Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect holiday park to do more.

67 replies

Newmum102 · 02/10/2019 15:46

We’ve come to a UK holiday park for the week. This morning we woke up to no water. Phoned reception to find that there was a burst water main through the night. The holiday park has its own water supply.

We were able to pick up 3 x 500ml bottles of water but that was it. We were told that the supple should be back on by lunch time. We decided to head out and made our way back about 3ish. Still no water. Again phoned the reception and asked for an update. I was informed there was no update, I then asked if there was a plan in place if there was still no water for the rest of the day. I was told, there was no plan and that he wasn’t sure what his manager had been told.

For the size of the holiday park, I would have thought they should really have a plan in place and that all staff members should know what the plan im situations like this. The on-site shop now has no water, we will have to drive out to get some. We also have friends who stay near by so we can shower/bath the toddler at theirs.

Would I be within my rights to put in a complaint about the lack of information, lack of plan and lack of bottled water.

OP posts:
Ponoka7 · 02/10/2019 15:49

You should get partially refunded really.

So start with a complaint and demand an explanation about what's going on.

BeanBag7 · 02/10/2019 15:53

What exactly do you want them to do?

I would definitely be expecting a partial refund and would start that process now.

It's unfortunate, but if there's no water, there's no water. They can't magic up water for everyone to have a shower, or magically repair a burst water main.

NoKnit · 02/10/2019 15:53

Bath the toddler? You have only been without water for 12 hours or so. Yes it's unfortunate and I'm sure they are doing their best to fix it. But your kid will survive without a bath and you are able to pop to the shops to get a few bottles. Honest to god you'd swear it had been days and they'd done nothing, it hasn't even been a full working day.

Bluntness100 · 02/10/2019 15:55

I'm also not sure what you'd expect them to do. It's a burst water main for goodness sake. They expected it fixed by lunch time. It's clearly out with their control it's not.

Alb1 · 02/10/2019 15:56

Is this Craig Tara? Just seen a similar moaning on Facebook about it. I get that the lack of information is frustrating, but if they don’t no there’s not much that they can do. It’s not the staffs fault and more information wouldn’t make the water come back on faster

Brefugee · 02/10/2019 16:04

Contingency planning and the availability of water bowsers is what I'd expect from a holiday park.
Information is key here and the manager should be on site to defend his staff and fend off the questions.

Original poster
Newmum102 · 02/10/2019 16:05

It is Craig Tara, and I get it can’t be helped. However, the lack of information is frustrating.

Also I’m not expecting them to magic up water, and I get that these things happen.

It is just annoying

OP posts:
Original poster
Newmum102 · 02/10/2019 16:06

However I do think they should have some sort of contingency plan in place. A wee text update wouldn’t go amiss. After all they are able to send out check in texts etc so it is within their capacity.

OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 02/10/2019 16:08

It's bad form that they haven't just sent an employee to buy a load of bottled water for guests. And I'd expect a Guest Relations person to loiter in the lobby to answer guest questions.

No, they have little to no control over getting the water back on. But they have a lot of control over how they manage guest satisfaction.

anyoneseenmykeys · 02/10/2019 16:08

They sould provide a few more bottles of water
and start arranging some solution for using the loos!

A bath is a bit over the top though.

longearedbat · 02/10/2019 16:12

Must be causing problems re loo flushing. How are you (and everyone else) dealing with that? Bottled water is okay for drinking, but you need a bucketful for a flush.

Drogosnextwife · 02/10/2019 16:13

Nip down to the beach and have a wash Wink. They will very likely have it on by the end of the day, I'm sure you will all last without a bath or shower until then. Unless you all regularly wash half way through the day?

Original poster
Newmum102 · 02/10/2019 16:15

They have closed a lot of the loos on-site.

Fair enough a bath may seem over the top but we need to bathe our toddler every other night in emollient due to his skin (it’s one of the few things that help keep his eczema under control).

OP posts:
Original poster
Newmum102 · 02/10/2019 16:16

We went out to a farm, so have been using the toilets there. Have not long come back. Will be heading to friends for dinner so hopefully won’t have to worry about the toilet issues

OP posts:
Totalfusion · 02/10/2019 16:17

A couple of years ago we were at a Haven site that had a water cut for approximately 48 hours, we were provided with bottled water & that's it.

FizzyIce · 02/10/2019 16:18

You should expect them to provide bottled water , it’s the least they can do and possibly a partial refund .
They are a business and should have things in place for all eventualities including being able to give families extra bottled water at no extra cost

BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 02/10/2019 16:20

What contingency plan could they have in place? Their own reservoir? Yes it's annoying and yes they should keep you informed but as long as they are trying to fix it there's not much else they can do.

MyDcAreMarvel · 02/10/2019 16:22

If your toddler has excema you should be bathing them less often like once a week only.

lyralalala · 02/10/2019 16:23

A park that size, and that so many people get the bus too, should have a contingency plan for no water. Even if that plan is "Send Brian to Asda/Costco for bottled water" they should have something in hand that they go too.

dontpooyoureyesturnbrown · 02/10/2019 16:28

Yabu
It's not the parks fault. Not being rude but you sound like one of the stereotypical English tourists who go on hold to Spain etc and complain about the heat and eat a full English breakfast because of 'foreign muck' GrinGrin

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 02/10/2019 16:33

Not being rude but you sound like one of the stereotypical English tourists who go on hold to Spain etc and complain about the heat and eat a full English breakfast because of 'foreign muck

Totally different to not having access to clean water. And it was rude.

Reallybadidea · 02/10/2019 16:36

Not being rude but you sound like one of the stereotypical English tourists who go on hold to Spain etc and complain about the heat and eat a full English breakfast because of 'foreign muck'

Wtf? How did you get that from the OP's posts? Not being rude, but you sound like someone who struggles with reading comprehension.

timshelthechoice · 02/10/2019 16:40

YANBU!

DamonSalvatoresDinner · 02/10/2019 16:41

The contingency plan should be "provide bottles of water for all guests and not just 1.5l of it!". It's not hard. We regularly go to a caravan park and it's entertainment venue's roof collapsed this year (being a Craig Tara guest you may be familiar with the park we go to in the next county)

We were kept informed by staff about what was happening. They came and spoke to every caravan and despite the roof caving in, they were able to have it cleared, cleaned and sectioned off by the following day. There were one or two annoyed guests but as long as they kept us informed it was fine. They had a free bbq outside to help make up for the restaurant being closed and had the entertainers out for the kids. So yes, big companies should have plans in place for these eventualities. A number of Large 5l bottles of water delivered to each caravan/tent would be a good start.

Antonin · 02/10/2019 16:43

The management of situations such as this should be a top priority for a business. Just throwing up their hands and denying responsibility and telling customers to get on with it is unsatisfactory. They should determine and fulfil the guests’ water requirements at the very least. It seems that most businesses don’t see it as a priority to keep customers informed. This is usually the most common complaint eg travellers at airports etc.