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Original poster

Feather Down Farm - last minute group split... Advice

461 replies

Nicky1234 · 02/08/2011 17:37

A group of 5 families has booked early in the year to stay with feather down farm and were advised that we would all be together. Now 2 weeks before our stay we have been advised that in actual fact we are being split up because a group of 2 wants specific tents and so it makes that field too small for us.
Anyone been to one of these farms and do you think it will be a problem, we have 10 kids between us, 6 and under, so I am worried that they'll disturb other guests (rather than all being together they'll have to find each other). Also though there is a brook between the 2 fields so we're going to have to shepherd them about and it seems such a shame they cant just roam a little free (poor loves get no freedom). Selfishly the adults won't be able to hang out in the evenings either...
Im also really upset that we have to split up as seems unnecessary and unfair...
Any thoughts/ideas/suggestions to put my mind at ease.
Thanks

OP posts:
AitchTwoOh · 10/08/2011 14:06

oh YAY! massive x-post. good result.

ALTHOUGH, i will book with canopy and stars as a result of this, because tbh the whole thing has been too much of a cock-up for too long.

CestTout · 10/08/2011 14:07

Pleased to see the MD has a bit of sense. Still has completely put me off FDF and I imagine business will still be lost over this.

SeaShellsMyDogSmells · 10/08/2011 14:09

Fantastic FvF, really please you can holiday this weekend:)

Some major MAJOR staff retraining needed though if it's only theMD with any common sense or customer service skills!

Blu · 10/08/2011 14:11

(Aitch - indeed - the deputy who made that offer needs to understand that to 20 people already packing for the holiday "full refund" means "cancelled holiday". Hardly a resolution or cause of satisfaction).

Welcome back from your own hol, Mark Gordon - I hope it was efficiently organised - was it in a specified tent on a FDF site? Grin

AitchTwoOh · 10/08/2011 14:15

re canopy and stars, i'd sent them an email through their site asking them to forward it to 'someone senior', because it needed dealing with straightaway. this is part of the email that rebecca sent me in reply 'And don't worry about sending this to someone senior ? we're a small team and have all (MD included) been involved in trying to find a solution." that's pretty cool of them, isn't it?

bumpybecky · 10/08/2011 14:15

So will you all be in the same field Frazzled? or are you still split up?

20% off is a good offer though

AitchTwoOh · 10/08/2011 14:16

still split up, but i CANNOT WAIT to find out who the people in the other tents are... if it's not ashley and cheryl i will be most annoyed.

feelingvfrazzled · 10/08/2011 14:25

We're overjoyed, its what we have asked for all along and so that's brilliant. We are reaonable people after all.

I honestly think they will learn from it, it was situation that got very out of hand. My friend said that the MD basically threw his hands up in the air and apologised.

We all make mistakes but I think its important to learn from them which I think they will, MD wants to meet my friend post holiday as well so that's good of him.

Now - where are my wellies, flipflops, buckets and spades.

Overjoyed and long live Mumsnet!

PS Ashley and Cheryl, I hope not! Brad and Angelina surely?!?!

Yep still split up but we will have to work around that, onwards

:):o:):o:):o:):o

feelingvfrazzled · 10/08/2011 14:25

that should be a grin but looks like a grimace!!! We're v happy anyway.

ClaireDeLoon · 10/08/2011 14:26

Great news, enjoy your holiday frazzled.

notwavingjustironing · 10/08/2011 14:29

Good result for Frazzled, but it doesn't really change my view of the way things were handled.

Basically they were backed right into a corner and still refused to concede anything of note, which possibly only changed when Aitch/PR got involved.

It shouldn't take this much intervention by third parties to resolve which is, in essence, an internal cock-up.

Honestly and deference from the beginning would have helped. And hmmm at Aitch being told a full refund, free babysitting and 20% off the next trip, and the official statement saying 20% off this booking, ie one tent.

I'm sure this will be an internal lesson well learnt, but it won't be getting my recommendation for its customer service any time soon.

However, have a good trip Frazzled - your neighbours had better be famous worth it !

AitchTwoOh · 10/08/2011 14:30

no no, don't hmmm at that, i got the email from her an hour ago, just hadn't updated this thread as was busy. so she was just giving me the facts as they stood at the time.

AitchTwoOh · 10/08/2011 14:31

but OBV i completely agree with everything else you say. frightening that things go tits-up the minute the MD goes on hol.

notwavingjustironing · 10/08/2011 14:43

ooh no Aitch I wasn't disbelieving what you had said, fair enough if they had come to the present arrangement between then and you posting.

It just sounded like they had promised you one thing and delivered on another.

But good on you for crusading on this one. Approaching the PR company was a stroke of genius.

I agree with you though Canopy and Stars have come out of this with a very good profile - as does NettleTea!

Have you used the trailer yet..... Grin

TeamEdward · 10/08/2011 14:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheQueenOfDenial · 10/08/2011 14:45

Frazzled hope you enjoy your holiday and I am glad you are pleased with the outcome.

But seriously a 20% discount and the problem still exists isn't much of a resolution is it? Being split makes a huge difference to the vibe of the holiday and 20% hardly covers the stress of this whole debacle let alone the initial problem.

D- Featherdown Farms. Could have done a lot better.

Has been interesting to see some of the other glamping people - Canopy and Stars look fab Smile

AitchTwoOh · 10/08/2011 14:47

i am SURE there will be a Lovely Hamper to greet them, and their extras will suddenly become intras... Wink
wouldn't you say, Mark?

TheQueenOfDenial · 10/08/2011 14:55

You're a good 'un Aitch but I fear that might be wishful thinking.

But then I am not entirely convinced that Mark was actually on holiday...

AitchTwoOh · 10/08/2011 15:05

iknow what you mean about the 20% though, queenie. i mean, it seems to me that it's what they should have offered in the first place, giving the people in the excluded tent their holiday for free. (of course, it would no doubt be divvied but that would be the gesture).

the fact that it has caused all this stress as well... you would think there would be A Lot Of Champagne involved to say sorry.

Blu · 10/08/2011 15:43

And one of the slow meals to greet them on the first night...

NettleTea · 10/08/2011 15:57

The farmers get £30 per pitch per night during high season, just to make that clear, £15 is during the low season.
I also have spoken with Rebecca at Canopy and Stars today, she seemed very upset that they couldnt accommodate everyone, but seeing how quickly even our site has booked up I am not surprised. I really recommend them, they know each of their hosts personally, they stay in each of the sites so that they can see how it runs and exactly what the personality of the place is, and being a small company it is still personal (and I am not just saying that because that is who we are with, although it is WHY we are with them). Unlike some of the bigger sites, who are happy to take anyone on a commission, or have the power to set down stipulations which only they benefit from, Canopy and Stars pick places where the place, the space and the ideals of the people running it are all equally important, and they can then direct travellers to places which they feel would be most suitable for their requirements. They are the 'glamping' offshoot of Sawdays, who has won numerous awards for his independant travel advice and services, and who seems to like a bit of quirkiness himself!
But I am very relieved that Frazzled's holiday is going ahead, and also curious as to who might be in those other 2 tents! At least they came through in the end, although I still feel someone should have been able to make that kind of offer at the onset.

mogs0 · 10/08/2011 16:09

I have been following this thread from the start but didn't feel I had anything useful to add.

As someone who has worked and grown up in places where Summer holidays are the busiest time of year - who on earth takes a holiday at the height of the season?! - certainly not the MD!

I would not be happy with an offer of 20% off this holiday, although I appreciate that OP still wants to go on the holiday so it's possibly the best solution to their problem. If this had been offered at the very beginning then it might have been ok but after all the crap customer service over the last week or so the very least I'd accept would be 50% off the whole booking - I do accept that I'm very hard to please and that 50% might seem unreasonable to others Grin.

I'll be very interested to hear how the op's holiday goes and to find out who the othe tent dwellers are!!

LIZS · 10/08/2011 16:26

Just checking back to find excellent news :). Shame it took the md to make sense of it but really hope you now have a fab holiday nonetheless , Frazzled & co.

gapants · 10/08/2011 17:28

op have a great time.

Feather Down Farms whomever runs the show when the MD is out of town must be shitting bricks right now. The PR damage done over this must be pretty awful. It is a smallish company and would not wish anyone out of a job at this time, but seriously, pull your boots up FDF.

levantine · 10/08/2011 17:31

Oh great, have a fantastic time Frazzled

Canopyandstars looks amaaazing