An open letter to the CEO of Center Parcs

Time to Read – 3 Minutes

To Martin Dalby

Dear Martin,

Thank you for your personalised letter to my wife Rosalind, dated “September 2010 – issue 26” in which you urge us to consider “a break at any of our villages.”

Presto! Just one week later, here we are, at one of your villages – Sherwood Forest (Villa 316, do pop round for a cup of tea). Indeed, we have been visiting your villages every year for the last sixteen years, which technically makes us your customers.

As such, we have three questions for you:

1. Why are you sending us letters asking us to think about making a booking one week before we take up a booking we made twelve months ago?

2. When we visit you for a holiday, we do not do so in secret; we tell you where and when we are coming, and we pay you money. So, why (calm now David) every time we arrive at your reception in our car, having booked in online (your favoured method), are we asked “have you ever been to Center Parcs before?” YES – WE HAVE!

 Suggestion – use a small code on one of your reception screens to indicate when customers have been before (which, as an ex IT Director, I can assure you is easier to do than you are being told, and the cost is minimal).

3. Customer feedback is not a pain – it is the very best form of customer/marketing/sales intelligence available to any company. And it is free. So, why do you make it so difficult to contact you – the only email address available is your bookings one. Suggestion – start a feedback email address straight away. Cost zero.

Please do not misunderstand me, we love coming to Center Parcs, and your green agenda is world class. That is what makes these easy to resolve customer issues so much more frustrating.

I look forward to your reply, and even more so to your visit or phone call.

Best wishes
David (Taylor)

PS For everyone – Your customers are your finest form of feedback – listen to them and get close to those who love you most.

Poll – My organisations loves to

This website uses cookies and asks your personal data to enhance your browsing experience.