Not moving with the times

Del Sandy replied on 21/08/2020 12:37

Del Sandy

Caravanner from Berkshire

Posted on 21/08/2020 12:37

This club could be fantastic, if only it was to listen to its members, some reasons below;

1. Very slow website, cannot find a website as slow as this one, even ones you do not have to pay for!

2. Inability to search for fully serviced pitches (perhaps because they do not have many)

3. Being superseded by free forums such as Adults only caravan sites on Facebook

4. Wasting money, why does the club not ask all members if they need a magazine, I would have been happy to have an electronic version, also helping the environment

5. With all my posts asking for reasons for these issues not being addressed and approaching the site directly no action has been taken, or even reasons why they cannot

I have enjoyed the discussions on the site and interestingly my concerns have been covered several times by others. Note the times I go on the website has to be on off peak times due to the slow website.

It is sad that I will not be renewing my membership, as I do not intend to pay for membership where there is no official feedback from the club when issues are raised.

Hopefully I will rejoin when basic issues are sorted out.

Kind Regards

Derek

9 people like this

305 replies

brue replied on 30/08/2020 15:05

Member

brue

Motorhomer

Posted on 30/08/2020 12:45 by DavidKlyne

Brue

I think force of circumstances has made the Club take notice of Facebook. As you will know the Club were very late in coming to Facebook. I find it interesting the resources they give it compared to here. Whether we like it or not there are an increasing number of members who will use Facebook over a forum/website like this. They would prefer to use the App rather than the main website. You only have to look at those Facebook forums dealing with CMC members, the daily post count must be ten times or greater than the posts on here. You will rarely be able to convince a regular Facebook poster that this type of forum is better. One thing I notice is that if I post a link to my website on Facebook I get so many extra hits where as if i post on here or on other such forums the post count hardly moves.

David

Posted on 30/08/2020 15:05

David I wasn't saying the CT format was better I was pointing out that the success of CAMC on FB was dependent on fully functioning links to the CAMC web site. At present the web site doesn't get updated promptly or efficiently. FB doesn't operate the club, it's just a social mouthpiece with links to the club where the business of booking and finding further information etc takes place. When a link leads to a muddle, a blank or server error or out of date information this is where the club are not "moving with the times." No amount of FB time is going improve the main web site experience at present.

As for the demographics of the club, which others have mentioned, the UK population is ageing and the "grey" pound is important to many businesses. In some ways the club is lucky that van ownership is something people can continue with for a reasonable period of time...? (Well I gave up ice skating quite a while ago!)🤸

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eddie11 replied on 30/08/2020 15:11

Member

eddie11

Posted on 29/08/2020 23:29 by Phishing

Eddie, I will start by saying I value the club and what it does but it has real issues that need addressing.

You say the membership is diverse, it really is no not. I would suggest the membership is predominantly older, white, and economically A,B, or C1s. I would be interested in any stats or initiatives from the club on diversity but I dont think this is available. It should be a key policy for a corporate body of this size.

I totally agree the club is about provision of leisure time opportunities and that when on site things are splendid.

The main issue and the core to the OPs post is that the world has changed. This is not the club of old, it is huge commercial enterprise fighting for survival in a shark pool.

The rules have changed, everything has to be fast, automated, information led, and on trend. If they dont get better they will find themselves with a product that people dont want and a platform that nobody wants to use.

What benchmarking do they do on current trends in the commercials?

How do they monitor and adapt to counter the many new platforms now available?

Have they identified the megatrends driving the industry?

If you just keep asking the current members if everything is OK then they will never change and when their current members are no more then what?

Posted on 30/08/2020 15:11

I am so pleased you have enjoyed your holidays with the Club and hope you continue to do so.

I am not going to pull the trick of asking you to quote references and sources for your take on the demographic . I have only to look around to see that, on Club sites, the Caravans, indeed "outfits" suggest that many, possibly most, members, are not short of a bob or two. So I would pretty much agree. I have also noted that on a number of Club sites there have been modernized yet ancient campervans, some using a stack of breeze blocks as levellers. It would be easy to assume that the occupants of the motorhome were low income.

Assume. That's the point. My own caravan is much loved, fully functioning - and yet ancient. The thing that pulls it is indescribably old. And yet I have a reasonable income. I choose not to spend that on a new outfit. Perhaps it even gets sniggered at on arrival. Who knows.

I too regret the demise of ( one other poster responded to critics of the OP ) FHW and Woolworths, whose digital offer was not up to par. That does not make me or people who appear to be like me out of touch. Perhaps we have seen how rushing too far too fast in one direction can have consequences. Possible example : take John Lewis : no matter how good the digital offer was, ( and it was ) no matter how up to speed they were (even before these strange times) they were already on the slide.

They were fast, information led , and, as you say the market now demands, on trend. Hysterically on trend at times. I am sure their grasp of - or access to - marketing expertise outclassed the Club many times over.

I can see there is a valid argument here. Perhaps the Club isn't listening. Let's just make sure they listen to everyone. I can see there is a need for change. Always is. Just tempered with caution. And lots of it. We don't want to lose a good thing.

SeasideBill replied on 30/08/2020 15:30

Member

SeasideBill

Motorhomer

Posted on 30/08/2020 15:30

CMC membership is a bit like buying your underpants from M&S. You know exactly what you’ll get; they won’t be particularly cheap, the quality will reasonable but they’ll be a bit dull and conventional. To continue the metaphor, that’s the essence of the M&S brand resulting in a constant struggle to maintain its market position even with a good digital platform.

2 people like this

yellowbelly replied on 30/08/2020 15:38

Member

yellowbelly

Caravanner

Posted on 30/08/2020 15:38

I read lots of references to diversity and the Club in this thread. The problem isn't the Club's, it's caravan and motorhome ownership in general. Have people not been to a show at the NEC? Plenty of disabled in attendance but people of colour almost completely absent.

Given the financial burdens facing today's 20-30 year olds, buying a caravan or motorhome will be a long way down their list of priorities.

Rufs replied on 30/08/2020 17:46

Member

Rufs

Caravanner from Hampshire

Posted on 30/08/2020 17:46

Page 22 of the Sept Mag "Ring in the New" looks to have some innovative ideas at Cayton Village and Troutbeck Head, not that Cayton Village is somewhere i would like to be, but I could be persuaded to stay at Troutbeck Head Anybody know what a "new premium serviced pitch type is?"

1 person likes this

JVB66 replied on 30/08/2020 18:39

Member

JVB66

Caravanner from Hertfordshire

Posted on 30/08/2020 14:19 by Phishing

Diversity is fairly well defined for many different user cases but I would think the club would benefit from a policy on ensuring diversity and inclusion strategy with respect to Age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and disability.

Curiously I can find a policy statement on the diversity of their workforce (legal requirement) and the diversity of the plant species on campsites but nothing on the membership.

Having diversity and inclusion strategy with external benchmarks ensures the club is reaching all facets of society and thus maximizing its revenue potential by being inclusive.

We may be the most diverse inclusive group in existence catering for the requirements of everybody but I have looked at the club hierarchy and been on sites. I really think they need to consider an initiative in this area or if they have one then make it known.

Posted on 30/08/2020 18:39

In the years we have been members your take on diversity has all been noted on sites by us

SeasideBill replied on 30/08/2020 19:39

Member

SeasideBill

Motorhomer

Posted on 30/08/2020 15:38 by yellowbelly

I read lots of references to diversity and the Club in this thread. The problem isn't the Club's, it's caravan and motorhome ownership in general. Have people not been to a show at the NEC? Plenty of disabled in attendance but people of colour almost completely absent.

Given the financial burdens facing today's 20-30 year olds, buying a caravan or motorhome will be a long way down their list of priorities.

Posted on 30/08/2020 19:39

Agreed, I don’t think the mindset of the average 20-30 year of any colour is concerned in the slightest with buying a caravan - other priorities and definitely not cool. Campervans are the exception, the VW variety, not coachbuilt motorhomes - not cool.

JVB66 replied on 30/08/2020 19:46

Member

JVB66

Caravanner from Hertfordshire

Posted on 30/08/2020 17:46 by Rufs

Page 22 of the Sept Mag "Ring in the New" looks to have some innovative ideas at Cayton Village and Troutbeck Head, not that Cayton Village is somewhere i would like to be, but I could be persuaded to stay at Troutbeck Head Anybody know what a "new premium serviced pitch type is?"

Posted on 30/08/2020 19:46

More expensive than a serviced pitch

SeasideBill replied on 30/08/2020 19:49

Member

SeasideBill

Motorhomer

Posted on 30/08/2020 18:39 by JVB66

In the years we have been members your take on diversity has all been noted on sites by us

Posted on 30/08/2020 19:49

We need to be careful about getting too obsessive about diversity. People are different. Blimey, that’s a surprise! It simply leads to token, tick-box policies that waste everybody’s time, ramps up perceptions of racism and change nothing.

1 person likes this

SeasideBill replied on 30/08/2020 19:57

Member

SeasideBill

Motorhomer

Posted on 30/08/2020 17:46 by Rufs

Page 22 of the Sept Mag "Ring in the New" looks to have some innovative ideas at Cayton Village and Troutbeck Head, not that Cayton Village is somewhere i would like to be, but I could be persuaded to stay at Troutbeck Head Anybody know what a "new premium serviced pitch type is?"

Posted on 30/08/2020 19:57

Whatever it is, I don’t want one. Maybe somebody else tugs the caravan there and sets it up to avoid overly troubling the owner?

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