New Site Booking System

I would certainly prefer that BB, if a HS wasn’t available when booking in advance. It would have to be non awning though. The thing that puts me off grass even if firm, is the horrible dead grass / muddy patch, where multiple awnings have been sited. A particular issue towards the end of the grass season.

Although from my personal point of view the CAMC have shot themselves very firmly in the foot. Unless the other club change their policy in relation to age related discount, they are most definitely going to be the new default when looking for a convenient site. 

I believe that the term "speculative" can be a little unfair. Yes there will be people who do book pitches speculatively but you would have to look into why they do it. I have booked a period in Black Knowl for next year on the basis that I want to go there at a specific time. It is a long way from the middle of Scotland but I know if I don't get booked in as soon as the site becomes bookable I won't get a pitch in the dates I need. I have no idea if something will crop up that prevents me from taking the booking as it did this year. Does that make me "one of those people"? There is a problem with pitch availability. It's caused by more members than there are pitches and this has been made considerably worse since last year with more members coming on board. Yes, deposits are good for CAMC cash flow, but not for the membership trying to get a pitch. I've been a member for forty years and liked the flexibility of the booking system but to change to a deposit system is going to cause a fair degree of complexity. And, by the way, I have never in forty years been asked by anyone for feedback.

On your present booking you you are given the option to amend. If the form alters to the new booking form then you may be able to amend and put your pitch preference.

The question is, are we going to keep the amend function? Quite difficult, given if you add days the deposit required will increase. The other club require a phone call to amend anything, that may well be in our future.

That might just be the answer phone the site or East Grinstead and say which pitch surface you would like for your booking.

I would think that speculative means people, for example, who regularly book several weekends at the same site but only take up a portion of those booked and cancel the rest. I don't think the the comment is aimed at someone who books a two week holiday and for some reason can't take up the booking. What we don't know is whether the Club have drilled down into the individual booking habits of members they suspect of doing this. Given that they have gone to the expense of buying in a computer program to handle the new booking system I imagine they have not done it on a whim. As for feedback I have often had surveys to complete after visiting some campsites. Don't forget members can be both inactive and proactive in making their thoughts know to the Club. I suspect for many the change will come as a surprise.

David

David, two points....

firstly, do you know the club has 'bought in a computer system'..if so, and it hasn't been done 'on a whim' it's likely to be a package that's the market leader or close to...in which case it should be extremely flexible, considering the many variables within the holiday marketplace...this should prove to be robust....

secondly, there certainly are folk who have decided on a (popular) site and, due to the long lead time to get any sort of time there, will have booked months in advance...unless it's some sort of annual holiday, this may or (more likely) may not line up with real events nearer the time...

so, what's to do?....I know what I did when I wanted to visit a honey pot....I booked two separate visits, one in the spring and one in the summer...it was likely that I would only take up one....but possibly both..

as it happened, we couldn't make the first date so I cancelled well within the allowable period, and we took the second break.

now, am I a serial Booker? have I broken a rule?

is booking two dates weeks apart on the same site any only taking one any different to booking two dates weeks apart on two different sites and only taking one ?

assuming deposits are returned for cancelled breaks within the '21 day' new period, what's changing other than the lead time.

I agree with CY earlier post, this could have been done with one simple tweak of the system and no deposits...moving the date out to 3 weeks would have killed most of what the club are looking to do in a much simpler, cheaper way...

BB

By your own admission you booked two weekends knowing that you would cancel one of them. So I imagine you could be classed as serial booker but under current T&C's you have not broken any rules? Under the deposit system you could still do the same but, no doubt, having to pay two deposits upfront would be a disincentive? It will be for many but not for all. The problem with doing as you suggest of moving the cancellation period from 72 hours to 3 weeks is that you are still free to book speculatively the only difference being that you have to decide to cancel much earlier which really is not a disincentive. I think there is a difference with a member booking their main summer holiday for two weeks in the summer, so one booking, and somebody that books multiple weekends at the same site with the intention of only taking up a proportion of those bookings. I don't know the reasoning behind the Club decision, anymore than  I imagine you do but it seems a major change to embark on if the background information they are seeing from their stats doesn't indicate that change is needed. I am more than happy with the current system but can live with the change if that is all that is on offer, as I am sure many others will. If it does mean members have greater availability I am sure people will warm to the idea of deposits.

David

Is it to do with cash flow for the business? The finance director will be pleased to have customers paying deposits in advance as they make their reservations.

I can’t see it making any difference to how we book, we like to plan well in advance for our tours in the UK. The main difference will be that the CAMC won’t be my automatic go to choice, as it was in the past. I would imagine that could  apply to a significant proportion of the membership. Wether the CAMC loose bookings as a result, only time will tell. Initially I doubt it will make any difference due to the high numbers still preferring to stay in the UK. In the longer term as things hopefully normalise, I think it will.