Rally Chat CAMC - reckon we’ll be banned

[Coolcats]

Manners seem to be a thing of the past .

And that’s just the customers

 

[Coolcats]

I thought campsites were grass apart from Spain where they are gravel.

ah you haven’t been to the high standards of the CAMC hard standings

 

[Gellyneck]

A mate who had a restaurant had a vehicle and trailer drive on the grass which left ruts in it…he made them pay to put it right.

I guess that’s why CAMC and others don’t want to have people driving on their grassy areas.

Particularly as, I think, there is still an area on the other side of the toilet block where you can park on the tarmac entry road. Just means the wardens would have shouted, "hey, get off of there it's for arrivals only"!

 

[Achilles Heel]

It's very odd. We've been to a number of sites where reviews have complained about grumpy or rude wardens, but when we got there, the staff were friendly, helpful and polite.

We use C&MC sites quite a lot (including Hawes a couple of weeks ago) and again, the wardens were charming and friendly.

We were asked, on arrival at Hawes, not to drive on the grass, so we didn't. If we had, and a warden saw us, I expect we'd have been told off.

 

[Lenny HB]

I always find that 95% of people, reciprocate to the attitude shown them.

Not in my experance their wardens take rudeness to another level. I think I've stayed at their sites 3 times in the last 30 years always been meets with rude arrogant wardens.

Last time about 8 years ago arrived at Winchester about 10min after 8 pm. I had been stuck in a traffic jam for over an hour, must have phoned them 10 or 15 times but they don't answer the phone.
Walked up to the warden and said hi, I'm Mr B sorry a bit late tried phoning you. He looked at me clenched his fists and shouted "YOUR LATE YOU CAN'T COME IN".

I have a niece who works for them said they had to send the wardens on courses to improve their people reaction skills. Didn't change much did it.
With the money she earns & expenses no wonder they have to charge so much for sites.

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[funflair]

Used CAMC at Coniston in the lakes recently, I didn't park properly in the "new arrivals" so got a very polite "could you move forward a little bit please Sir" and then "thank you for that", in the office they said "we have saved you a big spot due to your length but if you find one you like better just come back and let us know" OK the spot they saved wasn't very nice and we found a better one so of course went back and told them and swapped the keys over, I said No 42 is a really good pitch for big vans and would take 10 metres and their response was "thanks for letting us know as we are a new team on this site and still learning" always waved as they drove past on their little tractors etc and would stop for a chat as well.

Couldn't fault them and the toilets and showers were spotless, OK I still think they are expensive but at least we got to use some electricity that we had to pay for anyway as being in trees there was very little solar.

 

[meanders]

We don't use their sites very often, but to be fair, I can only every remember one site where the warden was an a$%e&o!e. IIRC it was at Brighton where I parked about 18 inches off the peg because I was putting an awning out. On being challenged, I simply moved the peg having noticed them moving them when mowing the grass and never putting them back in the same place. Been back there I think twice since and no problems at all. Other than that, they have varied from being very friendly and helpful, down to being a bit surly and saying the bare minimum. Never been shouted at, and if they did, I would submit a formal complaint unless a safety issue.

 

[L' Hobo]

Either...never moved on from their previous occupation...wearing a uniform...(I did for 30 years, so don't shoot me)

Or have never been in a position of authority.before...."Giving a Monkey a gun" is an expression I've heard before..
.
It's certainly is not the way to treat or talk to people, but even when we were living and using these type of sites in the UK, there were many of these guys and gals controlling sites.

For the last 25yrs of my working life, I owned a Coach, Truck & Bus company and dealt with people on a daily basis.

Believe me when I say, there are a lot of impolite, lacking in common sense people out there. They are the minority but, they are the ones who get noticed and can influence others BUT in today's world of looking after the transgressors more than the victims, what can one do?

I always, tried to drive one of my vehicles on a daily basis so that I knew what my driver's faced and, being the boss, possibly, do something about?
Most of the time I failed because the law is against us!

Today, IF there is a fight on a School Bus, the driver is not allowed to touch a pupil because, if he did to stop the fight, he could get accused of touching the child indecently or aggressively AND with the misguided support of the said pupils friends on the Bus, he/she could not only lose their jobs but land up in prison!

(How do I know, I once had to suspend one of my innocent drivers from ANY work connected with children because he had stopped a malicious, selfish, spiteful girl from smoking on the bus and she accused him of making obscene remarks to another girl.
I HAD to PROVE that he didn't (which was impossible) BUT she didn't have to prove that he HAD! She just had to report it!

What sort of message are we sending out to the malicious troublemakers?

 

[Lenny HB]

ah you haven’t been to the high standards of the CAMC hard standings

Seen pictures of them they look horrible, not even any hedges between the pitches

 

[meanders]

I HAD to PROVE that he didn't (which was impossible) BUT she didn't have to prove that he HAD! She just had to report it!

I have that t-shirt unfortunately. Don't get me wrong, every report or suspicion should be properly investigated, and not simply brushed under the carpet. It was that attitude that allowed some abusers including some famous people to continue their crimes for years. However, its the only area of law where you are guilty until shown to be innocent. Empowering children to speak out is one thing, enabling them to wreck adults lives with lies is something very different. The other issue is that if the child is shown to have lied there is no sanction. And they wonder why they can't get adults to work with children.

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[L' Hobo]

I must admit to not sticking up to the rude person but I do quite often have a word with the person serving and say that anyone who has worked with the public understand it has it's good and bad points.

It's just a shame that of all the many 1000's of Happy, Satisfied, repeat customers my Coaches carried on Tours both here and abroad, only a small proportion ever went on Social Media and sang our praises while 99% of our 20 dissatisfied customers in 25yrs ALL complained on Social Media!

The 'general public' your welcome to them!

 

[The Wino]

It's very odd. We've been to a number of sites where reviews have complained about grumpy or rude wardens, but when we got there, the staff were friendly, helpful and polite.

We use C&MC sites quite a lot (including Hawes a couple of weeks ago) and again, the wardens were charming and friendly.

We were asked, on arrival at Hawes, not to drive on the grass, so we didn't. If we had, and a warden saw us, I expect we'd have been told off.

The only one I had who was grumpy told us to park the other way around and then had to come back and ask us if we minded turning around again as he had got it wrong.......karma!

 

[The Wino]

It's just a shame that of all the many 1000's of Happy, Satisfied, repeat customers my Coaches carried on Tours both here and abroad, only a small proportion ever went on Social Media and sang our praises while 99% of our 20 dissatisfied customers in 25yrs ALL complained on Social Media!

The 'general public' your welcome to them!

I think the general rule is happy people tell 2 or 3 people unhappy about 11 ! I think if you work with the public you realise pretty quickly what the score is our son filled in by working at Gregg's for a while he couldn't believe it at first. Are those sausage rolls hot no .....ok I'll have one anyway...........this isn't hot!

 

[David and Sally]

Only had one rude CMC warden, at Hillhead.

Two motorhomes, we were pitching up whilst our pals were filling with water. It was absolutely peeing down and Sally was standing on a pitch opposite waiting for our pals to pitch up on it.

Herr Hitler gave her a rollicking for saving a pitch even though they were already on site. Explained the situation and he huffed and puffed about rules being rules.

Otherwise we have found all CMC and CCC wardens to be very polite and helpful. ( bet that has scuppered our next visit)

 

[L' Hobo]

Not in my experance their wardens take rudeness to another level. I think I've stayed at their sites 3 times in the last 30 years always been meets with rude arrogant wardens.

Last time about 8 years ago arrived at Winchester about 10min after 8 pm. I had been stuck in a traffic jam for over an hour, must have phoned them 10 or 15 times but they don't answer the phone.
Walked up to the warden and said hi, I'm Mr B sorry a bit late tried phoning you. He looked at me clenched his fists and shouted "YOUR LATE YOU CAN'T COME IN".

I have a niece who works for them said they had to send the wardens on courses to improve their people reaction skills. Didn't change much did it.
With the money she earns & expenses no wonder they have to charge so much for sites.

SO, not even your family can help them get it right in your eyes, what chance have us old Funsters got?

PS. Have you tried the C&CC, as you would qualify for the OAP discount and no EHU, it might suit you better?

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[cliffanger]

We were at the CAMC Starcross site in South Devon. Our 15 year old spaniel was fast asleep right next to Cliff’s chair.

A warden came up, ignored Cliff but said to our Ginny ‘you’re a naughty dog, why havent you got a lead on?’

As the warden wasn’t talking to him, Cliff felt it best to ignore him. The warden waited for a few seconds to see if Ginny answered him - she didn’t. At 15 she could sleep the sleep of the dead, so after a few uncomfortable seconds, he walked off!

 

[meanders]

There often used to be signs up "If you are unhappy with our service tell us. If happy, tell everyone". Sadly the opposite is generally true. They say people don't like to complain, but they will complain to the world when you can do nothing about putting it right!

 

[DT]

Used CAMC at Coniston in the lakes recently, I didn't park properly in the "new arrivals" so got a very polite "could you move forward a little bit please Sir" and then "thank you for that", in the office they said "we have saved you a big spot due to your length but if you find one you like better just come back and let us know" OK the spot they saved wasn't very nice and we found a better one so of course went back and told them and swapped the keys over, I said No 42 is a really good pitch for big vans and would take 10 metres and their response was "thanks for letting us know as we are a new team on this site and still learning" always waved as they drove past on their little tractors etc and would stop for a chat as well.

Couldn't fault them and the toilets and showers were spotless, OK I still think they are expensive but at least we got to use some electricity that we had to pay for anyway as being in trees there was very little solar.

I agree that is typical of I have been greeted many times. They have their rules and 90% are for a very good reason. I think you have to be a regular user of both clubs before you can comment on typical warden behaviour.

 

[meanders]

SO, not even your family can help them get it right in your eyes, what chance have us old Funsters got?

PS. Have you tried the C&CC, as you would qualify for the OAP discount and no EHU, it might suit you better?

That's the UNfriendly club then! Our experiences over our two years membership were much worse than anything with ever had with the other lot. I am sure they have some lovely friendly sites and rallies, but we didn't find one. The staff at the one near Lands End had been trained in a Stalag!

 

[Lenny HB]

PS. Have you tried the C&CC, as you would qualify for the OAP discount and no EHU, it might suit you better?

I'm actually a member, I like the discount only pay £25 a year, we do use THS sometimes but not their site as we don't like sites much the little Hitler wardens from the other lot put us off sites.

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[Gellyneck]

Only had one rude CMC warden, at Hillhead.

Two motorhomes, we were pitching up whilst our pals were filling with water. It was absolutely peeing down and Sally was standing on a pitch opposite waiting for our pals to pitch up on it.

Herr Hitler gave her a rollicking for saving a pitch even though they were already on site. Explained the situation and he huffed and puffed about rules being rules.

Otherwise we have found all CMC and CCC wardens to be very polite and helpful. ( bet that has scuppered our next visit)

Assuming they had selected that pitch, advised the office/reception and were then filling water they tell you to mark the pitch as "occupied".

Maybe he was unhappy they were using Sally in atrocious weather to mark their pitch!

 

[L' Hobo]

All I can say is, I must have a fantastic personality (or perhaps it's all the years meeting & greetings with the Coaches )
because I cannot remember having any problems anywhere!
Perhaps being big and ugly has it's compensations?

 

[L' Hobo]

I'm actually a member, I like the discount only pay £25 a year, we do use THS sometimes but not their site as we don't like sites much the little Hitler wardens from the other lot put us off sites.

I'm curious, how do you only pay £25 per year, have you been continually with them over 25yrs?

 

[MikenPauline]

Just wondering what you were doing with a caravan

We’ve gone back to the other side

 

[PlacidoD]

Being fairly new to this I started out with UK campsites two of which CAMC:
Alderstead Heath, Mertsham & Lady Margaret's Park, Chirk Nr Wrexham
Zero problems at either and the husband and wife warden team at Alderstead Heath were particularly good to deal with.
My general observation re CAMC sites is that they are spacious and have high standards. The French sites I have stayed on more recently in contrast are relatively crowded when full. That helps explain the price difference but the main reason, I believe is competition. Having to compete with hosts of Aires keeps the prices low AND helps ensure civility on the part of site proprietors!!

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[Rob Hammond]

And that’s just the customers

Yeah those that pay .

 

[Reallyretired]

Not restricted to CAMC. I once stayed on a site in East Germany that had a really rude commandant.
The Brits on the site had an agreement that they would pretend they couldn't understand her English (which was pretty good if heavily accented)

 

[The Wino]

Yeah those that pay .

I don't think paying excuses bad manners. Some people treat people working in hospitality like they're some sort of mediaeval surf they're people working for a living and should be treated with respect just as they should treat their customers even ones making stupid requests or complaints. As a retired optometrist the best complaint someone made about their new specs was that all they did was made things clearer I thought it was a pretty strange comment!

 

[Rob Hammond]

I don't think paying excuses bad manners. Some people treat people working in hospitality like they're some sort of mediaeval surf they're people working for a living and should be treated with respect just as they should treat their customers even ones making stupid requests or complaints. As a retired optometrist the best complaint someone made about their new specs was that all they did was made things clearer I thought it was a pretty strange comment!

Who said anything about excusing bad manners

 

[The Wino]

Who said anything about excusing bad manners

Sorry I think I misunderstood your comment of yeah those that pay I thought you meant as they were paying their manners shouldn't be commented on apologies

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