Holiday park keeps ringing me. Why?

[user1471867483]

I rang a holiday park a week ago asking if they'd any vacancies for caravan hire over Christmas (7 nights). I asked for a quote, which they gave. I told them we are very very last minute people and probably won't contact them until the very day we're leaving. I told them I'd work commitments and couldn't commit until nearer the time when we're hoping to go (this is my MO whenever we go on holiday - last minute).
Anyway, since they rang, they've called me every day. I picked up twice and said I can't commit just yet and only wanted a quote. On Saturday, they rang again, but this time I didn't pick up and won't do until we're decided we're going.

Why do they keep pestering me and what should I do?

Always at christmas?
Honestly, many businesses hate folk like you, even if they do accommodate you.

Well if you leave it very last minute you may well find that they tell you there's no availability.

It seems rather strange. Do you always struggle to make decisions?

They're a massive site open 12 months a year.

Only Christmas ones!

Why do you need to leave it until the day you planned to leave? Surely you know before then?!
They are a business and they need to plan. They can't just twiddle their thumbs waiting for a flaky customer to make up their mind.

It's fine to rock up on the day in season when the caravans will be made up as a matter of course, but you must see that the Christmas break is different. They will be operating on skeleton staff and probably want to be able to offer reduced twixmas breaks if they know you aren't booking.
Ultimately it's their choice of business model not to ask you to confirm by a particular date, but I do find it weird you haven't decided what you're doing over Christmas yet.

How is it rude to book accommodation last minute? They can choose to refuse the booking if too close to the date if they want.

If they know you well then they're probably wanting for you not to miss out by leaving it until the day you're leaving. They may have people ringing looking to book and they might have you provisionally booked in.

To me it seems likely (obvious even!) that they need to know if you're staying or they have the potential to rent the caravan out to someone else and they're trying to give you the opportunity to say yes or no.

Why do you decide last minute is it a health thing?

They just want you to shit or get off the pot. 🤷‍♀️

Because this is a busy period and they need to know if you're going to book?

its quite likely that the caravans are packed up for winter and may need a day of prep for occupancy, very unreasonable to expect to book on the day you plan to arrive!
As others have said they will have staff rotas to organise and if they need to increase staff it's fair to let them know in advance. Remember most staff at holiday parks are minimum wage zero hours contract, they could have saved hard for a Christmas and you deciding on the day that you fancy a break messes up their plans.

A better solution would be for you to arrange a last minute trip abroad, book the same day and see how that works out.

How is it "beyond rude". She's not asked them to hold her a space!!! I'm surely she realises that if she calls last minute they may have sold out by then. It's the OPs perogative when she chooses to try to book.

Funny how you had to point out you've never been. Why click on the post in the first place if you can't advise?

The comment I was looking for!

Awful behaviour.

The replies to this post are peak Mumsnet. If a business does not want to take last minute bookings because they need to plan ahead, they can choose not to do so. What is not ok is to constantly call a customer who has told them they won't be booking in advance to try to harass them into booking. If they don't want the OPs late booking they should have said in the initial phone call that they don't take last minute bookings and they should be has x weeks in advance.

But this is not a planning issue. Their sales team are just trying to harass the OP into a sale. It's rude and unpleasant and actually against the law if the OP has asked them not to. How anyone is justifying their behaviour is beyond me.

Did you reserve the caravan? Are you just hoping they have availability for the day you want?

Saying something is peak mumsnet is also peak mumsnet

They're looking out for themselves, which seems fair. Ignore their calls and go somewhere else if you don't like the way they do things.

They probably think you're a right pain in the arse by ringing for a quote then saying you'll let them know on the day 🙄

I'm surprised they're calling you though, if it were me I'd just constantly tell you we were fully booked!

The replies are not peak Mumsnet at all, really? If you call last minute to book then that's one thing, you're taking your chances. But it sounds like you're hoping to call them as you load up the car, almost? That's a bit different because they then have a customer who's not calling on the off-chance but pretty much expecting to have the caravan ready and waiting. As pps have said, it'll need to be prepared for guests since it's off season, staff available and so on. Not to mention, if all that's not done they might be worried about a bad review.

I think it extremely likely that if you do decide to book they won't accommodate your booking. Have you asked them when they would need to know by?

Because I just did?

Also in most issues you can apply common sense and logic and it will be good enough.

I think they are being unreasonable for calling every day, but you are being unreasonable for not making a call to book it or leave it.