we had a meet this weekend and some friends of ours and ukcs members wanted to go on the meet it was fully booked so they paid the site fees which where a lot more than the ukcs fees we got,some never turned up for what ever reason if you book and decide not to go please inform ukcs itself via the contact button at the top to avoid members being disappointed.
Seriously, could not agree with you more. It looks like more meets are getting fully booked quite early so anyone not going should make it known to UKCS as soon as.
Would it not be worth taking a deposit on booking, refundable if not going and pitch is re- booked. Either that or start giving yellow cards.
Hope you did not take too much stick with the football on Saturday Jason, crap game that it was.
yellow cards, now that sounds like a good idea. we all have problems that crop up at the last minute. but an email saying you have a problem is no big deal, i missed a meet in feb 'cos i was quite ill but i still sent an email saying i could not go.
I would be pretty annoyed if I wanted to go to a meet and couldn`t because it was fully booked, then found out later people hadn`t shown up and we could have gone after all. An email saying you can`t attend takes no time at all to send.
we had to cancel two meets earlier this year, didn't take more than a couple of mins to reply to the emails (the one you get telling you what to do if you have to cancel) and hopefully someone else managed to go in our place.
------------- Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional
Lee and Helen not only mailed Ratty to say they couldn't go but also posted on the correct thread that they couldn't make it and this made the host aware pretty quickly as well .
As a host I have had one site owner basically ask me why units didn't turn up and what was I going to do about it(I think he thought I might pay) and complain that he could have let the pitches go to a full paying customer, though I knew there was a waiting list and I could have filled the places .
Being the decrepit old bugger that I am and having plenty of time on my hands I've been thinking about this problem and I have a few suggestions.
The system works fine as far as it goes and is no problem where members have to contact the site and make a deposit or prepay, but it needs another string to the bow when it comes to the other meets. The registering of interest is fine, but the email should include a paragraph saying that the member will be contacted by email again 3 days before the meet, and that failure to reply immediately (same day in effect) to this email will result in the loss of the pitch and its allocation to the first member on the reserve list. 3 days is not an arbitrary number, it's close enough for people to be sure they can come (within reason anyway) and far enough away for reserves to be notified and get their acts together.
A condition of being placed on the reserve list should be the ability to pack up and go at short notice if contacted by email or telephone and the inclusion of a contact number. I would hope, but would be guided by Webby or Ratty, that the "3 day" email could be automated as the reply emails are and sent out by the system on the due date.
There are of course occasions when no amount of forward planning can enable members to get to a particular meet however good their intentions, bereavement and illness spring to mind, but even if people were to cancel on a Friday, it should be possible to make half a dozen phone calls to members on the reserve list to fill any vacant pitches.
One can't fault site owners for being a bit miffed if all the allocated spaces aren't filled, filling those pitches is, after all, what earns them their living. It is our responsibility as special customers to do our best to help them whilst still enjoying our meets. The only other option is to make people pay a non-refundable up front payment for their pitch, (I paid in full weeks ago for Akebar Park) then if they don't turn up that's their loss.
I'm not saying I have found any definitive answers, but I hope I've been able to point the way to some sort of system for reducing lost pitches and disappointing people who would really have liked to attend a particular meet, but were just too late to book a primary space. As always, the final say rests with "t' management"!
Being the decrepit old bugger that I am and having plenty of time on my hands I've been thinking about this problem and I have a few suggestions.
The system works fine as far as it goes and is no problem where members have to contact the site and make a deposit or prepay, but it needs another string to the bow when it comes to the other meets. member on the reserve list. 3 days is not an arbitrary number, it's close enough for people to be sure they can come (within reason anyway) and far enough away for reserves to be notified and get their acts together.
A condition of being placed on the reserve list should be the ability to pack up and go at short notice if contacted by email or telephone and the inclusion of a contact number. I would hope, but would be guided by Webby or Ratty, that the "3 day" email could be automated as contacted by email again 3 days before the meet, and that failure to reply immediately (same day in effect) to this email will result in the loss of the pitch and its allocation to the first reserve list to fill any vacant pitches.
As a newbie To meets I was waiting an email to give me some indication to what where and when things were happiening and to give me some indication of arrival etc
i never recieved this and only heard from people in the chat.
does this mean i would have lost my place and what would have happened if i had turned up as planed and my place had been given away
there was a thread late on about arrival but there seemed to be alot of twoing and frooing about who was on list and who was on reserve
I think like tel says a more definate plan need to be put in place
I would be prepared to pay a deposit if it ment a place
maybe some old bugger with plenty of time could act as booking clerk
BTW this is Daisybev.puter less on hubbies puter !!
Some great Ideas Tel.
This problem crops up so many time you think you have 15 units on a meet to find there are 3 of you...and then its too short notice to get anyone else on the list...
To make life easier the area coordinators shold be offered the email addresses of all attending to be able to take some of the pressure off Ratty and webby in sending late mail...
as long as holding this was respected and the addresses not given out it means that 1. people can be kept up to date if they dont post on the forums 2. your the first to know if some one isnt coming. 3. You can let others know there is space...
People if they know in advance they cant go should cancel the right way ASAP..
This should also be posted on the main threads I feel....
I hate to arrange a meet and then at the last moment peeps dont show and dont let you know....
I have been on several meets where there was a waiting list to get on and then several peeps did not show on the day with no warning which meant it was too short notice to let those waiting that they could go. It is only good manners to let peeps know you can't make it whatever the circumstances as I had to do a few weeks ago (which is rare for me, I go to any meets I can LOL) and maybe the yellow / red card system could work although it's even more work for Steve and Ian this way.
I think personally the system Ratty and Webby provide for us works well as it is.!.....just some peeps have no manners to let them know they will not be able to attend meets on which they have booked.
Also feel that some folks do have valid reasons for cancelling so to penalise i think would be wrong,also Telz idea of reply to e-mails 3 days before or you would lose your place wouldn't work,because you are not always able to have internet access 3 days prio to meet.....you may be already on hols or work committed.
I think it is a simple message to all really....if you are not attending a meet just simply e-mail ratty or Webby.!....
Netty
------------- Hey, 5 beers has just as many calories as a burger, screw dinner!
I also think that the listing of meets sometimes up to 9 months or even a year ahead makes folk register an interest for everything with the attitude {oh if I cant go I'll just cancel} and forget to cancel or they just forget they ever registered!!
Not a criticism but an observation
------------- Quot homines, tot sententia
(there are as many opinions as there are men)
BTW this is Daisybev.puter less on hubbies puter !!
Some great Ideas Tel.
This problem crops up so many time you think you have 15 units on a meet to find there are 3 of you...and then its too short notice to get anyone else on the list...
To make life easier the area coordinators shold be offered the email addresses of all attending to be able to take some of the pressure off Ratty and webby in sending late mail...
as long as holding this was respected and the addresses not given out it means that 1. people can be kept up to date if they dont post on the forums 2. your the first to know if some one isnt coming. 3. You can let others know there is space...
People if they know in advance they cant go should cancel the right way ASAP.. This should also be posted on the main threads I feel....
I hate to arrange a meet and then at the last moment peeps dont show and dont let you know....
my moan done
This goes against the UKCampsite.co.uk privacy policy here
I think the fact that some of the meets are now book direct with the campsite has eased some of this problem.
I also think hosts should have the right to publicly flog members who don't turn up
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Topic: Not turning up to booked ukcs meets
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