 

[screenman]

"Just employ another person", sorry but you have no idea of the costs involved in doing that. Or you are happy unlike most to start paying more for our pitch.