Booking procedure for 2006

[Toby]

I am looking at the booking procedure/forms etc for 2006 and was thinking of a few minor changes. The admin last year was a bit too much, so this would be an effort to sort this out.

What do people think to.......

Prices are listed as fixed prices. For example it will cost X for one week and X if you are a returning person/foyat. That way there will be no having to work out the % for returning people.

Bookings are confirmed via e-mail or telephone, ideally before forms are sent in. This will reduce the chance of peoples bookings overlapping and the difficulty to sort this out.

Once the booking are confirmed there is a 4 week period before the course has to be paid for in full. This will reduce the admin linked with deposits etc and also the number of reminder letters that were sent. (I could make allowances in special circumstances, but this has to be arranged in advance). Once the final payment is sorted a full information pack would then be sent out.

If payment has not been sorted, and no other contact has been made, after 4 weeks the place will be opened up again. So there is a better chance of filling spaces which may be spare.


........ do you think this would be fair? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Toby

[Clive]

Hi Toby,

Most of what you suggest seems good. However, I'm a bit unclear about the "Bookings are confirmed via e-mail or telephone" bit. Are you saying that we should first request a slot (eg week 3) by email or phone, which you then confirm is available or otherwise and then we send in our forms? If so, it works for me. ;D

Looking forward to getting more details, eg what are the dates?

Clive

[fee]

I agree with Clive; what you've set out above looks good. I also second the dates question, although last time I was in touch you were still confirming details. And am I the only person who doesn't know whare it is?? Everyone else seems to have their theories but I am still blissfully in the dark :/

Fee

[Toby]

Dates will be identical to last year (20th June - 9th Sept) . The week will be from Tuesday to Saturday, as we will have visitors wandering around. Sundays are a little different here.

Yep the idea is to get immediate, or as close as possible, confirmation of the time you want to be there, and then send in the form. Of course when it first opens to bookings it is possible to get any times, but last year the juggling of spaces was a pain (especially linked with the residential side of things)

New stuff......

Placements will again have to contact me directly. They should be sorted out by (at the very latest) the end of April. They will have to send in a CV and have a telephone 'interview' at the very least.

We will also be able to offer paid work to placements as tour guides for the site, but hours and rates are still be sorted.

... as for location... it is my back yard, I want a nice new terraced slope with a waterfall and wind chimes (Joke!)

[Paul]

Toby,
what you propose sounds fair. Even the terraced gardens, but only if Alan Titchmarsh is part of the team.
Time-travelling-ground-force... hmmm... there may be some TV rights in the offing.
Looking forward to it I'll pack the 4 inch trowel and the turf cutter.
Hooroo. Paul.

[mandy]

Sounds good! can't wait to get booked up.
Paul you'll have to tell me what weeks you will be planning on making it. I'm thinking about 2 weeks but on seperate times coz i'm thinking about going on that Eurorail thing as well.