Bad Campground Employee Experience

My wife and I recently stayed at a fairly high rated campground. The last three ratings were 9-8-5. While the campground facilities were OK, we experienced an abusive and argumentative campground employee.
The question I’m asking, if I decide to rate this campground, do I just rate the facilities or do I include the bad experience with the employee as part of the rating?
I did contact the campground owner and received an apology and a promise that “it would not happen again.” I would not stay at this campground again because of the experience we had with the employee.
So, how do I rate this campground? It is an average campground as far as I’m concerned…grass sites, adequate 30 AMP service. Since we were only staying the night, we didn’t even bother to hook up water.

 

Write up the campground as normal and deduct several points. Then explain what happened and what the owner said and did. I just had a similar experience at a campground that I have stayed about 10 times. I have been thinking about asking a similar question.

 

We prefer that you rate the campground on its appearance, facilities, amenities, etc. However, the way you are treated affects your stay and should be considered and reported. The problem is that all too frequently one incident becomes the focus of the review, and none of the good attributes of the campground are even mentioned. So if you feel the incident needs mentioning, that is OK, but first try to consider if this is an isolated incident that may not happen to another guest, and then if you do report it, try keep it in proportion to your overall stay.

 

QUOTE(Lindsay Richards @ Dec 7 2012, 09:11 PM) [snapback]32089[/snapback]

Write up the campground as normal and deduct several points. Then explain what happened and what the owner said and did. I just had a similar experience at a campground that I have stayed about 10 times. I have been thinking about asking a similar question.



Lindsay,
That's about what I've been thinking also, but I would rate the campground as a 5 or 6 max based on what I observed! If I deduct several points, I'm in the minus range.
I'm not quite sure how much the administrators of this site will allow.
And while the campground owner assured me that it "would not happen again," I don't know if the worker was fired or the campground owner was just blowing me off and doesn't care.
What I should have done was to head right to the office and complain....but I was so upset, all I wanted to do was get away from the jerk.

 

Awfully hard to answer without knowing some specifics. If the problem would likely be repeated by others, and is not related to a rule or policy, then by all means let us know and cut the score. If it is a matter of interpretation, or something that likely won't happen to others, maybe mention it but don't let it completely cloud your overall rating.
A couple of examples. If you ran afoul of pet rules, or site housekeeping rules, mention it, but be aware that every person's idea of too zealous enforcement will differ. Same thing with policies. Lately I have seen several low scores and bad reviews because a park enforced a deposit or refund policy that the reviewer didn't like. In my opinion, tough cookies. If you don't like a policy, too bad. Even if you get into a confrontation over it, it is really your fault for not knowing or liking it, not the park's problem for having or enforcing it.
On the other hand, if your problem was an employee doing something that was wrong or abusive or dangerous etc., it should absolutely lead to a warning and a bad review. Just please be sure to put it into perspective.

 

kcmoedoe,
No issues with pets, refunds, rules, or policies. And I agree with you..if you violate the rules, "tough cookies."
The employee was just a plain, ignorant jerk who felt the need to "try" and intimidate us. And I'm much kinder in my description of him than my wife.
We have been RVing since the early 80's...everything from a pop-top to a diesel pusher. We've logged well over 250,000 miles on our rigs, camped on two different continents, and have never had a campground employee as obnoxious as this guy was.
Bob

 

QUOTE(thetravelkids @ Dec 8 2012, 03:44 PM) [snapback]32096[/snapback]

... And I'm much kinder in my description of him than my wife...


I know from experience one cannot name names in a review.
HOWEVER, one can diplomatically note: that a particular male employee working the front desk, (or whatever) at your stay of December 2012, was rude beyond reason.

Make note that you have subsequently notified the owner, etc. Keep it crisp, or (as MDcamping notes) it gets discounted by most of us, as a rant.

I, as the female part of the FosterImposter team, appreciate the heads-up, before I go tripping into an RV park unprepared for an "a-hem", after a long day on the road.

That said, I try to be prepared. B)

 

QUOTE(thetravelkids @ Dec 8 2012, 06:44 PM) [snapback]32096[/snapback]

kcmoedoe,
No issues with pets, refunds, rules, or policies. And I agree with you..if you violate the rules, "tough cookies."
The employee was just a plain, ignorant jerk who felt the need to "try" and intimidate us. And I'm much kinder in my description of him than my wife.
We have been RVing since the early 80's...everything from a pop-top to a diesel pusher. We've logged well over 250,000 miles on our rigs, camped on two different continents, and have never had a campground employee as obnoxious as this guy was.
Bob


I guess I am a bit dense, but how or why would someone try to intimidate you at an RV Park if it is not over rules, policies, behavior etc.? Not saying it didn't happen, but I can't really imagine what happened, short of the guy was a crazy loon, in which case that might just work as a summary for the review. Something like "The Manager, owner or whomever needs to be fitted for a straight jacket and needs to be housed in a rubber room. Stay Away!" And the fact is businesses that suffer from truly insane ownership and management seldom stay around for long.

 

I just added my tale of woe on anther thread I started. Similar question, but I will be going back myself.

 

Everybody has a bad day from time to time. In the hotel, motel and apartment industry we train employees how to deal with that (at least the larger, professional managment companies do). Leave it at the door or at the gate.

I've also ran across my share in my travels and journeys over the years (hotels and motels until recently.....now it's the RV parks and campgrounds). I try to not take it personal and tell myself that "they" are having a bad day and I got in the line of fire. However, I will also always talk to a Manager or owner. I try to relate the facts, keeping my personal opinions out of it, tell them how it made me feel as the customer and consumer and may even go so far as to ask for some form of compensation on the current stay or a future stay. I then thank them for taking the time out of their day to hear what I have to say and for their consideration.

While I haven't always been successful in getting the compensation that I felt would have been fair, I can tell you that I have been more successful than not.

If it's corporate owned (like a hotel or motel chain) you may need to take it above the on site owner or manager and call that chains customer service number to get heard. I would assum it would be the same for any of the larger corporate owned RV parks.

Let me share a situation that happened just last weekend. After I'd disconnected and hooked up our 5th wheel, as we were creeping out of the RV park, my 3 yr. old grandson said "grandma, bathroom". We stopped at the gate and my wife took him in to the office and asked the lady if she could take him in the office restroom. She said "no, I'm sorry, it's for office use only......the closest restroom is across the field there at the fairgrounds but you'll need a key and that requires a deposit". I didn't post it in my review......simply because we were asking for a special favor that's not extended to other guests. Did I think the lady could have shown some discreation and made a judgement call and let her take him in there? Sure.....but everybody doesn't show the same level of discreation or judgement. So, I didn't let it reflect on my review of that RV park.

Several situations were mentioned above and not sure what the circumstances were however, nobody deserves to be talked to rudely or disrespectfully.......that wasn't our situation. Had that happened, I'd do as suggested......rate the park itself as fairly as I could and then add a paragraph about my personal experience with a staff member that was rude or disrespectuful and the action I took, who I talked with and their response.

 

After much deliberation, I posted a review of the campground in question. I'm waiting to see if the moderators will accept it or not.
No, I didn't rant or rave....as Sgt Friday would say, "Just the facts."
I hope this was an isolated instance and others that decide to stay at the campground are treated with respect. Regardless, we'll spend out camping dollars elsewhere.