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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:
BellaBearisWideAwake · 05/08/2011 15:07

is a babysitting service posh talk for a child monitor? or an actual babysitter? still, what a load of crap. completely put off them.

MisSalLaneous · 05/08/2011 15:12

Rubbish offer. Yes, practically it would help a little, but it is missing the point! Their offer is like having to pay £80 for a 3-course meal at a supposedly fancy restaurant that goes wrong: First they burn your food, spill soup over the lady in a white dress... Then offer to give you a free coffee to make up for it.

I'm c&p-ing my comment to their offer as really applies to here:

"Oh for heaven's sake, Feather Down Farms, shoot retrain your Head of Marketing. Yes yes, a babysitter is essential to at least limit the discomfort to the group, but if you had ANY sense, you'd also have given them 50% off or a free stay in winter etc. Yes, you'd have made a loss on this one weekend, but worth it for marketing. Essentially, you messed up, you have to get as close as possible to fixing it! No way would I ever stay with FDF after seeing how head office deals with a balls-up. (And I'm a sucker for this kind of set-up, would have stayed with you in the future. Will now go and search for the name of that other company that does something slightly similar, just a little more upmarket.)"

FernandoBanjo · 05/08/2011 15:18

I hope the babysitter is going to be available 24hrs a day at a moments notice? CRB checked, plenty of references that can be verified?

When the 'outcast' family parents want to pop to the shop for 5 mins, babysitter will magically appear I assume? Perhaps they might want a half hour snooze in the afternoon, the babysitter will be there yes? These are all the things they could do if they had their original booking. I bet the outcast kids are going to love going off with a stranger while all the other kids snuggle down near parents having a drink in the middle of all the tents.

This is crap, really crap. So sorry for you all OP.

Blu · 05/08/2011 15:20

OP - is there one family with which the children of another could bed down in the evenings? Maybe the youngest which could then be carried back to the other tent later? In which case persuade FDF that the decent thing is to give the outcast family the tent for free for the week?

FernandoBanjo · 05/08/2011 15:21

This is a great opportunity for another holiday operator to jump in and save the day actually! Priceless PR for them.

Frustratedblogger · 05/08/2011 15:26

I won't fancy taking a sleeping toddler back to another field over a brook and through a wooded area in the dark, would you?? I would not have a stranger look after my children in another field.

MisSalLaneous · 05/08/2011 15:32

Ok, as FDF seems to be really struggling with this, let me tell you what I would have done in your shoes:

  1. Try and offer group 2 (the 2 with current priority!) a 50% discount on their stay if they stay in the other field. By this late stage, you cannot force the other group anymore, as it would just be this exact situation on them.
  1. If 1 not accepted, see if they would accept it with a free stay another weekend. People love hearing they get something big for free, might swing them.

if neither, we're back to split up situation, so:

  1. Offer pitching a big bell tent together with the four FDF properties, just outside of one of the lodges. If any of the children are old enough, this might be a big adventure for them. Obviously you have to kit it out to the same standard, so rugs, fluffy duvets, pillows etc. It goes without saying that this is free.

On top of 3, keep to your current agreement for babysitter as you cannot retract an offer. You'd hope that by now you've learnt that.

For option 3, if this is acceptable, you'd have to throw it something brilliant to make up for inconvenience - whether that be provisions for a fancy picnic (homemade cakes, fruit, etc).

If you want to fully recover from this fiasco, also offer a big discount on top of the tent if that is accepted. At least 30%.

  1. The easiest option of all if 1 or 2 not working: 50% off on this stay, free babysitter. Or free babysitter and free stay at another date.

You have to accept that this will cost you financially. As all business mistakes do. Limiting the damage is all you can do now.

AlmaMartyr · 05/08/2011 15:33

That's a terrible offer! Fernando makes some good points about the babysitting service not covering everything and personally, I'd hate to use a babysitter on a camping holiday (nothing against babysitters but it's hardly in the relaxed 'family together' spirit is it?). This really is so bizarre, and certainly confirms to me that it's not somewhere I'd ever book for a holiday.

Quenelle · 05/08/2011 15:34

No I don't think it's good enough. I'm really sorry your holiday has been spoilt OP.

Ceolas · 05/08/2011 15:44

Oh no, that's rotten. Who are these other folk? They sure don't want to upset them. Poor offer IMO. They are not doing well with this.

leeloo1 · 05/08/2011 15:47

I agree with MisSalLaneous and FernandoBanjo -hopefully the babysitting service will be Mary Poppin-esque, but I doubt it and the stress of all this will have already soured the holiday - which a magnanimous gesture could have resolved.

I've been watching the thread as we were thinking of booking for next year, but definitely won't now.

Surely the whole point of paying more for these kind of holidays is that you get fantastic customer service especially when something goes wrong... this is just shoddy - and the fact that they had to be shamed into this pitiful offer by a mumsnet thread is just worrying. What happens to the people messed around by FeatherDown Farm, (Corfe Castle, Dorset etc) and don't have the power of Mumsnet behind them? Do they just get their holiday ruined at short notice with little or no apology or recompense?

FernandoBanjo · 05/08/2011 16:02

I sent a link to this thread to Centre Parcs. They might be interested to see how the competition treat their customers. Hope you don't mind OP.

MisSalLaneous · 05/08/2011 16:02

Not so suitable for a group, but as FDF is losing the group angle anyway, I'll try Country House Hideout instead in the future. I'm a "proper" camper with our own tent(s) anyway, but like the idea of trying something like this. We've stayed in a couple of Yurts, and when done right, it's a fab mixture of luxury and nature.

Oblomov · 05/08/2011 16:08

I still can't get over the fact that 2 weeks before holiday, Op was advised, that after booking in November, that they were now not together.
Did Corfe farm ring you, out of the blue ?
Or did the person, from your group, ring, just to confirm details correct ?

When EXACTLY did it occur to the Farm owner/FDF that this group was going to have to be split ?
When did the other 2 tenter's actaully book ?
First ? Or post Op's booking?
Ask for dates. Lets find out what we are actually dealing with here.
And the 2 tenter's shouted, did they ? charming. Has the farmer approached them again, in the last few days ?

feelingvfrazzled · 05/08/2011 16:09

Thank you FernandoBanjo, am reeling from all of this to be fair.

Oblomov · 05/08/2011 16:10

Op is probably a bit overwhelmed. We don't want this to turn into another Riven situation, where this gets totally out-of-hand,do we ?

feelingvfrazzled · 05/08/2011 16:11

Thank you all for your posts, we have been offered a babysitter (but are yet to actually accept it as the solution from their email). So this way some of the children can sleep for a couple of evenings and the other 4 families will be in the other field. It is very far from ideal but realistically there isn't anything else we can do, short of not going and that would frankly break the kids hearts...
As the week has progressed it isn't really what has happened, the other people have asked for 2 specific tents and got them and thats great for them and totally fine, its the way we have been dealt with. To be told on Tuesday that they have done all they can yet there was no solution was heart breaking.

This is a group holiday that we have all been looking forward to since November and I'm sure over the campfire we'll laugh about this - er....

We are in a corner and see no way out of it but we do still think we should have been compensated for this holiday and not future ones!

Oblomov the farmer called my friend

MarathonMillie · 05/08/2011 16:18

Why can't you demand a full refund? After such disgusting treatment by FDF I would want to take my business elsewhere. Although it will be hassle finding somewhere else at short notice I would still do it and there will be somewhere you can go.

MarathonMillie · 05/08/2011 16:20

And offering a babystitter is just insulting. The whole point of this holiday is that you want to be together.

BiscuitNibbler · 05/08/2011 16:22

Came home to find the new FDF brochure has arrived. After reading this thread I will not be booking our group with them next year. Customer service is vital in a holiday company, why can't they see that?

lovecat · 05/08/2011 16:23

I've been wholeheartedly recommended Jollydays by a friend who went there at Easter.

Not sure exactly when you're due to go, Frazzled, but they have multiple availability in August for their luxury and bell tents according to the website.

Worth a ring and see if Featherdown Farm, Knaveswell, Dorset, will give you your money back?

sockpoppet · 05/08/2011 16:27

Might be with sending it to jolly days too. I'm certainly never going to book a holiday with feather down farms. I can't believe such a high end holiday company offers such shit customer service.

AlmaMartyr · 05/08/2011 16:35

Agree with Leeloo, it's pretty shocking that the best they've offered has only been because of this pressure and it's still a terrible offer :( There are loads of places that offer yurts and "glamping" sites who would probably be glad of the business.

Oblomov · 05/08/2011 16:36

O.k. so Farmer called Op's friend.
WHY does the request from the 2 tenters, for 2 specific tenst, why does that request over-ride Op's booking. I don't get it.
OP = "It is very far from ideal but realistically there isn't anything else we can do." No, I disagree. I am sure there's a way round this.So that you cna be together. There must be, surely.
Has anyone got a plan of the actual pitches ?

LIZS · 05/08/2011 16:38

I thought they were offering you a 3/2 split not 4/1 . Certainily would n't accept the latter. They should be sorting this out more effectively not least because of the ill feeling which may exist onsite that week . I wonder if the the other group are aware of the furore ? Maybe there are extenuating circumstances which require them to have a particular pitch/field (like access) but the poor handling of this doesn't seem to be aimed at achieving a resolution "to everybody's satisfaction", just getting the matter closed from FDF's pov.