RHYC

[spottydog]

Well that plan is buggered.
I was a member a few years ago at said yacht club and fancied rejoining after a sojourn on the West coast of Scotland.
So today I persuaded my wife that it would be pleasant to pop down to Woolverstone with a view to showing her the delights of the new facilities at the RHYC and getting the details regarding joining and getting a swinging mooring again.
I leave her for 5 minutes to park the car and join her for a coffee in the clubhouse, it took less than that time for her to be humiliated and banished from the premises. When I met up with her she was absolutely furious and incandescent with rage at the way she had been treated.
She had had the temerity to ask for a coffee and crisps which were duly served but as she handed over the money she was asked if she was a member, she, of course said no, the assistant said you are not allowed in here .......and took the cup of coffee back. My wife was surprised but said as you have made me the coffee anyway I will pay for it and drink it. Oh no the club sees fit to let all and sundry know that will not be allowed and proceeded to take the coffee and pour it away.
She could not believe the pettiness of it. We have had so many happy memories of the RHYC in the past and also with her parents, who have been members when they sailed, she was staggered at the unfriendliness. To take a coffee away after it was served!

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

The assistant was, in all likelihood, probably carrying out the instructions of the glitterati of the Club who wish to restrict the facilities to members, not the general public. Fair enough, but “are you a member of another Sailing club” should always be the default response.. This would have given your wife the opportunity to say something like, my father in law was a member.; we are looking to join. Shameful!

 

[Leighb]

As a long time member I am utterly appalled and embarrassed by your treatment. I can only offer my profound apologies and my promise that I will be raising this with the management.
We believe that we are a friendly welcoming club and although we cannot serve any passerby we welcome all fellow sailors- they do not have to belong to another club - and more importantly anyone who is a prospective member.
In the pursuit of my enquiry can you offer a name or perhaps a description of the offending staff member?
Again my sincere apologies.

 

[spottydog]

I will respond via private message.

 

[sailorman]

As a long time member I am utterly appalled and embarrassed by your treatment. I can only offer my profound apologies and my promise that I will be raising this with the management.
We believe that we are a friendly welcoming club and although we cannot serve any passerby we welcome all fellow sailors- they do not have to belong to another club - and more importantly anyone who is a prospective member.
In the pursuit of my enquiry can you offer a name or perhaps a description of the offending staff member?
Again my sincere apologies.

date & time would help too. Fully agree with KK`s comments, staff training req.

 

[pyrojames]

I too am appalled by your wife’s treatment. I would hope that’s if their had been any members around, they would have stood up and invited her as a guest, something that I have done on occaisional when when people have come in asking about the club, or looking lost.

The staff member needs some guidance on how to approach guests, I think.

 

[spottydog]

Thankyou PJ that is what you would ordinarily expect from club members. Perhaps my wife should have been wearing full foul weather gear plus harness to indicate her credentials. In addition if they felt she didn't fit in with their preconceptions of a suitable person perhaps she should have worn her name tag with Dr. Caroline P........... on it.

 

[spottydog]

By the way James I trust all is well with yourself and the family, I don't think I have spoken to you since our trip together to St. Kat's. a number of years ago.(I still inwardly cringe when I remember the accidental gybe I caused as we exited Levington on Croix des Gardes).

 

[Royal Harwich Yacht Club]

Hello, we have received your complaint in the office this morning but wanted to post a reply. We are sorry to hear you feel you had such a bad experience and would like to thank you for bringing this to our attention. Unfortunately without the knowledge that you were hoping to re-join; our Bar Staff have kept to our Club Rules which state that non-members cannot use the Club (as with all Clubs there are exception to this basic rule). Incidentally, there were three Flag Officers, one of our Membership Administrators and our Bar Manager in the Club on Saturday, any of whom would have been more than happy to talk to you, show you around and sign you in. We will reply to your complaint in full via email and of course we would be more than happy to discuss membership, in the meantime please accept our sincere apologies that your wife was made to feel unwelcome; as you can see from Leighb’s comments, this truly is not the usual standard at the Club.

 

[Champagne Murphy]

Sadly, that’s a rather lacklustre response and makes no mention of visiting yachtsmen. Yacht clubs everywhere are having trouble retaining members, a high handed approach isn’t going to make that easier.

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

Sadly, that’s a rather lacklustre response and makes no mention of visiting yachtsmen. Yacht clubs everywhere are having trouble retaining members, a high handed approach isn’t going to make that easier.

+1

 

[MoodySabre]

I turned up there on the boat a few years ago with grandchildren on board. We were flying a Jolly Roger. The person dealing with berthing said that we might be asked to take the flag down.

They were crossed off my list of places to stay. They think they are superior beings.

 

[Parabordi]

Sadly, that’s a rather lacklustre response and makes no mention of visiting yachtsmen. Yacht clubs everywhere are having trouble retaining members, a high handed approach isn’t going to make that easier.

+1

What a snotty response

 

[Supine Being]

Hello, we have received your complaint in the office this morning but wanted to post a reply. We are sorry to hear you feel you had such a bad experience and would like to thank you for bringing this to our attention. Unfortunately without the knowledge that you were hoping to re-join; our Bar Staff have kept to our Club Rules which state that non-members cannot use the Club (as with all Clubs there are exception to this basic rule). Incidentally, there were three Flag Officers, one of our Membership Administrators and our Bar Manager in the Club on Saturday, any of whom would have been more than happy to talk to you, show you around and sign you in. We will reply to your complaint in full via email and of course we would be more than happy to discuss membership, in the meantime please accept our sincere apologies that your wife was made to feel unwelcome; as you can see from Leighb’s comments, this truly is not the usual standard at the Club.

For the benefit of the members of this forum, can you please clarify whether visiting yachtsmen and yachtswomen will be welcome if they arrive without prior arrangement or a member to sign them in? I have never found this before, but if visitors are no longer welcome then, personally, I will have to factor that in to my plans.

 

[Royal Harwich Yacht Club]

RHYC is open to members as well as visiting sailors, clubs and cruising associations, who are always welcome. We're very friendly and all we ask is that you sign our visitors book on the way into the Bar.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Unfortunately without the knowledge that you were hoping to re-join; our Bar Staff have kept to our Club Rules which state that non-members cannot use the Club (as with all Clubs there are exception to this basic rule).

Surely staff should ask if the person is a member and point out that the club is for members and visiting yachtsmen (assuming visiting yachtsmen are welcome) ? I'd have expected staff to ascertain why the person was there.

Incidentally, there were three Flag Officers, one of our Membership Administrators and our Bar Manager in the Club on Saturday, any of whom would have been more than happy to talk to you, show you around and sign you in.

Pity no-one noticed what was happening, as there were a lot of club officials around. Pity the bar staff didn't ask why the lady was there, if she wasn't a member, she could have directed her to one of the aforementioned officials.

I do also have to ask, why didn't Mrs SpottyDog say "we're here to inquire about membership, my husband is parking the car and will be here shortly". Or did she ?

 

[Corribee Boy]

No rude comments about blue ensigns yet?

 

[spottydog]

Surely staff should ask if the person is a member and point out that the club is for members and visiting yachtsmen (assuming visiting yachtsmen are welcome) ? I'd have expected staff to ascertain why the person was there.



Pity no-one noticed what was happening, as there were a lot of club officials around. Pity the bar staff didn't ask why the lady was there, if she wasn't a member, she could have directed her to one of the aforementioned officials.

I do also have to ask, why didn't Mrs SpottyDog say "we're here to inquire about membership, my husband is parking the car and will be here shortly". Or did she ?

I did ask her why she didn't mention we were visiting with a view to joining. But I think when she was confronted with the pettiness of throwing the coffee away in front of her the red mist descended.
She did say to me that it would had felt that the bar manager would have been rather sceptical and insistent that we spoke to an official straightaway rather than having a relaxing cup of coffee after driving the 80 miles to get there. From my point of view I was annoyed at her treatment and decided we would go elsewhere.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I did ask her why she didn't mention we were visiting with a view to joining. But I think when she was confronted with the pettiness of throwing the coffee away in front of her the red mist descended.
She did say to me that it would had felt that the bar manager would have been rather sceptical and insistent that we spoke to an official straightaway rather than having a relaxing cup of coffee after driving the 80 miles to get there. From my point of view I was annoyed at her treatment and decided we would go elsewhere.

I understand, does seem a bit heavy handed.

 

[shortjohnsilver]

For the benefit of the members of this forum, can you please clarify whether visiting yachtsmen and yachtswomen will be welcome if they arrive without prior arrangement or a member to sign them in? I have never found this before, but if visitors are no longer welcome then, personally, I will have to factor that in to my plans.

As it happens I went in to the RHYC Sunday - we're berthed next door MDL Woolverstone - and The Riverside was unable to provide any meaningful service, food wise, due to a lack of a chef for the day!
Anyway, I asked if my wife and I could eat there, explaining the situation next door. We were asked if we were members and I explained that no, we're not members, but visiting. I informed them that actually we are club members of another yacht club and the staff welcomed us wholeheartedly, requesting that we fill out an entry within their visitors book.
So, yes, visitors from other yacht clubs are welcome at any time either arriving on foot or by sea.
This was the first time of being asked and I visit there a lot. I did enquire as to the policy and their explanation was that RHYC members had become concerned at increasing numbers of people just wandering in. Walkers rather than sailors or yachties from other clubs. Reasonable.
An unfortunate incident this, but, out of kilter really.
There's always jobsworths everywhere you go and sometimes they escalate what should be a very minor matter.
I'll be going back.