Another CMC thread

[SpeedyDux]

Next year we will compare good quality independents against CMC sites in the locations we want to visit. The USP of not paying a deposit having been thrown away I don't see the CMC as the market leader any more. Now that we are being treated as customers rather than members, I am also going to compare the different pitch fees as well. I expect that our campsite payments to CMC next season could drop by 50%. Their loss.

It remains to be seen if the CMC's pitch occupancy rate overall goes up next year. The perceived problem of empty pitches and frustrated members might be due to the failure of the Club management to invest in new sites in the more popular locations, at the same rate as membership has increased over recent years. The motorhome membership is about a third. This growing category of members generally doesn't want to use sites in the middle of nowhere that are better suited to tuggers, and they tend to want shorter stays and tour more.

I haven't tried the CMC new website yet. From all the comments I've read, it is not expected to be a good experience.

 

[Steve N Tracy]

We have found that sites that were generally booked solid for either Friday or Saturday nights are now often not booked.
Tracy likes it because she has now became 18 again as I cannot be bothered to keep scrolling through the calender back to 1964 to input her correct date as the second adult, is there a easier way ?

 

[DT]

Less people making bookings they will never take up.

 

[hja]

Ditto, have always found the wardens to be helpful & courteous and sites good, albeit a bit sterile in some cases. There was a time when that was an attractive package, but combination of the new booking arrangements and massively hiked site fees is a big turn-off. I remain a reluctant member but only for CL access. Seems to me there are two elements in CMC; 1) site staff who are generally fine and 2) HQ management staff whose competence is suspect. The extent to which they’ve alienated members with their antics in recent weeks is quite remarkable - take a look at Trustpilot. More recently they’ve taken to wasting large sums on consultants (presumably because they can’t figure things themselves), a sure sign an organisation is doomed! Seems to me that changes at the top are required, as a wise old boss of mine used to say “the team that got you into trouble isn’t the one you need to get you out of trouble”.

I think far too many of their senior staff are not/have never been tuggers or Motorhomers. Including I believe some of the regional managers overseeing the sites.

 

[Debs]

We have found that sites that were generally booked solid for either Friday or Saturday nights are now often not booked.
Tracy likes it because she has now became 18 again as I cannot be bothered to keep scrolling through the calender back to 1964 to input her correct date as the second adult, is there a easier way ?

Click in the green header bit where the year shows 2022, you get a scrolly thing come up & it's quite quick.

The app is really annoying to use, not very intuitive is it & why do they need date of birth of all party members.
Tried to make a booking last night & it froze at the payment stage.....

Good luck!

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[Mags52]

The new system has made no difference to us. Last week we spent a few days at the Melrose CMC site, wardens very friendly as usual and the site was in good order as expected. Splendid pint of Timothy Taylors Landlord at the Kings Arms which was a bonus.

Good to know - we live in Melrose and we love it.

 

[sgl5gjr]

I know there has been a lot about the Caravan and Motorhome Club recently. There has been much about officious wardens, prices and the new booking system. I wanted to reflect changes in our practice due to the deposit system and hear the experience of others because I am sure it has lost them revenue, at least in our case.

We tend to go away most months, and apart from two European trips we traditionally we booked CMC sites, usually well in advance throughout the year. It was to be honest laziness, the rules can be a little wearing but the standard was reasonable if predictable. It was very unusual for us to cancel, rather it was just the easy way to get a few days away. The lack of deposit kept the money in our account and offset some of the negatives with their sites (all sites have their minuses). Since the change to deposits we have found we leave things later and see what else there is. Our logic being if we have to pay a deposit let's check there isn't a better site, whereas previously the lack of deposit was a positive by comparison and made them the easiest option. The result is we are using them much less. In effect the new system has motivated us to look a bit harder at where we are going, how much we are paying, the available facilities and make a comparison. In our case at least, the system has backfired and resulted in two or three weeks less bookings. Not through dissatisfaction, just because we may as well research a bit more if we are paying a deposit.

I know many dislike the CMC while others love them and I wasn't seeking to reopen that debate. I was looking to understand whether the change to the booking process has led others to alter their approach and whether that is perhaps the reason they are not as busy (reportedly). It could equally be the state of the economy, or we are unusual.

Exactly what I was saying to the better half at the weekend at the Broadway site...... we've already booked some for late 22 and early 23 but changing our habits after these booked examples. Using CL's more plus we are heading to the continent in 23 again, using a mix of aires and sites.

 

[Gellyneck]

Less people making bookings they will never take up.

and less people making bookings who never miss them by the looks of it.

 

[AnnieB]

Not made a difference to us so far, but then we have always tended to book only a couple of days before we leave..
one downside for us is the loss of the ‘late availability’ pages on the web. We used this a lot as it gave us all the available choices in the regions we were interested in, plus all the dates for the week. Now it’s a chore having to check each individual site.

 

[cyberyacht]

An inability to facilitate the elevation of urine in an alcoholic beverage production site.

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[steve69]

Hate to be the grammar police here but please say "fewer people" and not "less people".
I see the phrase so often and it's starting to grate.
This is a polite request - please reply politely.

 

[charliesgrandad]

Hate to be the grammar police here but please say "fewer people" and not "less people".
I see the phrase so often and it's starting to grate.
This is a polite request - please reply politely.

Shall I reply "less often " or "fewer times"

 

[Gellyneck]

Hate to be the grammar police here but please say "fewer people" and not "less people".
I see the phrase so often and it's starting to grate.
This is a polite request - please reply politely.

Or could it be they meant lesser people?