You you have listened to our members

In her post in the other thread, Ro said:

"However if you do want to send any feedback on Club pricing please contact the Club directly as we always appreciate feedback from members"

That's the way to do it - by contacting the club directly rather than posting on the forum.👍🏻

Over the last few years the Club have run quite a few surveys and sent out questionnaires after you have stayed at a site. Now whether the information gathered from members has been used to meet member demands or whether it has just reinforced what the management of the Club feel they need to do is difficult to say? Many complained that there was never any availability and it was impossible to book a complete week and very difficult to book a weekend. Some members even suggested deposits as the answer. The Club introduced a new booking system that allowed deposits and had it not been for Covid they would have been introduce sooner. The trouble is that deposits have not been an unqualified success. The Club point out that it has reduced short term cancellations by a massive figure so it seems to have been a success in that regard. But we have gradually seen the deposit percentage reduce from 20% to 5% and clearly the lower figure no real disincentive? From the offers given it seems that a proportion of the membership are unwilling to commit even a small deposit months or even a year ahead because they fear their circumstances will change and this is despite quite generous cancellation terms. AS far as prices are concerned I imagine the Club work on the basis of the site network being in balance each year. If there is a surplus its just ploughed back into the network. Any serious reduction in site prices could have two consequences, either that sites would not be upgraded which would mean them providing less value to the Club and members or those sites that struggle to make ends meet would just close. I think higher prices are here to stay but perhaps will level off and in a year or two won't feel as bad as they do now?

David

I haven't met anyone Perosnally either but there was certainly many threads and posts on here.

Deposits, yes many posts and usually about not being able to book a pitch due to speculative booking, and while some asked for deposits there was certainly a great cry for easing the speculative boking which had some sites booked a year in advance with large numbers cancelling a few days before. Now I think the 'lead time' is about two months and the club has said cancellations are down by 70% (is that correct?), and it's a much better system in my view.

Metering, well again some posts asking for it but I wouldn't worry too much the DG has said this won't be happening until a better easier system can be in place for payments. It will be a while yet.

While the exorbitant pitch price wasn't in any way blocked, where are the many members you talk about? I've just done a very quick count and there were 16 individual posters, of course making more than one post, (page 1 and 6 are not available) so hardly many members when considering the whole membership and those using club sites at the moment. Also it wasn't all one way about prices. There were 7 who though prices were alright, 5 who thought them too much, and 4 posters were neutral or had an opinion nothing to do with prices. As I said a very quick count so don't hold me to those figures but allowing for errors it was evenly balanced.

But the club does listen, it listens to the most important thing, people actually paying and turning up at their sites. This will really do it, not posting on here as flatcoat posted very well. And it has to said as you posted in another thread that you have booked a club site, which may imply you're were at least prepared to pay the price and if you're willing to pay £40 a night then are you not helping to keep prices, as you think, high?

As TW said follow Ro's advice on feedback but in reality wheels on pitches is the ultimate feedback. The sites I've used are doing well this year, in fact it appears to me the higher the price the more campers it has. 

“in fact it appears to me the higher the price the more campers it has.”

Are you suggesting that if the club charged (say) £100 a night all club sites would be packed solid? I’m guessing you would pay it?

Freddy I'm totally at a loss to see where you got from what I posted to suggesting anything, especially something like that? And for some reason you've missed off the start of my sentence which does play an important part and explains it all:

'The sites I've used are doing well this year, in fact it appears to me the higher the price the more campers it has.'

I thought it was clear that based on the sites I've used this year the higher the price the more campers it has, and that is based on current prices as it's this year Freddy not future prices.

But doesn't that mirror what is happening on club sites? Four lower price sites, are closing due to lowering numbers over a few years, while sites at the other end of the pricing scale are doing well. Maybe due to location and/or other factors but their lower prices do not seem to make up for whatever it is.

I didn’t mention future prices, and I’m afraid the whole sentence doesn’t absolve anything, not to me. You said what you said.

As it happens, I too think that club sites are becoming too expensive. Yes, I can afford them, but why should I spend what I consider to be over the odds? It seems that I’m not alone, there have been lots of threads on the issue. There was a time when I would use club sites exclusively, but this year I’ve only stayed at three, Burford, Abbey Wood and Carnon Downs. Of course, what other club members do is up to them, and I certainly wouldn’t criticise their choices, they like what they like, but I’m one of those that have voted with their wheels. Whilst you may have seen full sites, my own observations show a decline, and no, I don’t take pleasure in stating as such. The club (to me) offers much, but prices are becoming an issue, for me at least.

We've booked 28 nights away from the 8th September at 4 different sites, and the average price per night is just under £29.00. If we want to cancel any of them it will cost just a fiver, which is no big deal.

Yes, we've taken advantage of the Autumn discount offer, but I reckon thats a pretty good price.

No doubt there are plenty of people who know of sites that are cheaper, and good for them, but we are also voting with our wheels, and sticking with the CAMC.

Freddy, in your post of 22:33 it is surely you who is speculating about the future, unless there is some gross misunderstanding afoot here. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Fred you certainly did mention future prices by your use of the word if:

Are you suggesting that if the club charged (say) £100

The club isn't now so it must be the future in my view?

And

...doesn’t absolve anything... Have you chosen the right word there Freddy? Doesn't matter and no need to reply but I don't need to be absolved of anything in that sentence.

Moving on, ...why should I spend what I consider to be over the odds? 

I've no idea Freddy, it's your choice and has anyone asked you to or said you should? My view has always been while I think club prices are very reasonable and offer very good VFM, but if others don't then find those sites where they are. 

It seems that I’m not alone..., no you're not but as I alluded to earlier it's a small number in comparison with membership/club site users. 

there have been lots of threads on the issue... Again absolutely, although a lot? But yes it's a recurring theme. But again only by a small number of posters as described above, and usually the same posters in each thread (including myself). Before I need absolution for writing that, nothing wrong with but it is a fact.

And when there is a thread like this one, it's evenly balanced between the two views, like this one so far. 

My use of the word “if” was merely a concept. I could say “if the club has been charging “, or “if the club is charging”, or “if the club is going to charge”. I said none of those. AFAIC, “if the club charged” doesn’t relate to any particular time frame, as said it was merely a concept.

“Moving on, ...why should I spend what I consider to be over the odds?”

It was a rhetorical question.