New website for discounted Norfolk Broads Holidays

[Guest]

http://www.lastminutenorfolkbroads.com New website launched last week for last minute deals for both Cruiser Hire and Self Catering accommodation on the Broads. Usual discounts are book 7 days prior to arrival 30% discount, 8-14 days prior to arrival 20% discount or 15-31 days prior to arrival 10% discount Follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Last-Min ... 4264583610

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Looks suspiciously like a Barmes Brinkcraft site, as all the boats that came up were theirs?. It makes you wonder whether due to such poor weather last year, and this cold spell, people may be waiting to see what the weather`s going to be before they make a booking?.

[Dan]

Wont everyone just leave it later and later to book - what would be the reason not to if you wanted a boat from this company?

Just the kind of thing I hate - the offers should be strongest to encourage early booking and reward the most loyal customers... a very short term strategy which though I can see is sometimes essential if the economics are not adding up all it does in the long term is get you less & less bookings as everyone leaves it later or decamps to another operator after feeling a bit ripped off, when you finally do stop doing the late deals after seeing your booking charts emptier & emptier at the same point in time each year you also need a new customer base as those you have built up expect this kind of thing and probably ending up having to scale things down until the better model is built back up again... in my opinion anyway

Dan

[C.Ricko]

are people looking for the biggest discount or the best value?

The feedback would be useful.....

[kadensa]

are people looking for the biggest discount or the best value?

The feedback would be useful.....

I always search for the cheapest boats, then look to see which I think is the best value for my requirements. Hence this year we booked Major Gem as the price was EXTREMELY reasonable for the size and style of craft. I prefer to book early so I can be sure of getting the boat I want when I want it. Would I be upset if I found that I'd paid more than someone who waited and received a last minute booking discount? Not really. I'll be on holiday when I want on my chosen boat at a price I'm willing to pay. I must say, though, Clive, that the new loyalty scheme came as a welcome surprise!

I think that kind of promotion, together with good service , will do more to both keep existing customers and attract new business than last minute discounts ever could.

Lin

[littlesprite]

I always decided on what I could afford to spend then looked for the best value at that price, discounts can't always be trusted as supermarkets often prove, "2 for the price of 1 " "large multisave pack" I'm sure we've all seen the deals and how they can actually end up more expensive.

Clive has got it right, look after your customer and reward their loyalty, it will keep the customer you have and attract the customer for the future.

[NonTecky]

I look for what is the best value to me for the holiday I wish to book. I do NOT look for the largest discount.

[LondonRascal]

This looks like http://lastminuteboathire.com/ which seem to be all out of Herbert Woods stable.

I can see why a boatyard may do this - in attempt to have some money coming in on their assets which otherwise would be left flaoting earning nothing. However, this requires surely a bit market and lots of 'bums on boats' aka how the discount airline industry works.

I can't really see that working on the Broads therefore.

What is interesting is http://www.lastminutenorfolkbroads.com is Barnes Brinkcraft. So the wider question is, why do two large boat yards need to go tot the cost of setting up another website to sell their boats at a discount - and not just offer the discount on their own main website? Perhaps because they don't want to have too many book too late - and you can bet your boots that a customer booking on the main site won't be greeted at reception with a cheery 'you could have got 30% off this boat had you booked it last week on our other site'. So you risk alienating your current customer base - or - driving them all to book through your new discount site very close to departure - meaning forecasting and staff requirements for the year ahead become harder.

I may avail myself of such a deal if I was wanting to book 'last minute' - perhaps it is nice to have the flexibility to haggle 'got any deals on' rather than know the price you see is the price you pay - but time will tell how long they go on for.

As far as the biggest discount verses value how does one determine value? One customer may be willing to pay more money but have a very overall experience from staff, welcome, and so build a loyalty - another may see value as how much is the cost of the holiday - end of.

I think you need to be somewhat flexible, Richardson's have special offers and they are unique. They also have a second holiday discount or discount for a two week or more holiday - these are not unique - but then there are the boatyards who do not have much in the way of special offers, or loyalty schemes and it is these who may see customers 'defect' for a headline discount and risk booking later.

[Brian]

I always look for the best Value.

As i know what kind of boat i would like to Hire its just needs to be a good price.

[minor2011]

Well it's obviously working for HW which is probably the reason why BB have followed this business model.

To be honest at least in HW's case it's swings and roundabouts, although they are offering discounts via their second business you don't qualify for any loyalty discounts. So the yard doesn't lose too much in the longer term.

Plus hiring via these last minute sites you don't get the full choice of boats, only what's left.

The cost of setting up & running a second website is also minimal these days.

I wonder how long it will be before others follow this new business model.

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Clive,

I always look for the best value with anything I buy, lease or rent, the lowest price is not always the best value.

I do you wish your company were involved with canal holidays.

Regards

Alan

[Oddfellow]

Well it's obviously working for HW which is probably the reason why BB have followed this business model.

Where's the justification for this statement? How do you know it's working for HW? Just because the site still exists dosen't mean is a success. What it does mean is that there's another opporunity to stumble upon the fleet using a Google search.

[Stranger]

i have just been searching the web site for Freedom Boating Hols and got loads of out of date slow rubbish and one current site that doesent seem to want to work at all ( wont redirect to boating hols) i think your site needs some urgent attention if your going to use the web to sell your holidays

[Oddfellow]

Perhaps, Dave, you might elaborate a little? I am aware of one or two dificencies, but don't think they deserve such a public statement.

Keeping such information out of public view would, surely, be more in keeping with the friendly nature of this forum.

[andyg]

Freedom site seems to work just fine

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Andy,

The site seems to open up quickly, I have not spent much time on it but I can see that you need to do a few tweeks on the boats you have on offer. Some show new this for 2010 and that for 2011 etc, it would be best to remove these and only show what has been done for 2013.

Regards

Alan

[NorfolkNog]

It might be that Dave needs to hit the refresh button on his browser

[Stranger]

the main site i was refering to was listed as up to 80% off at Freedom Boating Holidays when on the site it is listed as GROUPON but the offer expired on 28Feb 2012 the main site for Freedom was working fine today or my browser was working better lol btw no offence offered or intended

[Oddfellow]

So, you're referring to a 3rd party web site that's beyond our control and remit.

It's the language used that was most disturbing. I know that the web site needs updating and I am aware of a few other issues too such as old improvements still being crowed about. Having constructive critiscm is 100% welcome, but phrases like;

loads of out of date slow rubbish

help nobody.

[Oddfellow]

Good has come out of this, as I've just had the kick I needed to get some updates in. Not many, but I've updated the pictures this morning. Thanks for the prompt. More subtle updates due and a big site revamp too (but that will take longer, much longer!)

[Guest]

This website is now offering discounts: http://www.lastminutenorfolkbroads.com

33% Off if your holiday start date is within 7 days

25% Off for holidays 8 - 15 days away

15% Off for start dates 16 - 31 days away

Isn't all just about customer choice?

[Oddfellow]

It's damaging to the industry and your own market; that's what it is.

Great for the customer in the very short term as now you know that someone is prepared to offer you a discount is you procrastinate long enough.

Well, what if a significant number of holidaymakers procrastinate until 21st July? Where does the the business earn it's money to make it until the 21st July? It isn't from forward bookings 'cos they'll start to drop like sand off a Hopton cliff.

[Brian]

Offering a Last minute large discounted rate, just means you will get the boat that no one wanted !?

A bit like the hotel room that overlooks the Kitchen bin area that no one wants but is offered as a good discounted rate.

[LondonRascal]

I think the problem (risk perhaps) is two fold:

1. Running a business and budget is never an easy task, but you need to have to be able to have some idea as to what to expect and plan for. Of course there are going to be changes that you can never expect – weather and outside economic factors which may well affect your customers but by and large year in and out you will have an idea of when your main profit times are – and what sells well and so on.

Well when you introduce discount website – and then have discounts on a sliding scale at that – you suddenly loose the opportunity to really have any idea what your customers will do. Will they all prefer to wait until he last minute? Will they take whatever they can e.g. you’ve got a six berth boat and a party of 6 decide to opt for the 4 berth and make up the settee in the salon as the 6th berth because that boat has a discount on it.

So from my point of view (the customer) it is very good news – I certainly would look at waiting or being more impromptu with booking than planning ahead, but I just cannot see how doing this as an ongoing ‘deal’ will benefit the boatyards. It is one thing to offer discounts here and there, but to have a parallel website selling your product at a discount regardless of time of year should your customers wait until they book devalues your main prices and product.

2. You risk frankly annoying your loyal customer base, the people who have to plan ahead because they can’t get time off work at the last minute, or who think that it is not fair they have booked early – given your business a deposit – and yet have had to pay over the odds for that. You might loose customers who feel hard done by, not a good thing at all – and those you do not decide to wait and book later and get a discount which then begins to mean your published price may as well be a third lower than it is anyway.

I very much can see where Andy is coming from as far as the industry goes – especially for the smaller yard, but equally for the larger yards such as Richardson’s – I mean what if in a year or two you have all the boatyards with their fleets and main websites and brochures, but also all having a secondary discount website too – it seems a bit silly but so far two yards have, how can we say ‘jumped on the bandwagon’ and a third has decided to see how being all inclusive works out for them.

If nothing more I can’t help but wonder just what the future holds and how the season will pan out this year – if it is not good then I dread to think what may be then.

[minor2011]

Just interested in what people think of Herbert Woods boat of the week promotion on their Facebook page