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Old 08-12-2009, 11:54 AM   #21
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Robin G's Avatar
 
Trailer: 2007 Casita
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Quote:
Then there's this:
Often when we book a KOA (it seems mostly them) and state our true size and dimension we get a campsite that is cramped, uneven and no room for awning because of trees for example. I look around and see some very nice sites that are much wider and level and enquire if they are available for a swap. The answer is usually no, they are booked but oddly enough they remain empty.

So, I started booking sites and including "slide out" as an option even though we do not have one. Viola! Complete change. Wider more comfortable sites more often than not....I do feel slightly guilty for the bigger units in the smaller sites....would you?

Robin, perhaps you can share your thoughts on this. Maybe I'm just wising up late in the game and this is standard practice for some already.


Mike, first in my opinion KOA is notorious for that! So my suggestion would be to find a unaffiliated campground to meet your camping needs.

As for my thoughts? LOL....................... Ok, two thoughts here- First the thought from an owners perspective, and honestly I can only give you the perspective of a Big Rig park owner cause that's what we owned and most of our sites were large pull thru's that would accommodate most big rigs we weren't a campfire, smor'e type campground, so most smaller units wouldn't choose to stay with us, unless they needed all the amenities ( which I strived everyday to catch ( the out of place camper calling for their ideal camp site, and directed them to one of the wonderful campgrounds in the area) As I have said more than once, sometimes a nightly fee isn't worth someone being miserable, them or me. So I tried to avoid the campground, big rig park mixup. Of course we had sites that were smaller than others, but if a guest had made a reservation I put them in the site that gave them the most comfortable stay. Now if someone just came in off the road, despite their size they got a site that was left available.
Reservations came first and they got the best sites to fit their needs, then what ever sites where open, I would fill with off the road guest and for the most part. Tried to give them what they wanted from what was open. I didn't care if a ( off the road ) pop up was in a 100 foot site. They were paying customers and if they needed a full hook up/phone/wifi site they got it! Their money was just as green. ( should have seen the time I put a pop up between two million dollar buses! LOL)

More than once I had people who came off the road, needing a site (high season) and because they saw an empty site that was nicer/bigger than the ones I gave them options of they would ask for it. I would tell them, no that site has guest coming in. But believe me, if there was a cancellation for that site it was always given away first. More than once the off the road guest would say, move them they won't know. And I would always explain that a guest who took the time to make a reservation for their stay got the best I have and that I had put them in that site in the first place cause it was more appropriate for them to start with. Some would get it, some wouldn't .

All that being said, I do have to add that because our season was so short ( open 6 months, 4 months busy at best) I had to maximize my nightly stays and truthfully I knew every site better than anyone and always,always worked from the best site to the worst site. And was completely honest with callers/off the road potential guest that if the worst site in the park was the only thing left that's all I had to offer, but it was a long long fullhookup pull thru they were welcome to it Pull thrus, 50 amp sites in our part of the country were rare. We had 45 pull thru full hook up sites, plus backin full hookups. Due to the fact that our place was highly unusual for the areas outdoors experience my thoughts would be completely different than say a campground owner.



Now from the "egg" owners perspective, I personally hate going to someplace I haven't been. I like to see the site/campground before hand, Ok not always gonna happen. But if I am spending quality time some where I like to know where I am planting myself for a few days. I am realistic, am I camping/glamping/rving? If I am in a campground I expect campground sites, if I am in an rv park I expect rv sites (closer together, no/few tree's ect). That there I think is huge, ask! Is this a campground? ( campfire/smor'e type experience) or is this a rv park type experience? They are different! People don't get it, (back to the owners perspective)LOL............

Now would I fib about my size (hell yeah, I can sqeeze into those skinny jeans! ) Probably not! But understand your frustration, when it comes to campgrounds calling a sqaure inch of land a "site". And there inlies another issue! In my opinion, businesses in general try to maximize every square inch, I get it, but most times they do so at the expense of comfort. I personally come from the idea that if you take care of the guest you have rather than cram more sites in to the plot of land to get more dollars, the business that services a smaller base will make off better in the end. Just my opinion. Ok so I will be poor the rest of my life! Cause I didn't want to run a circus. But I had valued guest that many are still friends 4 years after selling.

Another issue I see, is that the average camper expects campsites in private campgrounds/rvparks to have a acre between each site like Blm, Forest Service, Federal campgrounds! Unrealistic! They want all the amenities of private but the privacy of a dirt plot such as offered at public campgrounds. Again, unrealistic. Now for those that say they could start a campground that offer an acre between sites, I say Great! Buy the land, build it, and I will try and call you in a year cause you won't be in business. The cost far out weights the income. Just a sad fact. There is a happy medium somewhere.

As for a poor big rv sitting in a smaller site than the one you occupy, hmmmm, I guess I don't have an answer. Personally if I request a site and the campgrounds allows you to choose a site, then I say too bad so sad! They should have planned their vacation! Heck I was in a small site a few weeks ago that they told me was a big rig site! Really? We were squished in it, I can't imagine a big rig there. Sorry my thought intermixed between Owner/Camper. I guess the only other thing I can add is, as a consumer I have the right to "consume" with a business that meets my needs/wants. So I as that consumer have to be aware of what I am consuming and make the choice of doing business with them or not. Robin
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Old 08-12-2009, 06:11 PM   #22
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Thank you for those two perspectives Robin. You are an asset to our online community....

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Old 08-12-2009, 08:47 PM   #23
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Same here Robin. Always a pleasure hearing your perspective.
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Old 08-12-2009, 10:03 PM   #24
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Now if someone just came in off the road, despite their size they got a site that was left available.
Reservations came first and they got the best sites to fit their needs, then what ever sites where open, I would fill with off the road guest and for the most part. Robin
Agreed, by the way.
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